The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1902-03-19
{ INTERNATIONAL FRIENDSHIP.


1t needs but a protestation from Sa-
gasta that Spain was at heart a great
and good friend of the United States
/, in 1898. and only accepted the gage of
war to prevent subsequent political diff
f., ficulties in the republic over the pos
, session of extra continental territory.
{ to make the world unanimous in ex-
/ preston of love for the United States.
The recent round of declaration ana
pronouncement has had the effect of
drawing the minor powers into the
! Irritation which was set up when Eng
land and Germany began coquetting
with Columbia. The New York Trib-
unes analysis has much to commend
I it. That journal says:
| Last, though by no means least, the
assurance comes that Austria. too. was
entirely friendly to us in 1898. True.
the sorely tried Queen Regent of Spain
was an Austrian grand duchess. True.
Austria had felt. as she does today.
the stress of American commercial
cOmpetition in an exceptional degree.
True. the memory of this country's
reading of the riot act in Mexico and
the consequent withdrawal of Maxi
milian's French support, and that I'M
fortunate princes fall and death. had
not yet faded from the Austrian mind
II there was any power in Europe that
might without gratuitous malice have
championed the cause of Spain to the
extent OF feeling some luminosity
against the United States. that power
was Austria. Yet we are assured that
she did not do so. She was not in the
least unfriendiy TO us. Whatever she
did said against the war was not
against the United States. but simply
i'm behalf Of peace. for our sake, as
we'll as SPANS. 1t is a pleasant ass
surdnce, a gift horse whose mouth we
need not care To scrutinize. However
little this country may need the friend
ship. or however little II may dread the
displeasure. of any particular power
IL is beyond doubt agreeable to have |
the various powers disclaim all UNI
friendliness toward us. and il would |
be both churlish and foolish for us to !
go out OF our way to disprove or to 1
challenge their amiable protestations.
Again. here is the case of Japan and |
her treaty with Great Britain. At first !
blush it seemed as though she had |
scored heavily against her traditional |
rival. Russia. The treaty seemed to be |
directed squarely against Russia, and
To put the latter in the unpleasant /
predicament OF having To- back down !
from her pretensions and ambitions in I
1 b I'm fferH~
the most vigorous and profuse declara- |
tons that the treaty is not only entire
y agreeable to Russia, but is Just
what she has long been wanting. as il |
Is designed To promote the very inter
ests which she has most at heart In /
fact. Russia would have been glad to
make just such a treaty with Japan
herself. or to have entered into ii with
Japan and Great Britain. making il
uipartite, instead of bipartite. More
than that. it is solemnly averred that
II Marquis Ito had not made the treaty
with Great Britain, he would certainly
nave made exactly the same treaty.
With Russia and France. We are not
aware that Marquis Ito. or any Japan
csc authority, corroborates this latter
statement; and certainly Japan ought
TO know as much about it as any one
else And on the face Of it we must
confess that it bears some impress OF
improbability. Yet If Russia wishes IN
have il so. there is no reason for our
being so churlish as to deny her the
satisfaction. Let the record stand
that Russia has consistently been in