The Irish standard., 1904-01-23
England Has Fooled the Japanese into Op-
posing Russia by Telling of
Imaginary Wrongs.
Our Best Wishes Should go to Russia Which
Has Always Been Our Friend and
aGood Customer

Vic ol tnc most notable changes
that the last few years have wrought
i'll American character is the indiffer-
encc shown by press and people to the
most important public affairs, says
"W, M. c." in the Irish World
There is no longer the Independent
and conscientious criticism OF events
and public men that was formerly so
conspicuous. 1t seems that there is
kind OF tacit censorship holding in
its clutches the leaders OF public opin-
ion, preventing them from speaking
out on the questions Of the day, and
holding them in the narrow furrow
that certain members of the national
administration want the whole nation
to be confined in. This remark applies
to both political parties 1t is always
the duty OF the opposition to criticisc
the governing party. 1t may accept
some of the latter's measures, but it
has duty to perform in searchingly
examining every detail. In England
we find the Liberal party almost ami
hilated because it abandoned its func-
tions during the Boer war. And here
in America, in the year OF prcsi-
dental election, it is unsafe for parties
and party leaders to be dumb dogs and
to give a silent approval and consent
to things that might be subjects of
protest. WITH.
The accepted proximity OF great
war in the far east is case in point,
for no Independent Judgment OF it has
been pronounced by America, and
every one seems to acquicsce in the
view OF the White House that Japan
is in the right and Russia in the
wrong.
The White House opinion is, of
course, merely the English opinion,
for Mr.. Hay has no mind of his own.
He is merely the nunl<cy OF Lord
Lansdownc, picking little quarrcls with
Russia in furthcrancc Of purely Eng
lish policy, and contrary to the best
interests Of the United States. Rus
sia has always been our friend, and
Russia is one of our best customers.
She has an immense undcveloped ter
ritory in Siberia, and American ma
c1lincry and foodstuffs and other man
ufacturcs are depended OH in opening
up this great territory. But to serve
Eng1and's policy, which is antagonistic
to Russia all over the world, Mr.. Hay
has been instructed from London to
make treaties with China contrary to
Russian interests, to demand the
"opcn door" in Manchuria, where the
door is not closed, and to apply a
series Of cowardly pin pricks in the
hide OF the suffering Bear so as
to cmbarrass Russian policy in Mace
donia, in Turkey, and in Thibet. Mr..
Hay is working as hard for England
as he did during the Bocr war, but it
is not the Beers but Russia that he is
fighting now in cowardly, tricky and
unAmcrican manner.
The White House and its press
agents are trying to blackcn Russia's
character and to polish up that Of the
Japanese. But let us pause and con-
slider where our sympathies should go
between these two. Russia is Chris
tian nation, an old-timc friend, friend
in need, a giant young nation, advanc-
ing with rapid steps to civilization.
Her undevclopcd territory is a guar
antcc that she can easily, if friend,
become our very best trade customer.
Japan, on the other hand, is able and
more than able to supply all her own
peoples wants, except more land. She
is semi-barbarous state still, pagan
and immoral, and her people are so
Objectionable that, we will not allow
them to settle in any part Of the Unit
cd States. Why, then, should there be
so much partiality for Japan over Rus
sia? The answer is easy, but it is not
at all creditable to the government OF
the United States. England has pre-
vailed on Mr.. Hay to Aout and annoy
and threaten Russia because she has
not recovered from the strokes in
flicted on her in South Africa, and she