The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1908-03-16
HEARTY WELCOME
WILL Be GIVEN
TO AME RlcAN SAILORS WHEN
EVANS BATTLEsHiPs VISIT
AUSTRALIA NEXT SUMMER.
REGARD US AS FRIENDS,
Australians Hail with Delight Any.
thing that viii Bring Them In
Closer Touch with Uncle
Sans People.

Sydney, March 16.--There was n
dramatic scene Sunday at a great gath
ering of citizens when, at the conclu-
ison of an address on the subject of
national defense, the premier, Alfred
Deakin, read a cablegram announcing
that the American fleet of battleships
would visit Sydney and Melbourne.
He called for three cheers for the
United States and the audience rose
en- masse and responded with deafen-
ing hurrahs.
The prime minister said he was sure
that such a welcome as an American
fleet had never known outside of its
own country would be accorded It by
Australia, and the cheering that fol-
lowed this statement seemed evidence
of the fact that the Australians, one
ard all, have q feeling stronger than
mere friendship for the American
people and their navy.
The Australian commonwealth halls
with pleasure the announcement from
Washington that the American battle
ship fleet will visit the Antipodes next
July or August. There are several
reasons for this feeling of satisfaction.
Premier Deakin was not nattering the
American people in the communication
he addressed to their government last
December, to have the warshps come
to this quarter of the globe.
In his invitation he said: "No other
federation in the world possesses so
many features of likeness to that of
the United States as does the common.
wealth of Australia, and ! doubt
whether any two peoples could be
found who are in nearer touch with
each other and are likely TO benefit
more by anything that tends to knit
their relations more closely
Australians of all classes have a de-
cided admiration for America, due to
sentimental commercial and even po-
litioal causes. In the first place. as
Australian newspapers not inirequent-
~ observe, whenever the question of
Asiatic immigration to Australia
comes up. or that OF Australian nation
al defense. America Is the nearest
Caucasian neighbor and friend that the
commonwealth has This fact is given
added strength because Australians
are almost supersensitive- over Asiatic
proximity, prestige and influence; and,
whether there is ground for such feel
ing or not, they are apprehensively
mindful of their great physical separa-
tion from any cognate people. This
feeling is fostered by leading poll
ticians, especially those In the power
ful labor party, and it includes the
Japanese
This distrustful attitude towards
things Asiatic and this strong leaning
toward things American has corro-
larry in Australian iealously of Euro
pean colonization i'm the South Pacific
Whereas the commonwealth has al
ways been complaisant over America 5
possession Of PagO Pago, Samoa
which the feet will yisit--it has never
been overly pleased at Germany's pos
session of Apia; and the common
wealth manifested so much feeling
over territorial rights in the New
IIebrides and trading privileges in the
Marshall Islands that The imperial gov
ernment was forced to treat with
| France and Germany respectively re-
garding these disputes
In brief the United States Is the
only foreign power with territory I'm
, the Pacific for which Australia has a
distinct liking.
But there are other considerations
than those. Aside from the cardinal
one that the commemorative whole
scheme of government Is patterned
after that Of the United States, there
are strong commercial and other ties.
Australian coal is shipped in large
quantities to the Pacific coast of
America and Australian meat goes
TO the Philippines. Australian ir-
| rigation experts study the immense
schemes for watering the arid tracts
in the American western states, and
Australian educators go to America
to learn American methods.