The Washington herald., 1908-03-17
Europe and the American Fleet.


Europe and the American Fleet.
Some observations by former Comp
troller of the Currency A. B. Hepburn
on the hostility of European sentiment
toward the United States have attracted
wide attention. We have heard nothing
Of that sort recently. so 1t is rather sur
prising to learn from a responsible
source that the expressions OF good will
that come Sc frequently from over the
ocean are mere froth. Mr.. Hepburn
thinks our only real friend across the sea
Is England. whose interests run paral-
lei with ours and whose prestige would
be impaired by disaster TO this COUNT
On the continent. says Mr.. Hepburn,
We are disliked because OF our growing
naval and commercial power So is
japan; and Mr.. Hepburns observations
convinced him that nothing would please
the continent better than war between
the United States and Japan con-
fiict that. according to the European
view, would be wasting and injurious
TO the resources Of both, and OF cor
responding advantage 10 Old World pow
ers.
Without attributing too much impor-
lance 10 Mr.. HepbuTns impressions of
foreign opinion. Il Is worth while TO
inquire what influence the European
cruise OF our feet will have on that
opinion. and whether the display of naval
force we are now making for the benefit
of the civilized world will reconcile the
ininical TO Our pretensions as a world
power. II now appears certain that the
cruise will immensely increase American
prestige in the Pacific, and # is quite
possible that one of its remoter effects
will be TO bring the United States and
Japan closer together as the predom-
inant Pacific powers. In this connection
much interest will attach TO the visit OF
our fleet TO Australia. an English COM
morwealth which has always felt itself
neglected by the home country in the
matter OF defense. and which now is
looking TO US, as II II were quite the
natural thing. for sympathy and pro-
lection. That the coming Of the fleet
should be coupled In the minds OF the
Australian ministers with the subject Of
defense is significant I'VE feel that our
future in the Pacific" said the minister
Of defense. is bound up with that OF
the United States" Certain it is that
We could not look with equanimity on
the conquest Of Australia by any power
with which England might conceivably
come in conflict. The dominant naval
force which we seem destined to main
tain in the Pacific insures the safety
OF the Australian commonwealth as well
as the security of our own possessions.
The course Of events since the Span
ish-American war has greatly strength
ened the power and influence Of the Eng
disappearing nations in the Orient.
Jspan's alliance with Great Britain tend-
ed in the same direction, and although
that alliance has been thought, in some
quarters. TO have been a serious blunder.
as alternating the friendship OF powers
whose good will is OF consequence, IL may
turn out in the long run 10 have been
Of the utmost value in establishing Brit
ish influence in Oriental affairs. We
have seen on more than one occasion
how that influence has been exerted to
restrain the impetuOsity of Japan. Can
any one doubt that the ascendency of
the Notwithstanding nations in the
Orient viii be of inestimable advantage
TO future civilization And that the
ascendency Of those nations will be &C
compnshed with the cooperation of
Japan seems quite as likely as that
either Of them will come to blows with
her.
II European opinion is now hostile to
our ambitions, It is improbable that II
will be Modified by the conveyance OF
American and British imperial interests
revealed by the visit Of our fleet 20
Australia. or by the possibility of the
development of a British-American ORR
entail policy in which Japan shall have
a harmonious part. II would DE curl
Gus outcome of our fleets extraordinary
cruise. which was originally designed as
q warning 10 Japan. II the war ships
should leave in their wake the friendship
OF the Orient only 10 encounter in Eu-
ropesn waters feelings outwardly friend
~. yet inwardiy envious, suspicious. and
hostile. Perhaps Mr.. Hepburns observa-
lions are somewhat overdrawn. or pos
sibly he tapped the wrong reservoirs of
public sentiment. We like to think OF
our feet as awakening none but the
most amicable emotions wherever It goes,
and hope it will have as complete a
European success in that line as It has
had elsewhere