Omaha daily bee., 1899-03-09
SOURCE OF GERMAN HOSTILITY.
Stirred Up and Magnihed by the
British for Trade Benefits.

Springfield (Mass0 Republican.
The Germans themselves complain loudly
that the English are at the bottom of all
| this alleged friction between the German
! and American governments. Even the lead
| ing COMMUNICATIONS indorse this view.
Carl SChurz has declared lately that the
| British press is responsible for much of
the i'll feeling. The German editors of Chi
cago are so earnest in this belief as to call
a mass meeting to show that their father
land is friendly to their adopted country.
These Chicago editors say that England s
efforts to provoke bad feeling in the United
States against Germany should be con-
demned, and they propose to show that the
| British people are bitterly jealous of the
modern German empire because of its tre-
mendous and ever growing commercial
| rivalry.
| 1t is true enough that the English are
| very jealous of the growing commercial
| power of the Germans. And it is also true
that English interest in American expansion
Is due somewhat to the English desire to
check the German advance. A curious proof
of the average Englishman's mortal dread
| of the German trader appeared in the test
mOny of John Foreman before the American
peace commissioners at Paris. Mr.. Foreman
is the leading English authority on the
Philippine islands, having lived there for
years. In the course of his examination
this passage occurred:
Mr.. Day-What would be the effect-sup-
pose we keep Luzon-if Spain should find
1t too expensive to undertake to maintain
its sway and sovereignty over the rest of
the islands, of the establishment of some
other power there?
Mr. Foreman should make strenuous ef-
forts to keep out the Germans
Mr.. Day-Why?
Mr.. Foreman-Because Germany is now
Great Britains very formidable competitor
in trade, and l think in the next generation
Will be the same with America.
Mr. Day-Your idea, in short is this:
You would prevent the alienation of the rest
of the group because, peradventure Spain
might alenate to Germany?
MIR. Foreman-Yes, sir.
Mr.. Foreman's anxiety first, last and all
the time was about Germany. Take the
whole archipelago as to shut out the
Germans from possible future purchase
such was Foreman's advice, and he repre-
Sented very fairly British opinion in gem
eral.
1t may be kinder suspected that the
British press and newspaper correspond |
enfs have had something to do with work |
ing up hostile feelings between the United |
''"''S anu htTnhHy over tne DnlIlpplne |
question No doubt the Germans look with |
greedy eyes upon Americas acquisitions in |
the Orient and doubtless there are causes |
enough for friction between the two coun-
tries. At the same time. England has more
reason to dread and hate Germany than
America has, and the English press Is not |
above the sly game of keeping the wate:
a triie hot between the two nations
The English are very shrewd people.
They not only view with complacency this
little friction between the United States
and Germany, but with real satisfaction the
dependence of the United States upon Eng
land in the far east Our government
could not sustain itself in the Philippines
without EngIands moral support against
1 coalition OF Russia Germany and France.
70 be sure, 1t is the friendship which Eng
and shows for us that keeps Europe at
distance, but Americans should |
emember that England Is placing them un,
Ter heavy obligations. debt to England
$ being created, and some day the English
'eople will expect 1t to be paid