Arizona silver belt., 1904-02-25
RUSSIA AND UNITED STATES
Add the Situation in the Far East
 Ably Discussed

"A noticeable circumstance is the haste and eagerness Ot some of our journals to enlist the sympathies of our people on the side of Japan. One great newspaper calmly assures us that our Sympathies are already there. should bs glad to know how it found out And if the declaration is true, I should b. glad to have that journal explain the reason. A the time of the war in South Africa, there was similar eX- hibition of determination to creat te popular predjudice against the Boers, although it was as plain as daylight that Gre 1t Britain's destruction of the little republics was nothing more nor less than premedtated murder and robbery, the Boers being driven into furnishing the slender excuse by mak- ing the formal declaration of war when England was evidently preparing to make it without formal declaration. What is the matter with so many of our journalists? Are they schoolboys? Have they no opportunity to read any history but that of the preceding twenty-four hours
 "Whauever may be the merits of the question on the exact points now in dispute between Japan and Russia, if our SympathieS are to be called upon to enlist themselves on either side, we ought to refresh our memories as to much greater and infinitely more inn portant facts.
 Russia ia a gcsat empire that has been for thousand years developing itself in the interior of an immense continent for Europe and Asia are practically one continent,) and to this day has not proper outlet to the high way of nations. Naturally she ear neStly desires such an outlet, and has long been struggling for it. Morally, if not legally, she is entitled to it. In the case of private landed property, the law guarantees right of way to the highway, which cannot be denied. But the other European powers, Eng- land especially, fearing Russia as possible commercial rival, have con Spired to keep her shut away from the sea- For this reason, they have main tained the lbominabe Turk in Europe when he should long ago have been driven out. For this reason Englaud, France aud Sardinia allied themselves with Turkey in 1855 in the Crimean war For this reason, when Russia, in 1ST7S, had overcome the Turkish arm ieS and reached the walls of Constan- tinople, the western powers stepped in and robbed her of the fruits of her costly victory. If they were going to do that, the only honest course for them was to prevent the war instead of permitting it. With the growing importance of the Pacific as a field of commerce, Russia turns in that direc. ton and builds great railroad across Siberia. But when it reaches the sea she finds there the same opposition.
 If you will look at the maps, you will be struck by the fact that Japan lies in exactly the same relation to Asia as Great Britain to Europe, and there Is close parallel in other respects. Japan, with her new am bltions, is evil denJly attempting to copy the career Of England-Seize territory wherever she can, and make it feed her islands; suppress commercial competition by whatever means and build up pow erful navy as her chief weapon. Eng lands treatment of us, and her jeal- ouSy of onr republic, which led to the war of independence and the war Of 1912 and for which she was mulcted hy the Geneva award of 1872, must be familiar to every American. And Ja- pan is the England of the orient-or aims to be.
 Probably all the European powers are now friendly to the United States; they hardly dare to be otherwise. But when we were in the midst of great war that threatened tO destroy the Ter public, and needed friends, all save one were inimical. If our SympathieS are tO be enlisted in the struggle that is just begun in Chinese wateis. 1t might be well for us to remember, when Rus sia is libeied, that her Serfs were eman- cjpated year before our slaves were declared free, and that in our life and death struggle forty years ago she was our only fciend in Europs.
 "If any are disposed to throw up their caps for Japan because of her success in the first encounter, they might as we'll remember that Bull Run, the retreat across the peninsula, Fred encksburg, Chancellorsvills, Chica- mauga and the rayages of the Alabama dld not secure final victory for the confederate cause, nor did the early and surprising successes of the BoerS