Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1915-06-26

4 OF Page Page in the Samoan Islands
and the whole group may be said tC
be now in the hands of English, Ger
man and American diplomats who are
Cstensibly trying to agree upon form
j of government which will be satisfac
tory to all parties concerned, that is
England, Germany, the United States
and the Samoans with their two
kings Pesidess these movements
! need only refer 10 the great activity
which has prevailed among European
governments in seeking to obtain foot
hold in the newly explored part oil
Africa as bases for commercial and
perhaps colonial extension, and to the
great cheerfulness with which Italy
embarked in the uncertain chances OF
/ Egyptian Interference and the French
acquisition of Tunis to complete the
showing that Mr. Woolsey's conclu.
sions of eleven years ago are already
or will soon become inapplicable.
The fact alone of the German, Eng
/ lish and Spanish understanding, which
think may be called a treaty for the
purposes OF. this paper, taken with the
movements leading up to it as above
set forth, is strong testimony that the
principle of the balance of power has
already been extended from Europe
to the Pacific ocean. and that a new
departure i'm European politics has
taken place. a A.. III
The enthusiasm of discovery of a
century ago is being followed by an
enthusiasm of requirement; the world
now. being all discovered and defined
on the charts, does not seem as ex-
tensive as it did then, when men were
ignorant of its limits and resources
and imagination had full sway. The
great powers of Continental Europe
who would keep up with Eugland's
fast-growing empire and the rapid de-
velopment of the national strength of
the United States of America, must
acquire navies, develop their foreign
trade and obtain territory for expan-
sion; these objects can only be salts
factcrily attained by acquiring a foot
continents of Asia and Africa any
where, in short, where the existing
rights are those of tribes and clans
without diplomtie relations. This is
being done, as we have seen, and with
all the more haste, undoubtedly, from
the comparatively limited extent of
this kind of territory remaining I'M
claimed: the Pacific ocean has been
staked off uDon very definite under
standing between three powers: CEN
trail Africa is in the hands of the dip
lomats, England and Russia are stead.
lily extending their dominion in Asia
upon a private Issue of balance of
power between each other Might
makes right and self defense is ma
lures first law: the conclusion is ir.
resistable to me that the European
powers have already come to regard
the whole world outside of America
and each others colonial possessions
as legitimate field of conquest and
that the greater part of the division
they csn obtain the better it will be
for them in the really serious future
when the whole world being fully oc.
eupied the aggrandfzed governments
begin, Of very necessity. to encroach
upon each other in real struggle for
existence and final supremacy.
II does not appear that even diplo-
matte recognition will be any protec-
ment; the nations that are weak will.
be absorbed because they are weak
and because of the probability that if
one power does not acquire more or
less exclusive control over them an.
other will, and possession in interna.
tional Jurisprudence is mine points of
the law more truly than is the case
in private litigation This is likely to
be the case with China, which with its
great preponderance in population is
one of the really weak governments
Only the development of national
strength in the civilized sense will re-
move any of the eastern nations from
the list of those which are to be re-
garded as the Legitimate objects of
conquest. by Ethe European powers
Japan is the only government that
seems likely to fulfil this requirement,
and she is progressing in this direc-
ton by radically reforming. her politi-
cal. military. educational and social
systems after the example of the civ
ilized nationrs She must become a
greet power herself in order to be let
a'one j. T.. ......
| alluded glove to the. fact that
America is not included in the field of
European diplomatic influence in rela-
ton to the right of interference; the
influence of America and particularly
of the United States, is an element of
Importance in the study of the sub
ject Of this paper. The calculations
given 'boye have been made without
reference TO American influence, and
leaving that out are. | think. logical
from the given premises.
But we must consider American influ-
enee and to what extent European
politics will be modified by it in the
future r.
America is land of republics. Mo-
narchical governments containing fea-
lures Of absolutism to a greater or les
ser extent have characterized Europe
in The past balance or power prin.
Ciples have no annals in America, the
right of interference is not recognized.