New-York tribune., 1909-01-01
THE YEAR ABROAD.

THE YEAR ABROAD.
Tho annals of our time bear record of few
wears of greater general interest 20 the world at
I large than 1908 In every great division OF the
/ globe. if not In every individual state, there
! were occurrences of prime and permanent i'm
! portance, and among them were several which
NAV truly be regarded as epoch making. Amer
lean foreign relations We're uniformly tranquil,
vet comprised features materially affecting the
/ welfare of many lands besides our own. The
ratification of the conventions of The Hague
and of various arbitration treaties with great
powers and small, and the agreements for final
adjudication of the long pending fisheries and
other controversies with Canada and New
foundIand marked a substantial advance in the
establishment Of international amity upon an
assured foundation of justice and mutual salts
faction. Equally noteworthy and benehcent was
the exchange of declarations of policy with
Japan which practically created a Magma
Cbarta of international rights and duties In the
Far East. Toward our southern neighbors the
historical attitude Of this nation was prOhtably
maintained, in several cases averung threat
eped catastrophes and confirming struggling
states in ways of cOnstancy and political lnteg-
rity In only the single case Of Venezuela was
there anything approaching or resembling I'M
pIeasantness. and there that circumstance was
due TO personal and not to general causes.
quillity and progress prevailed among our neigh
bOrs nDOn the American continents. Canada held
general election which resulted, according TO
expectation, in the retention in power Of the
Liberal government which for years has ad-
ministered the affairs Of the Dominion with
high ability and Il general satisfaction. One
/ untoward incident of brief duration was the
anti-Asiatic outbreak IN British Columbia, but
it was soon lost sight of amid interests of
greater and more lasting importance. The work
of railroad and canal extension in which Can
ada has for years been pre-emineGt among the
nations was untirlngly and efficiently prosecuted.
! and an exceptional degree of general prosperity
prevailed throughout the Dominion, with the
! dual result on the one hand Of diminishing the
last remains Of the movement for either annexa-
ton or reciprocity and Of strengthening the
sentiment of Canadian nationality, and, on the
other hand, of confirming friendly sentiments
toward the United States on the basis Of inde
pendence and mutual respect. An auspicious
incident was the celebration of the tercentenary
Of Quebec, in which Great Britain, France and
the United States participated.
Mexico enjoyed year Of peace and progress.
during which the great international railroad
across the Isthmus Of Tehuantepec was com
pIeted and put into operation, with q number
of steamship lines connecting its spacious ter
minal haTbors with all parts Of the world. An
other interoceanlc railroad was completed,
across Guatemala. with q promise Of material
advantage TO that republic. The remarkable
series Of treaties concluded among the five Cen
tral American republics under the moral hege
nony Of the United States and Mexico proved
highly successful IN maintaining order within
and among those states and n governing their
international relations by law and Justice. Their
International Court Of Justice was successfully
fuS Cd ar "a rio n no rSf
suit brought before it yindicated its usefulness
and efficiency The Republic OF Panama held a
general election in an orderly and credItable
manner and chose new President In the per
son Of one Of its best statesmen. Cuba, under
the wise control Of an American Provisional
Governor, made gratifying progress toward com
plete rehabilitation of insular autonomy. Gen
eral elections were held and President, Vice
President and Congress were peacefully and
honestly chosen. and on the last day of the year
the process of Withdrawing American control
was hopefully begun Santo Domingo continued
the prosperous and progressive course into
which 1t had been inducted through American
assistance and the inestimable benefit OF Amer
lean supervision of part of its fiscal affairs
was again abundantly demonstrated. Hayt ON
the contrary, left TO its own perverted passions.
repudiated its lawful. just and capable govern
ment and plunged into another revolutionary
debauch.
The years record on the South American Con
tiuent was varied. The Venezuelan Dictator
severed relations with the United States France
and Holland and provoked a virtual state Of
war with the last named power involving the
practical blockade Of the Venezuelan coast and
the seizure of several Venezuelan naval vasseIs
Meantime the Dictator went to Europe. pro
fessedly for the two purposes of getting medical
and surgical treatment for his health and of
personally settling all the controversies which
he had with European powers. The people Of
Venezuela took advantage of his absence to re
volt against lis despotism and establish in his
place another President. who promptly reversed
the defiant and laWless policy OF the Dicta tor
and opened the way for a restoration Of friendly
relations with all countries. \ brief but deci
Sive revolution occurred also in Paraguay. with
little disturbance Of either the domestic affairs
or the foreign relations of that republic. Peru
in orderly and constitutional manner elected
a worthy successor to her excellent President
whose term of office expiring. and again
showed herself one Of the most stable and pro-
gressive Of all the American republics. Brazil
and Argentina. while remaining at peace con
ceived suspicious of each others purposes and
entered upon courses Of rivalry in naval expan-
sion. their material prosperity meantime re
manning unimpaired.
The United Kingdom had an eyentful year.
\ charge in the Prime Ministershlp and Il con
sequent partial reorganization Of the Cabinet
involved 80 radical alteration Of government
policy. An old age pcusi0n law miners eight
hour law and other measures of considerable
social Importance were enacted. An education
bill of which high hopes were entertained. and
upon which 1t was supposed an agreement had