The Mankato free press., 1905-03-03

navy to do it. China is the greatest
market, and has wonderful capacity, as
sixteen months of residence there had
shown to the speaker. He felt that
hasten to the rescue, with America i'll
the lead. In China there are 100000
600 more people than in Europe and
America put together to eat our food
and wear our clothes. China properly
opened up will add OOO,OOO,0OO an
nually to the worlds commerce, and be-
cause of our location half way between
it and Europe and with the 1sthmian ca
nal built America ought to absorb S3,-
OOO, 100000 of it, or $500, 100000 more
than our entire present commerce. We
have more interest in China than all
of the rest of the world together. Our
future is wrapped up in it. The ma
tions of Europe have conspired among
themselves to seize China for them
selves and shut us out. This conspiracy
| has existed for more than ten years.
Captain Hobson told of how Japan
had been despoiled by the European
powers of the fruits of its victory over
China in the last war, and how Rus
sia, Germany, France and Italy had
then encroached upon China. Their
reign is one of might, of brute force.
That was the first step, and the present
Russo-Japanese war is for the purpose
of taking the second step. This war is
part of the plan of all of the powers of
Europe to seize China. This is why
Russia has made its remarkable series
of retreats, each time raising the cry
of the yellow peril. The sympathy of
the world was with Japan on the start,
and last season was given to preparing
change of sentiment on the part of
European peoples by fear of the yell
low peril. Every step of the war was
prearranged, and there was prear
ranged plan to divide China and keep
up the low wage system there and give
staggering blow to America. Russia
wants to provoke war with England
and have France come to her assistance.
This was attempted by the Baltic fleet
incident. Germany and France mobiliz-
ed their whole navies at that time, and
if the British has attacked the Russian
squadron Germany and France would
have seized the English channel and
England would have been invaded. 1t
is the continent of Europe against the
British empire, and this has been carried
out the last season literally and sue
cessfully. The equilibrium of Europe
has been disturbed on the side of war,
and this can only be overbalanced by
the United States, America ought to
try to restore the equilibrium of the
world and try to withstand any en-
croachment on China even at the risk
of war. Here is where the need of a
navy is seen, not to get tangled up with
other countries but to stand for the in
terests of this country. If we can keep
the peace, the other powers cannot COM
pete with us with their heavy arma
ments.
am sorry that it is my duty to in
form you that we do not have an ade
quate navy. Because of the lack of
it we may be on the verge of world
war, which would mean that Russia
would dominate, for it is military
nation with an impulse for war and con-
quest. If it got control of China with
it's 46O,OOO,OOO population it would
make them work like slaves, and it
could put one hundred men in the field
where we could put one. Can these
Chinese fight? Don't depreciate the
Chinaman. He is wonderful man, and
far superior to the Japanese, not only
industrially but as fighting force, but
he has not been organized by white men.
Gordon's army was called the ever
victorious army.
The world is too small for militarism
and industrialism and America must
peacefully overthrow militarism. Ii
militarism gets the upper hand with the
yellow race it would mean bloody war
All of the wars of history put together
would not approximate to the war of
| the eastern against the western hemis-
phere. The legacy of blood would de-
scend from generation to generation
America would be hurled back into mil
| itarism and the whole human race into
barbarism. In this great crisis America
| is unprepared to do her duty; the peo-
pie are unprepared in thought and in
not having a sufficient navy. If we had
a great navy it would not pay other
countries to fight. Why are we un-
prepared? The congressman merely rep
resent the people who have been selfish
| ly absorbed in their own business. In
this lies the weakness of free people.
That is why other republics have been