The Irish standard., 1904-02-13
NOT OUR sAEEAlR,

| War has broken out in the far East.
The roar and crash of the modern sea
gun is now resounding across the Vel
low Sea. The result Of the war be-
tween Russia and Japan will doubt
| less be far reaching. 1t will doubtless
| determine the immediate future of
Asia. In that result the whole world
is interested. But in no conceivable
circumstance is the United States in
terested to the extent of taking sides
in the quarrel, even in sympathy.
There is no question of justice or
humanity ut stake between the con-
tending parties. Both Russia and
Japan ar violaters of right. Their
quarrel is about property, which be-
longs to third party. Both are in
the land grabbing business. Both are
striving for what belongs to another
and trying to Justify on the ground
that the action is in favor of ciyiliza-
ton. We cannot see any ground for
American sympathy for one side OF
the other. Our country has of late
years grown into the extremely dan
gerous habits Of speaking of our in
terests in the Orient. Whatever in
| terests Great Britain and other Euro
pean states may have, we have none
Which would justify us in taking
sides. Japan and China have been
threatened by Russian aggression, so
has Great Britain, but as far as this
country is concerned Russia might
Overrun all Asia without affecting us.
| Commercially we will be as we'll off
under one ruler us another. And
certainly we who assert the Monroe
doctrine for this continent cannot in
terfere in the affairs of Asia for polit-
ical reasons. We have recently, how
ever. had much to say about our in
tercsts in the East. This is Euro
pe;n habit and it is just this kind of
talk and action that may get us into
Il war, where we have no interests in
keeping with what has beeen our pol
icy. Our new class of statesmen at
Washington should be given to under
stand that we have no interests in the
old world. Our interests are in this
hemisphere. We have always main
tanned our supremacy here, we have
refused to enter into any ''entangling
alliance with European countries,
whether or not the integrity of
China is a preserved can matter,
nothing to us. 1t is none of our
business whether the stealings of
Russia and Japan shall be confined
to Manchuril and Korea. We have
nothing to do with the balance of
power in Europe. England longs for
the success of Japan because she
nightly fears the Russians. If
Japan should succeed in driving Rus
sia out of China, England might with
in Il few years have more to fear from
the yellow man than she now has
from the MuScovite. The effect of IL
possible success of Japan over the
greatest European power in extent of
forcseen. Should Japan succeed she
would be in Il position to put herself
at the head of all the millions of
China and with these myriards awall-
ened and enlightened all Europe would
have cause to regret the failure of the
European power which alone to-day
stands as a barrier between Europe
and the Asiatic hortles. 1t is not
necessary for us to subscribe to Rus
sia's form of government or to its dip
lOmacy or it's treatment of Poland or
Finland or it's persecution of the Jews
in order to refrain from expressing a
preference for Japan. Russia is Euro
peln, Japan is Asiatic. History so
far gives no reason why Asiatic intlu
ence should be preferred. But no
natter where our individual sympa-
thies may be as Il nation, we should
keep hands off. There are many
thinking Americans these days who
fervently wish that we had fewer
| sensational and smart diplomats at
Washington and more true American
statesmen of the old type. We would
be much safer with Blaine or an o.
ney in control at Washington Let
us hope that we will not be drawn
into war as an ally of any power in
support of our so called commercial
| interests.
MARQUETTE STATUE ACCEPTED.
On Feb. l a resolution accepting the