The Washington herald., 1907-04-07

shelter and sally ports for an army Of in
vasion. with easy connection with the
/ interior To this is added the great po-
sition of France in the Mediterranean.
whereby she could hold under control the
/ English possession Of Egypt. together
with the Suez Canal, as soon as her fleet
were at its zenith.
Even in the hours Of most genial friend
/ ship with France, this knowledge did not
/ escape the English, as is evident among
other things by the opposition which even
/ to-day is offered among them 70 the canal
/ tunnel plan. and In part. quite openly
with the justification that alliances are
/ temporary. a truth which. in face Of the
triple alliance and Of the most recent his
+ tory OF Italy. cannot be denied. but which
/ does not prevent England from making
/ a fine thing out Of the japanese alliance
/ To it she owed freedom from Russian
/ pressure. and, on account Of the Russian
defeat again an increased willingness on
I the part Of France 10 an agreement, be
cause the French robbed of Russian sup
port, now trembled IN Europe before Ger
many, and in Asia before the victorious
Japan. on account of their colonial pos
/ sessions there. Against the Japanese they
! protected themselves with England, ae-
{
mes amis sont mes amis.
Even on America the japanese English
/ alliance had a depressing effect, which
could well be seen in the development Of
the California school dispute with Japan.
/ Perhaps therein IS a silent reason for en-
/ ticing Roosevelt to take some part for
/ the present IN the comedy Of disarma-
ment, though he Is otherwise so enthusi-
astic for the building of a feet. For even
/ If America be at this time about one
i third superior TO the japanese in number
and tonnage OF her battle ships, Japan is
about on an equal basis with the Ameri-
ems in light cruisers. but superior in tor
/ pedo boat destrOyers and likewise superior
I In trained and efficient crews. as well as in
+ landing troops. who are tried in battle
/ America has the additional disadvantage
/ that at present by lar the majority OF the
| American sea power is stationed along
/ the Atlantic coast; scarcely one-third is
I in the Pacific Ocean. where Japan has her
/ great maritime forces together, and where
she could make things devilish disagree
/ able for the Americans on their own
coast.
/ If II is a fact that the Atlssltic Squadron
/ of America has now started on the way
4 to the Pacific harbors of America very
/ long way until the completion Of the
+ Panama Canal-then the American coast
/ facing England viii be unprotected in or
der 10 protect the coast opposite the Japa-
nese: condition which may effect the
I Fastening of the construction of the Pan
anna Canal. and which possibly explains
/ the English hope that America might
+ take an active part in the question of dis
armament. or, more rightly, the limitation
! of armament
But after all, such a position on the
part of American statesmen would not be
quite comprehensive. for just on account
I of the great East Asiatic markets a bat
/ tie must one day be Waged between their
country and Japan for the supremacy
OF the Pacific. Otherwise. why would
! America have taken possession of the
! Philippines and stretched out her cable
net to those distances And why would
America fear SO much the immigration OF
/ the excess Japanese population TO the still
/ sparsely settled regions Of their Pacific
1 Coast. except as foTerunners in the strife
I for their own supremacy there?
What a triumph of English statesman
ship It would be if the present strength Of
/ the fleets and thereby Englands suprem-
acy at sea could be established, or even
I If only the Americans themselves, in TAX
/ ing the initiative for the idea of disarma-
ment in The Hague. should for the time
being morally tie their own hands IN the
! enlargement of their feet, So, then It is
we'll worth while TO persuade the great
mass of people who are DESTROYS of peace
/ that it would be for the general welfare
/ Of signing humanity, and to hint to those
who are less DESTROYS Of peace OF who are
suspicious, that it is really only aimed
/ against the German mischief maker, who
now wants to cut swathe on the hriny
I deep.
It is these very English who in private
/ life are SO very sensitive to the reproach
/ of lie, who have coined an expression
which desis7ates their diplomats as men
/ sent abroad 10 lie for the benefit of their
country"
Sometimes, however. there are some
who do not do their part. like the bristly