The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1903-05-23

iand mas been the most concerned to
avoid war. She thinks she can hold
her own on the sea, but she fears she
VIII be no match for Russia on the
land, and the final struggle for Asia
must be land battle. AS one of her
own writer's says, she would be as ill
placed for such struggle as would
whale which undertook to fight a
bear. With Africa demanding garri-
sons, and India always eager to re-
volt, she could not muster a great
army to meet Russia anywhere; and
Russia could send hundreds of thou
SANDS to attack any point in the Brit
ism possessions which could be
reached by land.
On the western side of India At
ghanlstan offers the only neutral ter
rltory between the two empires, but
thanks to the blunders of the party
OF aggression in India, Afghanistan
las been alienated, and is on the Rus
sian side. The German map makers
actually color it as a part of the Rus
sian empire, but this is going too far.
In any event it is to Russia and not
to England that it's mountain passes
would be open and safe if the two
empires were to come to blows.
The Long Arm of the Bear.
On the eastern side is China, and
England finds the precedent she set
in Selling Hong Kong after the OPT
UNI war most embarrassing. She now
has France in possession of Tonquin,
the Germans at Wei-hai-wei, and the
Russians in Manchuria; and she does
not know when the long arm of the
Bear may stretch southwark and come
to the frontier she stole in Assam. so
that the armies of the two countries
OF the two empires will be studying
each other across a boundary line.
1t would be very convenient to have
America as well as Japan unite with
her in obtaining assurance for her
self against that hap; but it is none
of our business. Even if Russia should
continue to hold on to Manchuria,
while we might regret the fact, we
should have no more right to COM
plain of it than of England's seizure
of Durham. That was just as indie
feasible and as selfish, with the adj
dition of being covered with all sorts
OF lying pretenses about the misgov-
eminent of the country.
Our christian" Empires and Our
Low Politicians.
British diplomacy, represented in
these days by the excellent Lord
Lansdowne, of whose cleverness and
humanity all Irishmen are so proud,
has reached the conclusion that the
only thing left is to grasp something
else in Asia, by way of compromising
for Russia's hold on Manchuria This
is favorite step in modern European
diplomacy. 1t was much liked by the
late Napoleon Ill, who took over Sa-
voy by way of balancing the gains
Of Piedmont, and who wanted some.
thing by way of compensation when
Prussia unified northern Germany in
1866. What is there in all this for
me?" is favorite question among the
lower sort of American politician; and
his morals are exactly on a level with
those OF the Christian" empires of
the old world. What is England to
get out of this Chinese muddle, since
Germany, France and Russia ahve all
made something out of it?
A New Monroe Doctrine.
So England promulgates what the
London newspapers call "a new Mon.
roe Doctrine" about the Persian gulf
1t is that England should regard the
establishment of naval base of forti
fed fort (sic) in the Persian gulf by
any other power as very grave men.
ace to British interests, and should
certainly resist it with all the means
at her disposal" And the authority
of Captain Mahan is invoked by Lon
don newsmongers for this step of ag
gression on the rights of the powers
generally, with the evident idea that
what that American authority on ma
val matters says will have great
weight in America.
Americans Regarded as EngIand's
"PaIs" in Her Robber Course.
Both names-Monroe and Mahan-
are indications of the purpose of the
people to enlist US in their AsiatiC
quarrels, if that be possible. Since
we went into the imperialistic bust
ness OF plumber they have been count
ing on us as their pals" in any little
enterprise they have on hand for in.
ternational HOUSEKEEPING. They
know it would help the continent to
swallow the new declaration if we
were to declare for its seasonabIeness
and its justice. AS to Captain Mahan
it is not necessary to say much. He
is so extravagant an imperialist, and
so unlimited an Anglo-maniac, that
any opinion he expresses on such sub
jects is at once discounted by al
sensible people. He represents nc
class in America, except, perhaps, the
naval officer eager for chance to use
the guns.
Monroe is another matter. When
James Munroe, at the instigation Of
John Quincy Adams, uttered that ia
nous doctrine, it was with the ex
press purpose to keep the country out
o. all ENHANCEMENT with English poll
cies on either side of the Atlantic. He
declined to unite with England in any
statement on common policy, as