OUR AMERICAN LETTER.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 54, 27 November 1907, Page 9

OUR AMERICAN LETTER.

7 THE PACIFIC COAST;

BURNING.'.' OF ;TSEnHIST®! '"CLIFF

HOUSE:'. ,

(FROM OUR SPECIAL'• CORRESPONDENT.)

Cliff House, knqwfp to.- all' tv'lio sajl the Pacific and. entor the .Qolden Gate,-was-burned to tho ground a fowrdays ago. This famous hotel-'and pleasure house,, uninjured by the earthquake, of a 'yenr and aiialf ago, fell 1 at last before': a" charico flame. No more famous hotel than this oxisted on the-Pacific Coast. Its register would form a .catalogue, of illustrious names. Gortoral Grant ivas' banqueted here* on his return from his world trip. .The Princess Louise, the .Marquis, of Lornc, President' Harrison, a|ig ; othdjsheyond'.pouhting, 1 partoqk','of,.its'cheej, , :.". Standing.pijtsido the,. Golden ■;Gate;-. facing ■ the sunset,,- .-wj.th. -the PacinVat.tho footiof: the', cliff on wheise sido.it' clung, a more'picturesque site cannot!-be iina-l gihed. ' Built' with iiumljerle'ss towers'and tii?-;. rets.'and-.projecting^.balc^inies'/Athe.'^.rii.cture , itself was oxceedingly,.striking ( in appearance.,; The'-stables,' the "erfeati SutroJbat-hs,vand ilft historic; buildings on Sutro heights iwere'-nn* injured,, and.it is announced"that'"'.the hStMI will-' be .rebuilt, on.its, Qriginal; : liijes; coiicrefo/ ■' •. ' ', .£: :.':'!;.: " i(l i The Cjape'FDStiydf, lc '■ *S''V* ' ff, w\&,' The.nsanta Clam- ,Valjey,, .in- -tije.-s,p^ujg.' of .' thejT year ' lipids"- ..aV flower .JGstivjjJJi-; one ofH.h.e prottjeptf' sights in the. wo;)d. tho winter. sea^oi};;Southcrri:Califqr;uaT)s|ipports a .citrus fan;;, handing- out to- all|tyi6 world, the,.gfoldoi'jji -orajjg'cs'. and.lemons,-Jjor which the jrtisbrictxiis famous.. It Tor. Central Caiiforuiajjiin ,ihe country finest blooiij.vihoivaijivth" I'pkhysyto in- late isumroer fwi.tfi a,.r.afinval Lodi, near Stockton, wiis_ihe scene this year of the..Toksy fosjjiyaj. r ,Tne rtqwn.was jhjung. with gra"pes;.|n cluster^ -aiiitl. festophs-'fljjcj oxercises- inclu(\e(l.-"an,:address hy .GoveinW]Gil- ; letand'acoron'atlion.of .Qucon Zinfandcrfand, King Tokay,' alid closed with a MiikJi .bfras.. Great -■!«., t-ha,i grapei/orop" in c this. year, and the kftt&qt tho vinerie.s. arp j>,qar, to bursting/-,:,-^ ; , >!,■,..•, ~,;,t , -..-.v.-.; . 3 <;f.oJ ' ■■:

Mexican jhdelperfde'nce Day.'; ,-''•, ,;; '■?■■ The essontialy'unity !bf. all the: P.qcificfjfjands was welL-illus.triijo.d- by, the. cctabr<aMpn recently ..in San" Franpisco of; donceDay, *cThis>isi not. unlike. origin -and in<>.t>kf|. : Mexico'gained ifcjC .independence "frpiri, Spain after, a revqjutjjpin conducted.: fpr : .B~eyev9lvyoars under., the first bf-.-,Miguel.itfl[ialgo, a'; priest, a,pj| later of Monelosyajso 'a ptig§t. Benito prominent also in tlift war-jpf.Hberatipifif These are.the (three.na'uiqs most,.in eyidijijce.in.tho annual.celebratiopis,.Mexico is riovii'ti power of' importance; ajid\:.its dnfluence, uijder; tho wise direction ofePiresident Diaz, K ( uioYeasing. in force-and scopo., along the'i\jl\oje Pacific CoasWio ■;■:..•■•: _..(irf..v. : -j .. ■■ ■-r;in.-cwi^ -.'■ :.•■• Ayjsric'a. i" *' f; ".' • Tho'pPanama ,Cai]al |is\)oth theifause, and consequenco of:-tj\ew present devjjppinent of Central America., Tb.a.t'-whole, isgjo,|i- is now at a high tide of industrial evolution. Tho latest industrial project is thc ! FaTi=Smerican w.hich-is subsidised by,all. the. Central' American States, and is surveyed to'run 1700 miles from the.lsthmus oLTehuantepec to the Isthmus, of Panama. A land route tho length of \iW Pacific'- Coast wffFTy "this lino be 'Los' Angeles will be in direct railway-cotamuiiication with-Gtrabamala City. ■ ■"'■■ ■i'-'.-r\\i.V' \a ..}i ; .r,-. .. ■j! w; - White RacessanditheiTropios a9l j

