The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1899-02-15

Il
Saxon. cousin of ours, has been fifty welcomed in
San Francisco, and has talked of his errand to
Asia and America.
The officers of the British navy are also diplomats
in their ability to disclose meaning between the lines,
and this genial sailor is tyro in the art
His mission appeals strongly to our commercial in
stnct and is conveyed in that fatter local
pride. 1t is pleasant picture thrown upon the can
yas-the trade of Asia, that made Wisely Venice,
Genoa and London, in turn, now to be the greatest
commerce in the world, and San Francisco and
Hongkong to be made by it the greatest seaports in
the world, provided we join England, Germany and
Japan to oppose adam Zad, the bear that walks like
man. =" +.
/ France is in Tonquin Russia is in Manchuria.
Japan conquesting Formosa which was part OF her
indemnity from China, and Adam Fad is ranging over
the Korean Peninsula. The Franco Russian alliance
puts the two nations on either side of Hongkong,
which is English territory Germany is at Kiaoehau.
the allies present and seeking to found
Christian civilization in the Philippines for CONNER
/ ciai purposes We never interfered in the balance
+ OF power in Europe. We tipped it neither up nor
down But suddenly it is developed that the contest
for balance is transferred TO Asia and asked
to jump into the scale with England, Germany and
Japan. +. .@::. ri. ri. l.:
Now each of these nations has conquests there or
possessions acquired when their rghtfu owners were
busy about something else. II Russia and France
force partition of China, the Siberian railway
will have terminus on Russian territory on Lao
Tong or Pechili, and France will lie across the
route q the British railway over Burmah to Hong
/ kong The Mediterranean is an English lake,
guarded by Gibraltar, Malta and her posts that can
wigwag each other all the way across to her canal
that cuts Suez and then from Alden to the Hindostan
sula land and water are hers clean Mandalay
1t is a laudable ambition to connect hither and
farther India by railway system across China to
Hongkong and thence by steamer to Victoria and rail
across the Dominion giving England an all rail and
water route around the planet and but little OF it out
Of sight of her flag. -: Z: =..... ! -.
+ We showed the world how to build railways over
deserts and mountains and were the first to connect
the great oceans across the continent In these
grand schemes Of Adam Zad and Great Britain we
look on with the interest of pioneer in great con-
struction and daring engineering But tits by
to be admitted that have profit in the part of
nakeweight in this contest over a European balance
in Asia, especially as part in trequres of us to
conquest and permanently retain the Philippines.
Admiral Beresford has 1attered us with the statistics
OF our trade in Asia, but when compare world
trade and its increase with that of the nations which
are burdened with colonial system and its attendant
military and naval establishments, we are impressed
that we have been constantly gaining while the ma
tions with colonies and conquests, including Adam
Fad, have been as constantly: losing. The lesson
seems to be that nations do carry business and
war successfully at the same time,
In his enthusiastic reception speech to genial
guest the vice president of our Chamber of Commerce
declared that the navy was the pioneer Of commerce
which goes where the navy clears the way. That
proper nautical sentiment to be uttered in the pres
ence of a British Rear Admiral and American Com
nodore and other grizzled tars, but glance Our
trade statistics shows that our best commerce in
volume and proftindeed o5 per cent of all our for
eign trade-is where our navy never fired hostile
shot or appeared except at the nnocuous social fnc-
ton or cleared the way for anything except the
course at complimentary dinner.