The Washington herald., 1910-01-02


that the United States does not intend 10
permit them to enjoy that sole mastery Of
the Pacific, which according to their own
repeated admission they are determined
to possess. and that with this object in
view it is spending much money in forti-
flying the Hawaiian Islands. the Philip
pines. and the Island OF Guam
It is therefore perfectly natural that
they should regard this country as not
only ready but eager 10 snatch away
from them the northern portion OF the
island Of Saghalien by means Of purchase.
in order TO strengthen its position In the
/ Northern Pacific and along the northern
portion of the eastern coast Of Asia.
including the mouth OF the Amur River
| unless their minds are disabused to the
effect that it does not wish for any part
Of Saghallen, and would not accept, even
as a gift, the Russian moiety Of this
island, which has been rightly described
by Russian political offenders, and even
! by foreign visitors. as the nearest ap-
proach to he'll to be found on earth.
REIMBURSEMENT OF colonies by means
Of sale or gift, does not necessarily i'm
/ ply weakness. and Russia has many prec-
| edents 10 go by in the event of her dis
posing OF the northern half OF the Sag
/ halien Island TO Japan. She was at the
/ height Of her strength and power when
she sold Alaska TO the United States:
while the first Napoleon was in the most
glorious portion OF his reign when he sold
all Of Frances vast holdings IN this coun-
try to Uncle Sam.
England actually gave away 20 Greece.
without any pecuniary return. the lon
ian Islands. upon the fertilization and
development Of which she had spent
/ considerable sum Of money. and n the
Dutch states general. the question has
repeatedly been discussed in recent years
as TO whether It would not be wise 10
sell Java. Sumatra and tne other East
! Indian possessions OF Holland before
| they were seized by other powers tho
debateTs prudently refraining from men
tioning the powers which inspired appre-
tensions IN this respect.
The Dutch Indies are no longer the
saTAe source of wealth TO the mother
country, which they once were They
have ceased to De self-suppOVung. and
/ constitute a drain upon the national
exchequer Of the Netherlands; a fact
which Is to a great extent attributable
TO the heavy expenditure OF life and
money involved in the efforts to suppress
the native instructions that have con
tinued almost without Interruption for 100
years past IN Sumatra.
In fact. Holland has experienced 50
much difficulty in keeping the natives
under control that it Is doubtful whether
she would be able TO offer any serious
resistance, say to the Japanese. parricu-
larry, If the latter were to invoke the
sympathy Of the population by their
watchword OF Asia for the Asiatics." IN
such perdicament she would be COM
PEELED 10 turn for assistance 10 Ger
many. which would readily be accorded.
with the result however. Of b inging nos
merely the Dutch colonies, but the king
dom itself within the sphere Of the Ger
man empire at the cost Of its Independ-
ence. and. so the Dutch believe. with the
sacrifice Of their commercial and indus
trial prosperity.
In fact, the Netherlands feel themselves
between the devil and the deep sea in so
far as their colonies are concerned; with
Japan as an inevitable menace on the
one hand, and with Germany as an
equally grave peril on the other. Under
the circumstances, il is not surprising
that many Of the more thoughtful sub
Jects Of Queen WilheImina. who have
care not merely. for the present. but also
for the future Of their country. should
consider the policy Of selling their colonies
for a large sum. while still theirs for
sale
Java, Sumatra, and other Dutch posses
sions in the far East, and New Guinea.
| covering altogether an area Of nearly
l,00,0J0 square miles. are therefore likely
ere long 10 come into the market and
forming. as they do. "a very desirable
piece of property" cannot fail 70 become
the subject not only Of fierce competition,
but possibly Of International JJmplica-
| tons, since Japan seems disposed O. es-
tablish something very much akin 10 a
! Monroe doctrine with regard 20 the far
| Orient. and 10 prevent any change with
out her consent in the statu quo which
she has pledged herself by a number Of
| treaties TO maintain
| Certainly she would not relish the Dutch
Indies passing into the possession OF
either the United States or Of Germany
and upon no capital Of Europe does the
! Tokyo government maintain "a more care
! full watch than upon The Hague. in order
to prevent the government Of the Nether-
lands from springing any coup. by a sud-
| den announcement. of the sale Of its
| colonies, either directly TO foreign ma
| tons or possibly through some third
party acting as the honest broker"
| Holland has before her eyes the example
Of Spain, a kingdom which would have
been Infinitely better off. and which would
have avoided much needless humiliation
/ had she accepted the American offers of
immense sums that We're made to her for
| the purchase of Cuba. The Dutch are
more sensible. especially in business mat
| tiers, and once convinced that IT would be
TO the advantage Of the nation, econom-
ically and politically. to sell for a big
sum possessions which they cannot rea-
sonally hope TO hold much longer, they
will permit no questions Of mere senti-
ment to deter them from closing profit
able deal.
| Portugal, too. may some day place upon
the market her foothold In China. namely,
Macao. and her immense territories in
Africa, which, being unable to exploit,
she is compelled TO leave stepped in tho
darkest depths Of barbarism. Her peo-
pie resist the payment OF the taxes which
the government is forced to impose in
| order to secure the payment of the in
| terest on the national debt Bllt merely
on account Of a question Of pride she
VIII not hear Of any economically ad-
vantageous alienation of their colonfa!
| possessions.
Yet Portugal has standing offers from