Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1906-09-20

tho result. That America would win
In the end everyone agreed in thinking,
because we were 40 'fearfully rich.' But,
Of course, we were n mutton Of money
%getters. not fighters. and It was TO be
expected hat 1t would 10 long before the
end was reached. 1 happened TO be at
the reception at the American ambaesa-
doris On the Fourth Of July. when rum
ors OF the victory of Santiago were cir
culating. The Spanish feet wiped out7
Absurd! Preposterous on its face de-
clared n noted NJ. p, and such was the
general feeling
The entire destruction of the fleets of
Spain in Manila Bay and at Santiago
was an eyeopener to the Englishmen.
They began to see that the American
navy and its owner were things to be
from this writer:
Three years later l arrived in Lon
don at the timo of McKinley's death.
The newspapers were published with
mourning bands; the city was draped
In black; business, In many places,
was suspended during tho hour of the
funeral, and vast crowds in which
were many English swept into West
minister and st. Paul's for the me-
mortal services. Newspaper editorials
were remarkable in the knowledge of
the situation displayed, and in thcif
grasp of the character and tempera-
Ir,pnf not only 90 &J,Iriy1ap htt oF biy
successor. Everywhere discussion
was Intelligent. sympathetic. discri-
minatins, vastly different from that Of
Il few years before.
ON my next trip over, England had
walked to the realization of tho power
of America aud of the progress in
Germany; tho Roer war had taught
her terrible lessons and had lessened
her national pride. Everywhere was a
wall of disenchantment, complacency
was gone; the cry that Something
must be done" was heard on all sides.
To an outsider there was something
pathetic in tho spectacle in the APP
paront lack of hopefulncss concerning
the outlook, in the frank admission
of E%ngland's hackwardncss. In the
reckless grasptng after some example
to follow. Commissions were sent to
this country to learn the reason for
American successes and to investigate
and report on American methods; an
almost morbid desire to confess weak
ness seemed To prevail, and remedies
were desperately sought for.
Last year I found things again diff
ferent. America, no longer the little
child, but the almost terribly strong
young man, in the fulness if not the
height of his power, was seen in a
now light. Thanks to unfavorable re-
ports from commissions and to revela-
lions concerning American business
dealings. the feeling that America Of
fered n bright and shining example TO
follow had Eone Gone, too, was
British encouragement and gloom.
Belief in the undying greatness Of tho
empire had returned, though, It was
no longer belief in the British nation
as the only great nation in the uni
verse.
And with this has come a minor
change-subtlv siRnifcant-which any
American traveller may notice. In
!, the old days, when the American
eagle, off on a holiday, screamed and
tapped his wings, as he Is painfully
wont in Europe to scream and flap his
wings, the British lion heard with
calm contempt. Not a sound that he
! could make disturbed the complacency
. Of the calmly self-satisficd royal
beast, though his smallest growl rous-
ed the ca gle to fury. But to-day 1t Is
/ not so. The lion. not now stolidly Sc
cure in the consciousness Of his own
dominating power, no longer listens
+ unmoved to American noise. He re-
. sents the flaps and screams, he turns
in bitterness at the shrieks OF
l triumph and derision. His mood and
: temper have changed, he seems tc
have nerves, and this the eagle. not
: an ill-natured, IL a hoastful and rather
mannerless bird, should recognize
without delay.
The apprehension among the con
= trolling minds Of England that the
time may not be far distant wher
I England may greatly need the help OF
Il the United States in a war with Ger
many and Germany's European allies
is n pretty sure guaranty of peac'
and ostensiblc good will between thu
two great EnRlish-speaking nations
8 The two are cousins, If it is true, az
it sometimes seems to be. that there
is little love lost between them there
Is bound 20 be amity between them.