The Irish standard., 1904-01-23

is not i'll position to face Russia her
self. She has also fooled the Japan
ese into antagonizing Russia by telling
them OF imaginary wrongs from which
they suffer. To make the Japs COM
init themselves she made tricky
treaty with the Mikado that binds her
in remote contingencies to fight. But
she does not intend to fight unless
there are four to one against Russia,
as IN the Crimea, and unless some
ether nation does all the hard fighting.
England expects the United States to
get into trouble with Russia and
to join with Japan and perhaps
China i'll a glorious alliance to .
check Russian progress in Siberia. It
is possible that England-whcn all the
others are safely cmbroilcd-may Join
the quadruplc alliance.
Any one with cursory glance can
see that all the alarming news and all
the provocative falsehoods come from
London, where they are concocted by
few disrcputable journals. The
Daily Mail is foremost in sensational
falschood, and the Times has resorted
again to its old trick OF forgery arH
has produced the text Of secret treaty
between Ii Hung Fang and Russia
to fire the Japanese heart. England
will not let the silly Japs back out of
war if she can help it. She works
Japan like monkey on stick, and
she is trying to make a. similar un-
dignificd exhibit OF our president and
secretary OF state. Our diplomacy is
used as cat's-paw in China, and again
in Abyssinia. Mr.. SINNERS visit to
the Negus is to do England's work.
Russia has been very friendly with the
Ethiopian and presented him with
cannon and guns. But England does
not like this. She intends to use Abys-
sinia to crush the Mad Mullah, and
then to use Somaliland as a base to
attack Abyssinia Abyssina is marked
for annexation as surely as was the
South African republic. The shame
and disgrace Of the matter is that
America should, under the guisc of a
pretended friend, help to carry out
England's designs. Just now England
does not want to act openly in China
or Abyssina, and she is fortunate in
having a l]unkcy in this country to do
it for her But what shame, that
great nation like our own should be
dragged by an Angophilc secretary
into the degrading position OF Eng
lands flunkcy.
There are plenty Of reasons why
every intelligent and sclf-rcspecting
American should take the Russian side
i'll this eastern quarrel Let us see
what each nation wants. Japan wants
room to expand, and as she is shut
out from this continent, and as we
have excluded her from the capture
OF the Philippines, she looks to Corea
as field for expansion. In other
words, she wants to conquer and annex
Corea. Why should the United States
sympathizc with aggression? Good
policy would dictate the Importance of
keeping Japan from growing too
strong. We may have to fight her
ourselves at no distant day. Russia
has agreed that Corea should be
Japan's sphere of influence, and
practical protectorate except a strip
bordering on the Yalu river that she
proposed to make neutral. Japan ad-
mits that this covers all her Vital in
tercsts, which, in fact, are prospective
ly aggressive. She was disposed to
settle the matter thus, when England
lnterposed and insisted on her de-
manding the evacuation of Manchuria.
Here is where Russia's vital interest
comes in. Siberia is an immense ter
ritory but has no outlet to the ocean
that is ice-free for the greater part of
the year. Hence her railroad terminus
was changed from Vladivostok to
Port Arthur. That railroad has to be
guarded from Chinese brigands and
boxers, and the moment the garrisons
were withdrawn the Chinese raided the
Russian line. This railroad is bene-