The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-09-30

for many years has been Prime Minister
Of the province OF Nova Scotia. The
occasion Of this festlvity, singular though
1t may seem, was his defeat by the late
Sir Charles Upper, who was running
his election for Cape Breton after ac-
cepting Office as Prime Minister OF the
Dominion. Shortly before this date the
Venezuela message of President Cleve-
land had brought about condition Oh
feelings In the United States and Eng
land exactly similar TO that created in
Paris and Berlin one hot day In July,
1870, by the publication of the cele-
brated Ems despatch. For one whole
long and terrible day the issue of peace
or war between England and the United
States trembled in the balance, and IL
seemed as IL the weight OF feather on
either end of the beam must determine
whether the cloud was to pass over or
should burst in the fury OF fratri-
cidal war between these two great
branches of the English speaking family.
1t seems to be the verdict OF history
that the human race is indebted to the
calmness and patience, the wisdom ana
the good feeling of the late Lord Sails
bury for its escape from the disaster OF
a terrific struggle between these two great
natlons-the foremost representatives OF
ordered liberty and, as Mr.. Root has SO
finely said, the safeguards OF the democ-
racy Of the world. We should have had
| to undergo another hundred years OF
misunderstanding and mutual hatred.
even IL we had not both gone down to
defeat before the rising power Of Ger
many united and dedicated to career
OF military ascendency by the astute and
remorseless policy OF Bismarck.
| The moment would seem to have been
an unpromising and i'll chosen one for a
proclamation of the essential unity OF
| the two great nations, but the Venezuela
message had the effect of a vivid fash
of lightning It illumined the interna-
| tional landscape and cleared the inter-
| national atmosphere. 1t set the states
men on both sides OF the Atlantic think
ing about International relations, and II
certainly awakened Lord Salisbury to
the necessity which he never afterward
neglected of cultivating friendly rela-
tions with the Government and people
Of the United States.
Beginning of the Entente.
| An opportunity occurred not many
years later to give practical effect 10
| the international policy of which Lord
Salisbury could fairly claim to have
been the author. When the United
States felt constrained to deliver the
|
former had few II any friends on the
other side of the Atlantic. A writer
Of eminence and authority in Mcclure;
Md1dEine, whose name l do not at the
moment recall. said that the republic
had no friends there with the exception
of England: and II Is matter OF au
thentic history that the consent of Eng
land was all that was necessary L
insure a combination OF powers in OPP
position to the Cuban enterprise of tn,
United States.
What must have happened in view
of the unar1ned and defenceless posi-
ton OF the republic had such a com
bination been brought about IL is no
difficult to conjecture. What actual,
did happen has been told In iAdmira
Dewey's autobiography. and Is too wei
known to call for narration. IL Is from
these events that the Anglo-Americal
entente must be dated. Nothing of ar
international nature occurred until tn,
outbreak OF the European war to disturb
the good feeling created by the publ
cation OF the facts referred to. TIL
entente grew II possible more cordia
and more significant with the passini
of the years, and with the discover.
that on all the great questions OF worlt
policy which presented themselves 70
solution the ideals, as we'll as the prac
teal interests OF the two nations ap
peared to be substantially in accord
Now IL we can assume that the Leagu
of Nations is destined to become a pc
litical reality. operating in n substantial
way to control and restrain the sel1s