The Honolulu republican. [volume] (Honolulu, T.H.) 1900-1902, 1901-10-16
True Foreiun Policy.

From the Springfield Republican.
One of the best things said of Presi
dent Roosevelt by any foreign journal
was the remark of the London SDecta-
tor that he lis neither for nor against
England" American statesmen can
take no other position than that. 1t
is the answer to both the Anglophobe
and the Anglomaniac and it is the key
to all questions of alliances, senti-
mental or practical, between nations
The ties OF race and language can
not control a nations policy TO the
exclusion of its mere material inter
ests, which are specially bound up in
an Independent national. existence
So long as the United States is an
Independent power it must never en-
phasize its friendship for one nation
more than for another. unless special
circumstan ees. now very remote,
drive il into an alliance with some
power in a position to aid it when in
peril and whose interests are similar
TO its own. And such an alliance
would not be dictated necessarily by
its ties of consanguinity, any more
than the alliance between Russia and
France is dictated by the diverse
character of the political institutions
of the two countries.
In the future the United States can
be neither for nor against" any pow
er on general principles. The familiar
phrase that blood is thicker than
water has never influenced British
craftsmanship in the slightest degree
If there is one side that has been
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principle of national selfishness. Even
love for America was never develop
ed in England until after the unity
of the United States had been demon
strated beyond all possibility Of doubt
and until England's isolation in the
world pointed to the actual aecessity
of keeping on friendly terms with this
country. This fact is not recalled
with any desire to stir up feeling
against Great Britain, but merely to
show that the British people were not
in the least moved by the "kin-over
the-sea- sentiment so long as the
kin were of small relative impor
lance in the world.
II we get down to the solid basis
of scientific fact. it will always be
found that nations DO not consult
their ~consins" so much as their inter
ests in these matters of international
relations The French are NO more
allied. in an chronological sense, to
the Russians than they are to the
Zulus, yet thew almost shed tears of
rapture at the sight of Cossack.
During our civil war there was mag
nifcent chance for Englishmen to
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erica by sympathizing with the idea
OF the national solidarity OF the Am
erican people. yet in that day even so
clear and iispassionate thinker as
Prof. Huxley who had always been q
liberal and who favored emancipation
of the slaves. declared that while his
head was with the north his heart
was with the south.
No nation is to be singled out for
censure for such manifestations. since
Il Is natural TO them all TO think first
of themselves and second of their
rivals. As a matter OF fact. national
existence everywhere is predicted
largely upon national selfishness- II
were easy to show that nation that
was always trying TO help some other
nation to the neglect OF Itself would
qufcklr perish. and. in saving this
one is speaking of natural history and
not az special cases II. then. il is
clear that no other nation can. in the
ordinary course Of affairs. be expected
70 treat the United States from arr
attitude except thst of self-inferest.
Il follows that the United States can
not afford TO be guided in its inter
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