The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1903-02-05
Nations That,
Worry J. Bull

During the last twenty years Venezu-
to cost US s. 5000 more, never having
let slip chance of worrying the long
suffering, John Bull. We have claims
against her for about $4,000, to say
nothing of the Britons who have earn
ed gray hairs in trying to get out Of
her.
over a dozen British subjects have
been either murdered, or imprisoned
or fined without proper trial, or
100000 worth of British property has
been seized. All this, too, in spite of
the fact that we made Venezueia-a
battalion of British soldiers originally
leading and helping the people to free
themselves from the power of Spain in
the same way that the
United States Freed Cuba.
Whenever Britain has been particu-
Iarly busy elsewhere, Venezuela has
seized the chance to trouble her; and
five years ago she claimed a part of
British Guiana, and nearly let us in
for war with the states. The result
ing commission and investigation last
ed six months, and cost 100000, the
affair being finally settled by arbitra-
ton. This troublesome nation has nine
times seized British ships, and has fir
ed on dozen more. AS there is prac-
t1cally always war going on in the in
terror, and any quantity of highway
! robbery, things are made very unpleas-
ant for foreigners, but Britons have
suffered most. Germany has been wor-
Red a good deal, too, but not so much
as we have. The trouble is that even
if we teach the present government a
sharp lesson, there will be brand new
government within year or two that
| will also treat us with contempt when
we ask for the money Venezuela owes
US, just as the present one has done,
and We shall have to spend another
i 10000. There are fifteen British war
ships dealing with the matter
On the whole, Turkey does more to
turn the hair of John Bull gray than
any other nation, and is a constant
worry and expense to u.s. She has cost
US over e30,0O0,OO0, and seven times
within the last forty years we have
had to enforce our claims on her. We
have to help manage her customs for
her, and to collect the interest due, at
Continual Trouble and
expense. Troublesome as she is, we
are bound to look after her, as she is
supposed to hold the passage between
the Black sea and the Mediterra moan.
the Russian fleet in the Black sea not
being allowed to come through If
they did, however, in case of war with
US, Turkey could not stop them, and
we should have to do it for her. She
owes us, BESIDES something like e.
0OO,0OO, which is another anxiety, and
| hnnn1ncc1Ir in IAIo+ L
hardly any of the officials get their
wages, but have to get them out of
the population-which they do with
interest The navy cannot steam and
the army cannot get it's pay. Turkey
IS a considerable worry to France as
| Wen, and often even to America, but
least of all to Germany. Moreover
when any nation is trying to force
Turkey to pay debt she owes we
have to be there, too, at more ex-
pense, to keep an eye on the other ma
ton. The grand and embracing
worry occurred a few years ago.
when all the powers united spent about
32,O0O,O00 in looking after Turkey
when she was at war with Greece. But
our bill is
Always the Biggest.
A still more expensive worry" to
US, however, is China which country.
apart from anything we get out Of
her. has cost us G15, 100000, and aver
ages a bill of G1,OOO, 900 a wear for
Il John Bull to pay. She cannot be
induced to behave with decency unless
a number of troops are handy and a
costly squadron of warships to keep
her in order. Even now disturbances
are starting again, worrying British
statesmen and putting British lives in
danger, although it is hardly any time
since we spent 6 100000 in teaching
her a lesson, with all the other DOW
erS to help. When China shut the
British and other legations up in Pc
kin and tried to massacre them it cost
us that amount to get them out and
nete out justice. The China SQUAD
; ron costs 6 100000 year to keep go
ing and Briton has the entire work
of organizing and keeping in order
the Chinese customs, which are almost
the only hold an outside nation can
get to collect it's business debts
Another nation that means contiuaI
expense and anxiety to Britain is Per-
sin, whose slippery ways and constant
limitations with our enemies keep John
Bull for ever on the edge OF apprehen-
sion, and decreases his petty cash &C
count. Russia has got the north
part and the northern railways prac-
tlcalIy under her thumb, but Britain
has strong pull in the South where
Russia wants to get hold of a port,
that will let her into the Persian gulf.
. This is very aWkard, necessitating the
continual dispatching of cruisers and
gunboats, at a big expense and the
ever present
Possibility of a Crow"
. Nobody knows on which side Persia
is going to smile next and the chief
and most anxious point is that Persia
in the hands of Russia would place
India in a much more ticklish position
than it is now-in fact, if there were
any question of that we should have to
fight. Another worry in that direc-
constantly smuggling cargoes Of rifles
into the hands of the troublesome In
dian tribes.
Finally, Afghanistan is the most try
ing of all our worries and has cost us
E1S,0OO,000 in the last TWENTY-FIVE
years, holding the most turbulent race
under the stars, and being the only
, buffer between India and Russia on
the north. At any moment, being
very little under the power of her rul-
er, Afghanistan might cost us G1O,-
100000 in blood and treasure and needs
more careful nursing than any nation
on earth.-LOndon Answers