The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-12-21
Japan. Great Britaln and America.

To THE EDITOR OF THE SUN-Sir: Are all
Of your conclusions sound in Japan. Great
Britain and the United States" In this morn
ing's issue2 I have read that editorial very
attentively. and while would like to agree
with your conclusions, / cannot overlook
certain facts in history and OF to-day; and
those facts negative. to a certain extent. what
you ha We to say, In brief. your conclusion Is
that England's food hunger will compel her
TO hold on herself and TO hold Japan OF. as
suming that Japan desires to attack us. II ia
Just there that I beg to differ. Let us assume
an armed collision with England allied with
Japan. venture to think that the English
will continue to eat American foodstuirs,
war or no war. unless we place an absolute
embargo on their expectation to any coun-
try, and ! doubt very much II any such en-
barge would be tolerated for a day by our
people. The French and the Germans would
become the middlemen. the foodstuffs would
be shipped in neutral bottoms to neutral coun-
tries and thence back to England. During the
Napoleonic wars. when British Orders In
Council and Napoleon's Berlin Decree had
stopped all open commerce between England
and that part of the continent under French
control. English goods continued to be sold
in France and French wines and stuTs 10 be
sold in England. Nor were the smu gglers
responsible for il all, either: was
carried between the two countries via Con-
sJa a neutral port. mexico would
also offer another channel for expectation to
England.
The question Of coaling would bother our
cruisers and privateers not a little, l fancy,
unless we could do what you admit We cannot
do-mske head against the English feet in
the Atlantic. And that failure to make head
would also leave the st. Lawrence open TO
British trade with British North America.
The English cruisers. as a rule. are a bit more
anaadu fha ~ O,Kr nurn mad fhnfH nnAraka tv,A.
capable OF being turned into auxiliary cruis-
ers are speedier than our cruisers and mer-
cha ntmen So We get intoa Guides so there.
While ! do not anticipate a war between
us and Japan, or between us and England.
there are other ways of doing us up. An
English born friend who has been in this
country for some eighteen years told me
some years ago, after a visit to his folks in
England. that the English are determined to
render themselves independent of us on the
foodstufns question, and that when they had
things fixed up they would put on the trade
screws in a way to make Rome howl" He
instanced the Assuan dam and other i'm
provements designed to provide wheat from
English possessions for English consumption.
The next year. along came Chamberlain with
his proposals to lay tariffs. Was the astuts
Joey" spreading his sails a bit early2 Per-
haps so, for he was getting old and II he waited
he might not succeed in having his name linked
with any great act; az it ia, II the day does
come. it will be "Chamberlainism " versus
-Dingleyism. " and his wish will have been
attained. II my English friend is correct, We
will be met with a smiling non possunus sons
day. and we will be damaged almost as much
as by a long war.
Another thing: What would happen In Wall
Street" IL the English should call in their loans
in anticipation of a war with us? Would noe
the French and German bankers follow suit
also? There would be something dom here
in that event. That would be the warning
to us of coming events. and IL would be more
substance than shadow, too.
Some years ago a paper in this city ran q
few articles on the Canadian preparations
for war; rife clubs. guards. &C. were de-
scribed. and the assertion was made that
Canada could put out 5OO.0 900 marksmen, q
rather formidable force. to stop us from pre-
venting Canadian exports. as you assume we
can do. r. w. BARKLKY.
NEW YORK, December IS.