The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1911-05-03
ENGLAND AS AN
AMERICAN STATE
Cecil Rhodes Favored a World
Republic.
WOULD MEAN LASTING PEACE.

Rhodes In Which the COLOSSUS of
South Africa" Favored the Different
Parts Of tho British Empire eecom.
ing Parts Of the American Union.
W. T. Stead recently published a
statement to the effect that Cecil
Rhodes said if the Anglo-American
union could not be obtained otherwise
than by applying for admission as
states federated with the American
Union he would apply"
This aroused the interest Of Andrew
Carnegie, who wrote to Stead for par
ticulars. In response the English edi-
tor made the significant assertion that
Rhodes was ready to have England
and all her colonies apply for admis-
sion as states in the American Union.
Says Stead:
"Mr. C%arnegie's inquiry suggests the
possibility that other readers may be
glad of a reminder as to the attitude
of Cecil Rhodes in relation to the great
question which has once more been
brought prominently to the front by
the reciprocity agreement between
Canada and the United States.
1.-THE statement to which Mr.. Carne-
gle refers was made to me personally
at the Office of the Review of Reviews,
Mowbray House, in 1891. It repre-
scented the ultimate stage in the evo-
luton of MI. Rhodes mind on the sub
ject in question.
when Mr.. Rhodes was a young
man without a penny in his pocket he
drew up a will leaving any money
that he might hereafter acquire for
the attainment Of his ideals. His idea
was the formation of a kind of secu-
lar church which should have it's men,
bers in every part Of the British en-
pire working with one object and one
idea and especially advocating the
closer union Of England and her colo
MES, crushing all disloyalty and every
movement for the severance Of our
empire.
Wanted England to Absorb America.
"Hence in his will he defined, among
other objects of the secret society, the
ultimate recovery of the United States
of America a. an integral part Of the
British empire, the Inauguration of a
system of colonial representation in
the imperial parliament which may
tend to weld together the disjointed
members of the empire and finally the
foundation Of so great a power as to
hereafter render wars impossible and
promote the best interests of human
ity.'
THAT was what we may call his
Jumping off point before he adequate
" realized that the United States had
by it's growth, its power and its com
pactness become the predominant part
ner Of the English speaking race.
From this crude undergraduates idea
of the recovery of the United States
to the recognition Of the fact that it
might be necessary to merge the Brit
ish empire in the United States is a
long stage, but Rhodes traversed it
slowly and steadily, never turning
back.
II did not meet him until eleven
years after he had made his first will.
From that time I a speak authorita-
lively as to the movement Of his mind.
He wrote to me declaring that the
practical solution Of the great political
brought about by a commercial wal
for the purpose of securing a CONNER
cial union and the adoption of the
principles of the American constitu-
ton as the basis Of the reunited Eng
lish speaking world.
Ready For America to Absorb England.
"Again and again Mr.. Rhodes re-
turned to his dominant conception
until at last his theory that the su-
premacy Of the world must be placed
in the hands of the English speaking
race assumed almost the character Of
a religious dogma.
I'm the year 1891 he talked to me for
three hours concerning his claims, his
plans, his hopes and his ideas. After
he had been discoursing in his usual
vehement fashion as to what might be
done If the republic and the empire
were united In a fraternal union l
said to him:
~9ASV "AN" Wa "0A~ SA~v wv
say, but I 60 further. I say that If I
were convinced that it would be i'm
possible to secur the union Of the
English speaking race on any other
terms than that the states under the
British flag should apply for union as
states Of the American republic I
would be prepared to take that STEP
"He stopped in his walk, for he was
pacing the room backward and for.
ward as he talked, and said sharply:
Say that again.
II repeated slowly and with en-
phasis the declaration I had Just made.
He stopped for a minute and then
said, Upon my word, Stead. I agree
with you
From that moment the ideal of
English speaking reunion. even If it
could only be obtained by the merging
of the British empire in the United