Thelimportince s of this niovls/fcnt':in Cen-I tral..America can 'hardly' l bo It , is as noteworthy fe'tlie-moderrtfmeve'inent in> China'ariclrjapan, o For Elowly > '-tlra < w'liiteracei is Thc c acW6iices mad&f in recentyearsiintropical sanitSfltOilWill have> undoubtedly much a wider' •'eSsit 'than ettq abling/uJ-to; .biriltl the , PananidTCanal.' That sanitarian nbvWasSerts that comingi-'irito"'tlio I ;Tj'opics cam protect itself' againsfr'"' tropical-Ik diseases ■■bjFX'means botli simple , and inexpensive".•) If<ttoi3ilic true,-. Wγ. pical eonntries, Ikhicto offer/, groatcf. retunffor marf's'ilabour'thaniidlo tho'teffl-. perato":zonos, the.wlittft, racos, =and population j woalthranil civilization will bed in;, the Tropics, as thdyjwerp in' theiDiwri of mhii's i history. v-iTherTndvemqh't of thgjvhitc race is: now not only frontrcasttoiWeac,Hiutalso.fj'om;l north to'.squth. , •'The.secrets' oj.(Jentral -.Atno« rica may never be revealed, but it is known that in thei'early lagesfof. the^se.rldrtherqi' (fx,-; isted ;in-:that region; a Borne respects transcended, ojjr t nvin. what .the Ai(glo-S^?o)i.can,.do':linage tropipajlj conditions has-yQt tQ';be sho)ij)."r,i ■ .-,;-,( ' '4 The 1 Panama; Cars;;(.. '_ V^™ ; ';,*!^

The; auditor ofrfthe Canal sorts that-up to j.bp G!an,f|l sost.'tTio,! United Sjtatos ncarly-sflinety oiilli'bns of dollars. -Of thisiampmit jjjfemiHiprflAwaq, paid to the French Company, : four 'millions', wont /or- sanitation, and ; tcn; (-or ..-.engineering., and construction. ■...•' ,-■•..:. .„•!,'a c.i' Tho: fear, is now- expressed." nav'ir.' gators', tha|;'.thtj.,pjans jil' f ! le 'p l l to be revised. Ships,. it-seomsy aro.grijsng.'jn size fastoi'.than, canals...,The".G.anal.jgck?,.'ja? authorised,' aro'to'Jjß pip beams of,,;the latq'st ,bat[tleships.,fjj;e an,d the. new Ciinarde'rs—the Lusitania"irncjj £hj'e Mauretajiia—have, bcanis | Mi j|ij'tjio latter,"c'ase would,,he ( |"a 3 jclq3ja but six-feetoije|iner'side—ajJajjgerjofe/jfnaxi-inum.:;.£'• qharige.','in 'plans .iiieahsnexpiJuao and delay.;. but''it ■wojild';be,"a?pit«io' havib the CfinijU: obsblipte, liefore .It, ,js ?* . (Recent ;'f\ta(,ed fcljat United ; States. G6yeriimenK lu lia's' decided 'to wid^n ; tivo.C!it«a.);;',;': ~;',.o i; ^: ^, ,^; : , More Earthquakes. , ~«,;_i ^..'_ •All of.,So;ithern Califoniia,. was,.shaken lately by a ; 'feevere earthquake-'lffeting 'fdiir seconds. The instability of .the._Eacinc countries is tho main drawback to settlement. Volcanic eruptions, accompanied! hjinftfrjivy rumblings and dense clouds of ashcs ; havp been noted witftiK'a'few'days '6if*'th'e"A:rcft'tiaVi™:Tslantls, pf^'jthf , north-west, coast. (Since this was a much at the^s^,islands has.. islands: have evbn away of mysterioujsly..'' 'A-recent. emQhas^ i a litup. touch of. humour:—."Lost,"-, grayed, or stolen—An island, a-ppffc^ty , tariippacific island;, fond of. childrciv; to ■ the ,name of, Liiyson," ~'A\,JC^jaVjpm«|nf"jtug'. has searched "for the. lost ;ifllan<|; jiygflln. C,' The , : On September." 28 tho firstiJscjlradrofr bfKtho 'American fleet arrived :at Saniitfraheitepfinnd anchpre;! in "Ma;vof-AVar harbour ■•■:This fleet, for. tho pasfTvoarp haeiljeen cruising in" Oriental waters'-latuH'aißong? tlie American islands in tho - Pacific', having stopped the last mpnth- afedEfemolnlu, where Pearl Harbour is being fortified. Th,o squadron consists of'four arm'e'cUciMiibrs'i-tlibhVest Virginia, Colorado, Maryland, and Pennsylvania —familiarly known as' ir njo"Big Four." It is commanded by.-,ltcar n A<]jntrij| .Janips. H. DaytonJ add is manned,bjypyflr 3f).oft,QUAmerica's best .lighting:: bliie-jnckets-bi'ThcrisWest Virginia, fcher- (lagship.- M' ,jO2ijtii'loup:,n69ift." in'beam; and'has a displacembnt'lof d3jGSO tons. Tho other ships are"'-sTichtl?*'em£ller. .:• ': v ■■' ' ■ .K.-'iK he ,! )\iz-'. Pacific as Commoroial Centrep *? } "'> A' committed of eitiziyis tho Admiral on arrival, and s at';ithe,rwop,tion that 'folloived Congrcssmiin;iJ\])ow]&ndilspoke of tho:coming of .the, JWliLKiScfna'aronvaiid tho expected sailing of) to tho, Pacific as an eyenbof 'Itistiifffml-Qhiport-nnce, inasmuch as it. will "• nh%rk '"fHo'FiK4t- "hsspinbliiy; of the 'ma¥iti/HW 'Sffftripth in Pacific , waters. 1 As;i ; .ni'aft'of J 6f fapf, the coming, of''the fleet is''a';j:n'?% s )"c(sgjfti|!(in by the OoVarnthent of Ameri(i/i!^,']c6iiHnff : cial interests in the Th'q,'cmfim 'ofah'd'commercial i world has ,boep ■•')lo 1 ivly ~,pu6|/s'nrely ... workinK westward,' ,-fprrf''PSl9PJ.p- aj-o,'jj«st beginnina;' to roaliso . T jfch.ig, ~|>jul L . evpnt like tho shifting of sixteen great battleships and eight armouTcd";crmß<?nr will fix the fact ..permanently in mind, Tho.Jap,s-. are, of course, pur rivals, jH'tJ/q'BWjfpa, conynercoj and iinlesswo inipr'oyeioifr posi-tion-in the Pacifrp, these 'JstuiK traders will secure tho; lion's r :'sharp., pfjjtlie o j)usii|css.

