OUR AMERICAN LETTER.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 145, 13 March 1908, Page 4

OUR AMERICAN LETTER.

THE RA'pljfic GRUISE. ' ' ), '■ -v.. , ; GREAT BRITAIN. , ; j On, January"; 12 thq' ; American -fleet of.,sis;teen .battleships, entered tho port of Rio I Janeiro after. S piss&'gi). from Port of Spain, of 'moro than three date the fleet; had 'covered about -ItiOO liitlos, about oiio third the fdistance .tprSan ;Erancisco..

:Anvflitj, to• Monroelsnv/; . : . a brilliant 1 re-' .'bay ' a. ' fletjt. joftlihree^crmS^.- 1 in'et t -and welcomed tlie inofficials extendedtft' ofeqprs and -;men..lii / tho" • har'bbur, thousands-.of -boats' surrounded 'the, fleet. ißaiids played: and whistles blew. It was tho antention'.:;o£',-«I.V. Brazilians -to make- tho visit •of vthe fleet tho occasion of marked; attention to : :;'al}'Amoricans. Tho ; show of friendliness could hardly be surpassed. Visits were exchanged bbtweeri the Americari Admiral with captains of all the. battleships and the Brazil■ian Minister of jMa|i]ie-!.r |rA recoption a£.Petropblis,;.the homo of tho Diplomat-is;. Corps/, teonty-two' miles from the ■capital,'.'was given by President Penna. The iAmoncan Ainba'ssador, Mr. Irving;.®.'.Dujllby, gave .ij of the visitors, ■to iwliich; ! course; ! all tho high officials, of, ;.tho Government,-:werb,..'invited.:, Tho papers jpublished accounts ,of the fleet' and tho long ivbyago;-.. It-4s,^said."that, a.' heartier or more !spontancou'^M(ircßm'^'U r as-never- to {the rcpres(?M'®M#any '-nation'than tho jono' givenxthus - to Jihe/Aiji'orieans'. • !••• Messages of•WdMnSat cordial nature wero lexch'anaed.vbotweiou,tlio / Pr'esidents of the twoißfcifabli&: /'ln rtpiy to"a congratulatory disjp'ateh from' Prcsidenj. :v 'Pehna', 'President 'Roosovelt said .that the American fleet existted only to resist :figgrbSsi6n''and pre'voht 1 opipfossion, and that so far. as! Brazil was conicerned 1 tho'lhstftP'bf-%aK was a"fleet'"of friendjship., In vitiw r pf the;.Japanese;-situation tho. Imentioii.fif .'is considered' imipoctant: ' ■ • • '' ' ' | "Undoubtedly one result of this voyage along tth'e"'sliores;bf tho, South American "lands will ■:be; to strengthen ; ; tho Monroe-doctrine arid ithc alliance; betweejuajl tho Republics of the <Now-"World.* A.Jready. the.fleet-lias won one /commercial (inasmuch ; as in . ! cbmmomoratio'n'-o'f-tlio''visitj, reduced the improducts,by.. TH'e: rebato;; affects wheat, ifloijr; •'tond'Srised'' mill?; rubber- goods, var'nishes,:: typewriters, pianos,' scales;' and wind!mills.; • ...^^ ' •'"Tlio tifn'o ( for the cultivation; of the.. South 'America .beipgnitaugEt itt t |the,jmain''by (Germans. : : Gerr; Jmahs. brganised-.tho',Southern, armies ! aiid .■Jn.avjDj taught -in .jdl thoVschools.' .It is a •fact "that yAmericrJi countries .'maif-'^'dint^'i'f s 'Vieiv'^dbminato,.'tho'. training. 'Suclt'(i;4iold^-is;, 'deeper .and-'more lasting .than l jany..; territorial, possession.- ....f ... . j;.,

• ; ■ . I-.-IRoosevelt and.the Republics. • . Dr. Rowe, of, the IJuivorgity. of Pennsylvania, lias recdntly concluded a tour of a :year and a.halfiin-wb'ich lVe investigated the socii}l apd : -,pp]iticaly t conditions-" of.' • South ;A"mericaii.:,countries..;Plans are .on', foot to 'ntakp real;tHo intellectual -phase of the'Mon(roe ..'doctrine. , The announcement of these ;plan's. happens to coincide with the sailing of ■tho 'fleet lii Southern waters; To Dr. Rowe iiljqosevelt.i sent, tile, following; Jet;.theresults pf/'tho' [Profepgor*s,i iplii'-j-r 'ly-'vi-''-V-,-y • .y . • . "My Dear DrVj-Rowei^llliavja been.,deeply' ! interested ; .'with you the results !of .y'iSiFinii 'South 1 America, .and the ivariotis : :p]ansySurtiifyein[ mild'for. fostering, jclgs'ejp ■ rolatidps *: betwop'n [.thp ;iiortheni isections of the' coil; jaddition-tp, the. friendly relations' oxisting be- | tiveen tho' governments of the - American 'Re-, •publics closo personal -ties should be formed ibotweon the leaders.of; thought in these Re•p'uhliqsjj : ~§uch ~personal relation's;'strongly. jten';d'jrJ'Oijdcstrby i -'^ih'g/JFqblish , vpro]\idice¥ l : aiid knojvle4go-jof ;nng.:'.another. a..;}■:y; : i "in ■ tliiS fiWestemv Heniisphero each f of,'our - Republics-: caii;both ; learn; arid , ; teach.' ,wlibn brought/into .touch with [her, sister .Republics'. I knQV//:of:.iia':aeeaidos 'botter adnpted;.to the ;acpomplishnfMi:jof](.this'Vgre'at: purpose -'sthan tho-i.'UnifrorsrtieS 'V :>American,•'•cgnti-InofltJ.-There are' Many economic," -'social,.-and industrial . to' speak of others are distinctively Amwncftn ;)ir < -thai : actar' .and . continontal -in de.nj'syfndi : inKfistiga;tors; : ■!pxperiohce ! 7;of" : tliis hemisphere can *bo'vl>f6uglit, to bear- on tlieso problems and their successful solution .thereb'y;.rOTdar^nlorb.iprpbablo'; i : /p ) flsiie. l v : thq'uglit 'and; actionthus;aroused will :.also. serve, a larger patriotic service more and more closely, all the,. j)6oples. of this ,Western Hemisphere. <"<l*^lioartily : : wish : lill success to : this movement." '. . 1 ;. ■. •

