The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-05-21


affairs. He essays, therefore, to ascertain
the methods whereby American statesmen
| may he able To claim that future prepon-
| oerance in the world which they appear
To contemplate. These methods, he thinks.
are three. The frs, method is the obvious
one of conquest by force. Our author
willingly comedies that, equipped in the
future with a huge feet and an efficient
army, and provided with boundless re-
sources. it is clear that American statesmen
would, in the role Of conquerors, be formi-
| ola ble. He suggests. nevertheless, that II
the project Of conquest be carefully ex-
amined il will lie found that, aspiring AZ
| the statesmen Of America may be, there
| will be interposed serious obstacles in the
way of their success. lie has, indeed, no
doubt that conquest within certain limits
would for US be easy enough. We might.
for example, subduc Mexico and the Cen
trail American States; or else, using our
acquisition of the Philippines as base,
we might wrest the Dutch indies from the
enfeebled hands of Holland or annex
portion OF the Chinese Empire.
These, however, in Mr.. Peel's opinion,
| would be petty results, In no way emitting
] us to dominant position in the world.
He lays down the proposition that in these
! days nothing serious in the way Of con-
! quest can be achieved that does not bring
the aggressor within range Of the arna
| ments and within the scope of the rival
pretensions of some European country,
| or at any rate OF some country 30 warlike
and munitioned as is Japan In the Old
| World or az is Chile or Argentina or Brazil
| the New. Our author Is no doubt JUS
titled in saying that a contest with any one
Of these Powers will be a very different
affair from the subjugaton Of Cuba. or OF
Porto Rico or the Philippines; and he
therefore deems it exceedingly question:
able whether the American people, lovers OF
| expansion and OF a spirited foreign policy
though they may have become, would be
| willing to embark upon such costly and
exhausting enterprises. Their unwilling
ness may he taken for granted with the
more confidence because they would have
| no motive Of necessity. According to the
| argument which forms the core OF the book
before US, it is necessity which has forced
England to acquire transmarne en-
pire and has primed her to endure in
calculable sacrifices for that end. English
men have realized that they would be
! doomed If they suffered the New World
to pass wholly into hostile hands. There
| Is, on the other hand, no such imperative
need before the United States; first. be-
cause so much OF the outer world is under
the control Of friendly England, and
seoondly, because the Union is itself of such
gigantic strength at home. This is the
fundamental reason why MIR. Peel pro-
nounces It improbable that tho people OF
the United States, though evidently de-
sirous Of occupying the premier place
among the nations, will permit their states
men to attain that end by career Of a
world wide conquest.
An her method by which the United
States could acquire the headship Of the
world would be to absorb the British En-
pire or, at any rate. the Anglo-Saxon por-
lions OF 1t. That this is not a visionary
idea L. proved in our authors opinion, by
the fact that for the last two years it has
been main topic of Britains most prac-
teal statesmen. Mr., Joseph Chamberlain
evidently implies that Canada may lea ve
Great Britain for the United States unless
Britons do great deal more for Canada
than they do at present. His whole argu-
ment for a tax on food, from which Cam
ada should be exempt, but not the Ameri-
cans, rests on the hypothesis that Canada
may quit the empire unless some such adj
ditional boon is granted to her by England
Mr.. Peel acknowledges that II Canada
deserted Great Britain Australia might
go too, and thus the United States would
in course Of time, ascend to the supremacy
Of the world The considerations which
! might be adduced to persuade Canada that
It would be prudent and profitable to ally
herself with the United States rather than
with Great Britain are not overlooked
in the book before us, nor is any attempt
made to minimize their weight.
Nevertheless, the author holds that there
are considerations Of more Importance
on the other side. In the first place. if
Canada were to join the United States, the
former country would have to bear her
share Of the burdens Of any war in which
the great republic might see fit to engage
Canada's alliance with Great Britain, on
the other hand. Is not entangling. When
the mother country chooses to engage in
war, n - open 10 Canada to help or to alb
stain. Then, again, Canadians, who OBJ
serve the kind Of Immigrants who are now
pouring into the United States would be
justified it is suggested. +, rTr-ttorfp<.
whether the American population will
always retain Its present racial character
II the inflow from southern and eastern
Europe goes on in ever increasing pro-
portions, as 1t threatens to do, the English
speaking dependencies Of Britain NAV
| apprehend that the United States will
become Of 70 undesirable mixture ethni-
cally that it might be i'll advised for so-called
Anglo-SaSons to cast in their fortunes
with such a cong lomerate community. They
might find that, having left the British
Empire, they had exchanged absolute au-
tonomy for a less acceptable association
! The main reason, however, why Mr.. Peel
thinks that Canada will not be disposed to
Join the United States is her intense pride
| and belief In her own destiny. We are
| reminded OF the declaration made by Sir
Wnfrid Laurier In 1900: 4 want to build a
| nation that will be the foremost among
the great Powers OF the world" Our au-
| thor, who has travelled from ,7$?cbec to
the Pacific, expresses the conviction that
tho Dominion of Canada echoes Sir Will
frids aspirations from sea to sea.
".
In his ninth. then, and for Americans,
most important chapter, Mr.. Peel arrives
at three conclusions, that the United States
| l., It'll D., 49,