Remote from any-khemyp prf m h T' r t -'..V- ,: r ;i^'v -t_ h ■ ■■ Just how far the hostile attitude of Japan towards the United States has moved tho Government to this manoeuvre cannot now bo

stated. I think the commercial roason is by f,ar the stronger. If Japan protests'against tho coming of tho fleet it is because it has somejulterior motive not yet revealed. Japan has no more right to object to tho transfer of tlifl floet from the Atlantic to the Pacific CoasiMian England or France would havetb object'lo the return of the fleet to the Atlan- , tic. j iAS for ourselves, the sailing of tho fleet from/its Atlantic harbour shoulclbe regarded as liijl .evidence of .'peaceful intentions. The fleci'ijmiist be somowhere, it cannot navigate .'thjjlll land, and thero is no place ivliore it can be further from a pqssiblo antagonist than . in the wafers of California. In New York Harbour it if, hardly 2000 miles from the nearest fightiiig n nowoi\ In San Francisco Bay it will bo nearly 5000 miles from trouble. So let the White Squadron sail. The Racial Problem. Since the racial war has shifted from the United States to Canada, Japan lias littlo excuse for further war talk. The racial war i>nas enlarged its .scope also, and now involves atho Hindus and Chinese At Bellingham, in otho State of Washington, 500 whites attacked mud drove several hundred Hindus out of the imines. Tho Hindus have been dropping down from Canada into the United States for. a tlong time, and the Hindu problem is beg.inning to bo acute. But tho'most extensive disturbance so far has been in British Coniffi; hia. .At Vancouver thousands of Chinese nnu Japanese wero driven from their homes, and stops-have been taken to make all Orientals persona npn grata. At Bollingham the attack was started by labouring men, but at Vancouver the animosity against Asiatics is notr confined, to any particular class of citizens. Wo need, not be surprised to hear of. ■rioting in all the cities of thn Pacific Coast, both north and south of the Canadian-boun-dary line. Eastern Canada has, been taken, liowover,, by surprise by the Vancouver riots, and the. English papers that railed against the San Franciscans have, nothing to say of the present case—except to charge tho rioting to the Americans. / ; Mr. Dooley's Opinion.

. Racial antipathy is, of course, at tho bottom of it all, but tho white man, whothorhe lives in Canada or the' United States or New Zealand,-will never consont to- isolate an'.Asiatic raco within the mass of his people. "I suppose th , : truth is," as Mr.yDoolcy says, "that ye can't take a rule an', draw a red line acrost a map an- 'make much' diff'rince be-" twoen th 'people on wan side or'another iv' th' lino. If people lived on maps 't-wiid lir» 'aisy-i But they don't. I wuddn't'Ayanfc to be a. Caniicon,, though 'tis a pleasant counthray they live in. • But yo xuddn't pick out a frim anny other kind iv an American. They look like us, they use th' samo kind of moiioy, an' they talk almost as: good English as we do. They ain't-anny rale diff'rince between th' American Americans who fought th' Japs at San Francisco an' th'' Cnnajeen- Americans that fought them at Vancouver." ■ ' ' ' - '■■ ■ ■