The Saint Paul globe., 1904-02-29
MONDAY, FEB. 2e, 1904.
AN EXPENSIVE PREPossEssIoN.

This country is going to suffer for
years in purse, if not in position, from
the perfectly senseless and improper
exhibition Of Russophobism to which
the administration at Washington has
practically committed itself, and which
has been rudely voiced by large and
influential section of the, public press.
The bad feeling which this has aroused
throughout Russia is steadily on the
increase and is not likely soon to .wane,
even though peace should come much
sooner than is now expected. The al
legged reasons that are advanced from
day to day to feed the flame of this
groundless hostility of ours will not
bear a moments investigation
The news reports sent out from
Washington from day to day, both
through the regular and special chan
nels, contain specific accounts of the
! discrimination supposed to be prac-
ticed by Russia against us in relation
to her own trade and that Of countries
under her control. There is not a line
in any of these dispatches, supposing
then to represent the exact state Of
affairs, which should give umbrage to
us. Russia at the worst that is repre-
sented of her is doing merely what we
| do ourselves. We impose heavy duties
/ on products imported from abroad. We
! give preference to our own vessels in the
matter of port charges and privileges.
| We even exclude absolutely the ships
of all other countries from our coast
! wise trade. We go to the limit with
laws that will allow US to monopolize
the business Of the Philippines, as well
as of our other possessions. Wherever
we can keep dollar of trade we do it;
and, as is natural, we stand for our
own commercial interests against those
Of all the rest Of the world.
What ground have we to carp at
] Russia because she does the same
thing? 1t is matter of the pIainest
and simplest national self-interest, and
1t is and has to be the practice of every
nation in the world. Russia has made
no special regulations restrictive of
American trade. She treats us exactly
as she treats all other countries, We
have been heretofore, if anything, more
favored in her eyes than our rivals.
We have been assured from the begin
ming that wherever Russia's interests
Should extend we would have at least
equal privileges with all our compet-
ttors, and we could ask no more.
AS consequence of the silly and in
defensible partisanship of which por-
ton of the American press has been
guilty, and of the scarcely yelled an
tipathy of the administration. we arc
already losing directly more good
paying business than all that we hone
to gain by this attitude could possibly
amount to. Russia in this hour of her
aFrlal IS naturally indignant against
those who without reason take mart
against her. She is canceling tarpa
orders in the American market Our
heavy business interests already fae1
the difference, and as time goes on we
will more and more appreciate the in
sensate folly of alternating SO imnor.
tant and reliable customer for no
reason under the sun except a senti-
anent.
The very people who tell you that the
triumph Of Russia in this struge,.
would mean the limitation of Ameri.
can commercial interests in China shur
their eyes to the fact that their att
tude has already created a limitation
of American trade with Russia very
much more serious and present and
real, instead Of future and speculative
I'VE regard the exhibition of anti-Rus-
sian feeling in this country as mos,