BoletiÌn mercantil de Puerto Rico. (San Juan, P.R.) 18??-1918, 1902-01-31
Scramble 4 Plr American FGead,hip|

Lord Cranborns'a statement or Monday
in the House of Commons concerning the
attitude of the European powers toward
this country in 1898 just before and inn
M sdiately after the outbreak Of the Spanish
war, has stirred some continental ehanceller.
les to vigorous denial that they were
among the ipstigators of concerted opposition
to the United States The denial given
ont bv the German Foreign Office, and that
inpl ed II. the "Herald's Washington des
p.tch Of two soeeks ago, in regard to
Russia, were in one sense quite needless.
Thare was nothing in Lord CraHh rae's
sta -ement to impicate either of those pa.-
w-rs. but 40 Internal opinion by an off.
G al of the British Foreign Office certaioly
gave reason for supposing that beth Ger.
many and Russia would have joined the
protesting powers it the decided leader.
ship of Great Britain had been secured. It
was not necessary for the German Foreign
Office to go basepd the statement OF Lord
Or 'nhorne, hut the fact that it was judged
expsdient to do SO is significant. Viewed
| in the light of Prince Hanry's visit, such
an unpleasant revival of talk about German
intention would naturally be discouraged
it should be discouraged, but the fact that it
has arisen at all is part OF the larger fact that
probably not one European government,
uulass it be Turkss. wonId display any less
willingness than Germany to dlsclsim hos.
tility to the United States It does seem
as If all Of them were anx ous to be oa the
ssoft sideo OF the government at Washing.
ton.
Is would be rash for the patriotic Amer.
icsn to put the superfcially obvious inter.
p-etation npon this. We have not really
scared Europe out Of it's fighting wits, hut
we may have newly d s,urbed that sensitive
barometer OF opinion regulated by the ira.
IiifionaI balance of power. and We have
lbaYonf doubt sarit ahroad y Ilfauudad
luotion of vast int3ustlia[ and coinmnrcisl
The .lss*<Ae iii kIsy y -
|of Europe, Ii 80 ogre, while the insff soSed
look upon il with more apprehension than
upon any other manifastation Of American
strength II has pref fgured fer them in
rather ominous shapes an industrial decad
ence which may undermine their military
power, and they sconld rather be friends
than enemies OF nation whose possibilities
10 all kinds OF competition are vsss, though
as vet imperfecily defined.
The case OF Great Britain ia distinctly
different from the others, Sha has recently
determined, if Mr. Chamberlain and dipio-
matte wiseacres be sincere, to withdraw ss|
much as possible from continental broils
and tall back upon the reserve OF force aud
united action to be developed within her
own empire. But that involves no less the
seeking Of firm friendship With this couu-
try, whose afinitiss for her are indicated in
q thousand ways which blood and language
cannot deny. Great Britain need not yield
to the temptation OF interference in conti-
dental sffairs. for she has no essential part
liz them; but in taking leave of them she Is
landed irrevocably in q network Of Interests
among which fka United States is foremost
in trade and the British colonies frat 10 the J
order Of political consol dasiou. ALI these
interests are soIid aud permanent, and