New-York tribune., 1899-03-24
INDUSTRIAL IMPERIALISM.

There can be, we imagine, few, even among
the most contracte and coarctated Little Eng
anders' and "Anti-Imperialists," whose pulses
do not quicken trife at reading Mr.. Kipllng's
lines about the flag of England and the mes
sages concerning it which are borne by the
winds Of the world. In n railroad engine or a
bridge beam we might reckon there was less
of romance and of thrilling interest than in a
flag. had not the same inspired bard taught us
better. And so it seems though at least
some measure Of the exultaton the Briton feels
in knowing that his meteor flag IS blazing I'M
der every sky should come to the American
when he knows that the products of his foun-
derry and forge are coming into use in every
land and cline the world around.
Much of the latter IS already an old story.
Announcements of orders for American rails
for India and Australia have long been so fire.
qGent as to attract only perfunctory attention.
So with reports of orders for American engines
the best British railroads All the world
knows that American engines by the score have
been ordered for the great railroad which Rus
sa is building across Siberia and, indeed. that
many of them have already been delivered and
are now in use OH the Pacific division of that
road. In South America of course, the great
est triumphs of railroad engineering have been
effected with American material and by Amerl-
can engineers. Thus only one continent has
remained as a new world for the American in
dustralist to conq1er, and now the army OF
invasion has set forth for It,
The announcement that an American concern
is 10 build the big bridge across the Atbara
River is Of unique and surprising interest. 1t
IS invested with an air of romance comparable
with that Of the great dam at Assouan, of which
we spoke the other day Yankee brdge-build-
ers to cast up n highway on the borders
Of the Kingdom of Prester John, and at the
further side of the desert where the charots
of Cambyses were swallowed by the sands.
The steel of Pennsylvania is to span the At.
bara and make a road TO Meroe. There is A
theme sufficient for ballad. If not an epic.
But that is not all. For this bridge is to form
a part Of two great highways of imperial pur-
port. the one the Cape-to-Calro route which
Mr.. Cecil Rhodes is building. and in the build
ing Of which the German Emperor is glad to
have a share. and the other the branch line
from 1t to Suakim, to connect the Upper Nile
with the Red Sea- SO while the road across
Asia is to have Yankee engines. the road from
end to end of Africa is to pass over Yankee
bridge
That we imagine. IS an Imperialism of Ameri-
can industry winch even an Antilmperialist
can appreciate. How It will be explained by
those who see in Protection nothing but Chi
nese wall, we do not undertake TO say. But
we think all will agree that it is trlhe better
for Americans 10 build bridges for the Soudan
and locomotives for Siberia than It would have
been for them 10 content themselves with
raising hog and hominy and TO buy all their
rails and engines-if they had need Of any
abroad. And perhaps 1t will some time dawn
upon the minds of Little Americans" that
nation that can take such rank in the indus
trial world can also stand up. as nation to ma
tion among the Powers Of the world In state
craft and in sovereignty.