The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1904-03-03
A PIT OF BLIND FOLLY.


the Russian ambassador expressed to
Secretary Hay, against the ilI-advfsed
and ignorant expressions of ifi-will in
this country toward Russia follow
closely the reports beginning to pour
in from consJ1ls and business represent
atives II that empire, declaring that
the effect of our attitude will be i'm
mediately disastrous to American
trade. or all the follies of which this
people were ever guilty this seems to
us the NEST astounding and inexplica-
BILE.
Russia has always been friendly to
us. In tie expansion Of our interests in
the Orient, which we all regard as Of
the first moment, our trade with Rus
STA must be an important factor. Con-
pire of the car upon the map, its
area, its population and it's certain
control of the future, che would think
that We could not spend too much eff
fort in placing ourselves upon the ba
sis of most favorable and friendly
relations with it.
Ordinary decent gratitude, the nat
ural feeling Of friend for friend,
and every serious and sensible BUSH
ness consideration should have prompt
ed us to maintain sympathetieally, as
well as politically, an attitude Of strict
neutrality, even if we did not step
over the line in the direction of ex-
pressing a positive hope that Russia
might win. Instead Of that, a large
section of the American press, led by
its most reckless and discriminating
element, has been pouring volleys of
criticism and abuse into the Russian
ranks, las welcomed every success or
rumor Of success on the Japanese side
with shouts of joy, and has repeatedly
announced the triumph of Japan to
be necessa airy to the progress of civili-
cation.
AS is almost always the case where
newspapers are active and emphatic,
this is partly the cause and partly the
consequence of a popular attitude.
There is the merest smattering Of in
formation in this country about the
real race characteristics of either the
Japanese or the Slav. There is about
IoIo 0f rI,o+
premacy of either would mean with
reference to the future as there is of
what happens on the other side of the
moon. A lot of superficial people have
taught themselves to believe that the
Japanese have become not only really
civilized. but in all respects like our
selves, and that their victory would
mean good things for us. A still larger
number, who knew and thought moth
been taught this doctrine by the dia-
tribes Of the ferocious ignoramuses
who WELD pen and pencil to such effect
in, times like these. The upshet of
the whore performance is-that the Rus
sian people are profoundly incensed,
and boIh government and populace are
becoming thoroughly alienated from an
ancient, enduring and valuable friend
ship
about the only sensitive spot we have.
It is gSing to cost us much money.
Already the consular reports have
warned the country that our trade with
Russia will be practically destroyed in
a short time. These people are in
tensely proud, and naturally and prop
erly resentful of injury. We know
something about how we ourselves felt
toward cur European critics during
the war with Spain and the Civil war.
But Russia is in some respects more
Immature. and even more prone to the
youthful impulse, whose first express
sion is to strike back.
Russia feels a double injury. She
believes that she is entitled to our
sympathy and gets a blow in the face
in return. She has been proud of our
good viii, and now in her time Of trial
she has only ennlity. She believes
that the almighty dollar Is behind this
otherwise incomprehensible change.
and she is going to cut off that portion
Of the dollar supply that comes from
her.
We have failed utterly from the be-
ginning TO comprehend the attitude of
the majority of the press in this coun-
try, which. appears to be, also, secretly
the attitude of the administration. BY
every pledge Of honor, as well as by
every consideration of self-interest,
we ought to remain neutral in this
affair. AS far as the future is con-
cerned an intelligent estimate of it
certainly shows that we have as much
to hope in commercial way from
Russian as from Japanese control in