The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1904-10-22

senate saw through the hypocrisy and
refused to ratify treaty Of alliance
thinly disguised as an arbitration
measure.
Two years later we find England,
who has professed such horror Of
war, committing acts in South Africa
that would have disgraced savages.
The hideous story is but too we'll
known. For almost three years the ter
ritory of the two Boer republics was
ruthlessly ravaged. Old men, feeble
women and innocent children were
herded in concentration camps where
thousands Of them We're literally done
to death. That was England's way
of making war upon people whose
crime consisted in defending their
country against foreign invaders who
would have left them in peace if it had
not been for the discovery of the ex-
istence of rich gold fields in the Boer
territory.
Still dripping with the blood of the
brave Beers England looked around
for another occasion to practice her
chosen profession Of land robber. To
the north Of India lay country upon
which the robber nation cast covetous
eyes. Tibet was powerless to defend
itself. Russia, which in ordinary
times would have acted as a sort of a
guardian, was engaged in terrific
struggle with Japan. The time was
opportune for England to act. Wholly
forgetful of the peace professions made
in Washington, she marched her SOL
diers into Tibet, slaughtered few
thousand of the natives, and dictated
treaty by which the Tibetans bound
themselves to pay big war indemnity
and also pledged themselves to trade
with India.
This inglorious campaign against a
defenseless people illustrates John
Bulls methods. He acts on the motto:
Wee to the weak. Such safe and prof.
liable forays as that which has just
taken place in Tibet are much to his
liking. They have the double advan-
tage of being at one and the same time
safe and profitable. England would be
quite willing to engage in them to the
crack of doom if she could have the
certainty that she would not be called
upon to face any nation strong enough
to bring her to account. Hence her
newborn zeal for arbitration, especial
ly for arbitration with the United
States.
1t is not love for peace nor justice,
but a desire to continue in her preda-,
tory career that prompts England to
enact the hypocritical role of lover
of peace for peace's sake. She knows
that if she can inveigle the United
States into treaty of the sort rejected
by the senate seven years ago, it will
be long stride toward the establish
ment of an understanding between the
two countries, which virtually would
be tantamount to an alliance. An open
alliance with reciprocal obligations she
does not aim at nor desire. She much
prefers what may be designated as an
informal alliance which would secure
for her all the advantages she desires,
while at the same time it would not
commit her in any way.
This is the colored gentleman in the
arbitration fence. 1t is easy to imagine
how England's INTERNAL ional relations
would be greatly improved if other ma
tons We're convinced that the United
States were back of her. The prize
she is playing for is too great for her
to abandon all attempts at winning it.
On the reassembling of congress an
other effort will he made to secure an
arbitration treaty similar to the one
rejected by the United States senate
seven years ago. Already preparations
are making to influence public opinion
in a manner which, it is hoped by
Anglomaniacs, will smooth the way for
the adoption Of treaty which will be
of such an incalculable advantage to
England. Again all the arguments
which can be advanced in favor Of
peace will be employed. The mask Of
hypocrisy again will be carefully adj
justed to conceal the real designs be-
hind it,
The international peace conference,
the call for which President Roosevelt
has promised to issue shortly, will be
utilized for all it is worth. Every
right thinking person will wish success
to any movement which will help put
an end to the horrors of war in every
quarter of the globe. We therefore
wish hearty godspeed to the coming
conference. But while we wish it
success. we think it necessary to sound
a warning against utilizing in the in
terest of the proposed English arbitra-
tion treaty, the peace sentiment that
the conference may help to generate.
Once for all, let it be clearly under
stood that England is not lover Of
peace, as is amply demonstrated by
the wars she is constantly waging.
An arbitration treaty with her would
not tell for peace. On the contrary it
would make for war.
Life and Death.