New-York tribune., 1902-01-10
QUE FRIENDS IN 1898

OCh FRIENDS IN 1888.
"Codlin's the friend, not Short" is a protesta-
ton scarcely worthy of international use among
great powers; and certainly the United States
is not so much a child among nations as to be
persuaded by such plea contrary to its own
perception and judgment. The propriety and
profit, therefore. seem dubious of such a con-
troversy as that which is now current In Eu-
rope the purport of which seems to be to per-
suade this country that Russia more than
Great Britain, its friend in 1898 and
that the former. rather than the latter, pre-
vented concerted action in Spain's behalf Our
Paris correspondent In his cable letter last
Sunday quoted important parsonage who
was behind the scenes of Spanish diplomacy
in 1898, to the effect that late in March of
that year the Queen Regent of Spain received
assurances that the sympathy of the British
Court was with Spain and against the United
States. while at about the same time the Rus
sian Foreign Minister declined the appeal of
the Spanish Government for a remonstrance
with the United States, and thus convinced
the Spanish Government that no help was to
be expected from the powers. We are not
sure that testimony from Spanish sources con-
cerning those times is to be regarded as suffi-
cienuy impartial and unbiased to form alone
the sure foundation of inerrant history any
more than we should expect Spain similar
ly TO accept American testimony without cor
roboration. Yet the statements quoted may
be literally true, and yet may not have the
significance which they apparently intended
to convey. 1t requires little gination to con-
ceive the possibility of Spanish agents hav-
ing been oversanguine in the assurances which
he sent TO his government from England while
of course the circumstance that one nation de-
clines to demonstrate with another in behalf
of third is proof of any special friendship
for the second nation. but may be merely a
recognition of the futility of such remonstrance.
Even the alleged declaration of Queen Victoria
that she would support any measure In favor
OF peace that her cabinet might take can be
construed into nothing more than an assurance
that the Queen and her ministers were in har-
mony and were desirous Of peace
Upon the general question of the attitude
Of Luro pean nations toward this country in
1898, Americans must be permitted to prefer
the evidence of their own perceptive senses
and Of the diplomatic representatives of their
own government. Upon the basis of such evil
dence they are convinced and will remain con-
vinced that the court government and people
of Great Britain were the particularly good
and efficient friends of this country during the
troubles of 1898, and that If this country owes
ing an unfriendly coalition and intervention
that power Is Great Britain. There are some
who are not sure that such debt is due. That
is one of those matters which it is preferable
not to investigate too closely. 1t would be
pleasant to feel that Great Britain had done us
so great a favor, and we have not the slightest
doubt that she would have done II, and would
unhesitatiDgly do it at any time, were there
occasion for IT. On the other hand, should
regret to think that there was need Of 1t, that
any European powers were so i'll disposed tow
ard Us to plan hostile attack upon us. On
the whole, therefore, II would seem best to
let the matter rest. We know that Great Brit
ain was our prompt, cordial and steadfast
friend all through that episode. We are glad
TO be assured that Russia and other nations
were also friendly, and we certainly not
going out Of our way to challenge so pleasant
an assurance We know that the bulk Of the
public prints In more than one country Of CONT
mental Europe were intensely hostile to us,
but we are not sitting up o. nights chershing
resentment therefor, nor are we unable to con-
ceive it as possible that those prints and other
expressions Sid not accurately reflect the tenn
per Of the governments, or even Of the ma
jority of the people of those lands. II the
figure be not too undignif1ed, this country is
quite willing to regard both Goblin and Short
as friends. though 1t will surrender TO neither
its exercise of full discretion In confding in
its friends.
The fact is that the old rule "Love me, love
my dog" is not applicable among nations. One
nation cannot ask another to enter into all its
loves and hatreds. This country is closely akin
to England, and between 1t and England pc
cularly strong friendship exists. But neither
of the two is bound to quarrel with every one
with whom the other has hard words. Eng
land ia our friend, and there is fine tradition
of friendship between Russia and us; and
neither of those facts is impaired by the oc-
casional rivalry and rufing between England
and Russia. Our relations with our great sis
ter republic France. are intimate and cordial,
and so are they with Germany. despite all
possible suspicious and menaces that have
been that might be exchanged across the
Vosges. This country realizes that other
tions have and are well entitled to, their own
peculiarities and predictions. France, for ex-
ample, Is racially allied with Spain and has
strong financial interests In the latter; where
fore 1t was not to be wondered at, and GER
tainly not TO be resented. that a great deal Of
French sympathy went out to Spain In 1898
That fact did not lessen American regard fer
France, nor make this country less willing to
accept French hospitality in negotiating peace
Russia is automatically allied with France
and II for that or any other reason she had
seen fit to join her sympathies with those OF
MANY Frenchmen in behalf NJ Snoyn +h;- -,