The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1904-07-05

IN AN dOOfC A(o4An6 LhC
issue of The American Cotton Manu-
f%acturer, Of Charlotte, sounds a warning
to the cotton growers and the cotton
producers Of the south against Russian
aggression in northern China. 1t Is to
the interest Of the entire United States
and especially of the cotton belt that
japan shall be successful in her war
with Russia-successful at Least, to the
extent of putting a stop to Russian
conques IN Manchuria and Korea. The
yellow peril" which some people
tell US would threaten western Europe
and America in case OF japanese vic
tory is no eripI compared to that which
would come to US through Russia's
victory over Japan and consequent
ton Of China
The American Cotton Manufacturer
in the article above referred to saws:
The wealth of far Cathay has for
centuries been the lodestone Of adven-
turers, both individual and national.
While the unattached rowing free
lance has been obliterated along with
his foster-brother, the pirate of the
high seas, We have yet with us a few
nations who are permeated with
the old spirit, that might
makes right"
Russia is the great high priest of
this piratical survival among modern
civilized nations. Little Japan, the
oriental Yankee, has beer compelled
by the sheer weight of the cruel law
of Darwin to oppose her hardened or.
ganiZation to the insatiate greed for
territory, trade and autocracy of the
Romanoffs.
The car Little White Father" OF
the milliehs Of Russians and his other
heterogeneous vassals has given no
countenance to a belief in any vadium
he may make.
1t has often happened in the story
Of human evolution that the veriesr
rascal persuades himself that his most
culpable acts are righteous, and this
distorted code is evident all through
Russian history. When Peter the
Great secured an opening to the Baltic,
when Catharine forced an outlet to the
Black sea, n when the last car open
ed the door of V~ladivostock On the Pa
cific ocean they doubtless thought that
the great end justified their base in
trigues.
Nevertheless the student-of history
knows that after all the central idea
back of all these forward movements
was the ACKNOWLEDGMENT of the ruling
family and the mobiles.
The cost in the blood n treasure
Of the millions of subjects and serfs
was never considered, only the ulti-
mate power, wealth and splendor of the
Holy Car n his parasites was
thought Of.
Remembering this black record, it
seems strange to read that the inspired
Russian official paper The Novoe Vre-
mya, hould vot a long editorial
to speculation regarding the naval ex-
pansion Of the United States, declaring
that it is difficult to suppo it is for
pacific purposes and more difficult to
by European powers" A lengthy
philippe follows, which, boiled down,
infers that the only presumption left
is that we-are preparing at no distant
date for attacks on some one, conclud-
ing an expression of selfish fear by
warning statemen ITO beware of the
boundless appetite-o OF American export
ers which, other means failing, u
be won by force of arms"
If anything in the past history of
our country or any present tendency
in the temper Of our people war
rants such an assertion, we have not
observed it. If, however, the prediction
of such a devils advocate" emanated
from a clear source it might cause one
to ponder and reconsider the attitude
of America towards her neighbors.
Such expressions coming from a
country notorious for everything which
opposes progress. and freedom; with
oppression, cruelty and greed carried
out with the old-bloodedness Of a. cor
sair deserve no notice, but for this
overpowering fact. Russian success in
the present war means, if she can
command the terms of peace without
interference from the powers the loss
of\much more than one half of our
total exports Of cotton goods, for this
is the share of Manchuria in this
branch of our foreign trade. Can we af-
ford to surrender this to such a Judas7
Every cotton manufacturer, grower
and worker in the industry must mega
tive this query. The purblind reason
ing Of the Russian "thunderer" must
be taken cum grano sails and the
other eye kept on h bear that
walks like a man"