The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1904-07-02

should not be alone sufficient to call
out sympathy for Russia if Russia was
! in the wrong. or had been guilty of
amy crime or overt act. She is not thus
| guilty in this instance. She is fighting
| for her rights.
AS Il matter of fact. Russia did not
start the present conflict. Japan made
the first attack. Russia claims She was
not prepared for war. She was not
prepared for war because she did not
| expect war. Japan made the attack
while diplomatic relations We're still
| on.
Russia was not the assailant, nor
did she invade the enemy's territory.
The efforts of Russia during the past
| 100 years to get a port in the open seas
make interesting history. She has
spent millions in money In the pres
ent case she has been honorable and
| upright in her effort, and this in
every particular. The concessions Tor
the Siberian railway were secured
from China, not from Japan. Russia
has expended more than $3OO.OOO,OOO
in building up the country adjacent to
her railway in Mancluria. She was
criticised for bringing an army into
the territory in the first place. She
did it to protect her own rights.
x,bo 1,os. vol
cd extensively through Siberia and
written a comprehensive work on the
subject. says that up to four years
ago. when Russia entered Manchuria,
the country was veritable robbers
looSt. controlled by bandits, thieves
and cut-throats. The country was
abandoned by all except these, and
WAS useless to the world To-day
peace and order prevails there, or did
prevail prior to the war, through Rus
sia'S influence Manchuria is half the
size of the United States. with as Won
derful resources, and under Russia's
influence is becoming of some use to
iIt NulNl.
The speaker briefly reviewed why
the United States owes a debt of graft
tule to Russia. He said Russia took
the side Of the United States first in
the revolutionary war. again, thirty
years later. when Napoleon attempted
to close European ports to American
interests: still again. II the war of 1912;
in the civil war and in the late SPAN
iSh-American war.
During the civil war, in the dark
est hour of our natiOnal existence R-ls-
STA stood by us like a ROCK, and at the
moment of our greatest need sent us
two fleets. one to New York and one to
San Francisco. The question of sealed
orders in the hands of the command
ers has been much discussed by the
press but the fact remains that the
boats We're here and that they COM
pletely stopped all talk of foreign in
PREVENTION and we We're enabled to
work out our own destinies."
Rev. Clearly dealt extensively with
Americas commercial interests with
Russia. saying that though CONNER
cial interests We're sordid reasons for
extending sympathy to either nation,
they should ut least be given some
consideration. He showed that should
japan win in the present conflict,
something which he regards as almost
impossible in the end. America would
be greatly injured commercially.
He said that this was the last stand
of paganism against Christianity, and
dealt with the religions of the two
countries. He said that should the
.Japs win they would form Il coalition
against the rest of the world. and that
with their more than 5OO,OO0,OOO of
people, they would be yellow peril
indeed.