•The Japanese Situation."'' MD£/; .V .:> :V- ---; : Nothing'-'-on- Japanese .situation.-has . app,(^^-,V?vj4h-/'anytMng. liko. the, importance ) of the utterance "of Justice, Harlan, {of .the United c Statos, Supreme Court,.- and' re-, ig'arded\as^^rl) J / foremost/jurist in this country'^Jn;. ait; address V to'tho Nayy .t'eaguo; ■ predicted' that within t-en' : y,e;vrsj;^^S!t(); : tho doath' between the whito.ahd-!|Mgtoitc6s'for standing room on - tho Cartli'%aged.%;lt\' was his opinioii flia't':ifc'j®&!jn,ext'', japan will •drill fivo ; f then , order Jace jout Orient. I j This wis sj|idprofaco* 'fo" 'his desiro !to see the;"natal!force of' j the - county.;^^^aM;v,he-.;w j quld v;voto fifty i millions the upj b'uilding ' 'THoro v is'- xio such I tiling," h*e(^ia;^'ira'"fneridsh'ip'.- between naItions. The: respect -England and; Germany {have for , us 7 defends,, on ;tho belief wo, can ; take V,'cara. of, ouVselvM.::; I -.ivish to seo- our, stt'ation on earth would • tni7iiP r fo?fa fr m?fm6ris. o'f, ,entering < into ' a- con- . r Th're;" : the : Eastorn, ' peoples,'; seems,' something■ ,;neSr, 'a ; gßOation; , In-this' country, •tfe do: not , take-alarm,'at'the development |pr tliero .is" up lack 1 (i(f'»i'alaVmiSfcs for." : ins'tane'e;[Lucie'n Millevoyo, -a\{ncmber - of Hlie French I.Qhamber of Depiitipv.jln an article publisha prominent ' Paris - journal, M., Mille\Tpjro. calls upon' Great 1 Britain "and -''France topiintex.veiip_jii :_thi -"American-Japaneso crisis'', before it is" too,: lato.CHo. says that; : Great by. Franco,* holds j tho key to" tm-aituatidii,'' but: says that tho '-difficulty ono 'is ablo to fathom i tho. .British; Government. I.- M. -^responsibility' for : J»;-the'' door of Great says;;.'nia(je : :i" "come- ' tcry and asks' if .Great Brijtain "orgy;iof' Wood | which tfift^rf^j^fcTworld' shuddor;" Co.ijtinning, M.'„- Milleyiyo. ■ 'argues tliat Great {Britain may bcliove she" can rule tho Far iE|s(i -iipou the .pins, of Japan and Amor{ida/'But .-he _ contends that Jf.sho does hold j this- conviction slip is playing with firo, as ■ a war mjght; a.rpiifse the-Asiatics 'from the •liidus He insist# that- tho, -in-. jtorcsts - of'"Buro'pd;"• both economic and political, lib'KwjtliHno'.United States. -"To-mor-IroWi'Mie consUdes,;Vmay'bo too lato/, .Tho jtimo ifoiv,,arbitration,-,has., arrived. If ,the ;Govorniliife'nts at London and Paris postpono 'conciliatory''propositions'-it may cost both of jthem'iloah" ? i-' -i: : :.IniißorJin-'ytho-jftoxtitwo.months are .regardled as constituting afcritical period., 'flf they ipass," says a loading journal, "without a 'break the. poun^rie?.Kill enter upon a safer 'agyc'oment." ■' Tho "Marino Itunds--•chau," tho principal naval magazino of Gertmany, says: —"If war does not como between i tho Union may. ithaiik the preppuderajico of its' ,fleet for, the jrfiaintenarice of police. ~ This fleet is sufli[ciently strong-4fl*,rostrairi Japan from tho I hazard of war.'W ■_ ! , ; Charles DilKe, is an interview, expressed nis opinion thoroVw'Puld'bo no war'betwocn Japan and the United States. "Why

should there bo?" he asks; "you cannot havo war unless one sides w\ints it. ,What possibly could bo gained by war? Japan is supposed to covet the Philippines, but sho lias not digested tho slioo of Manchuria that the-Russo-Japanese, war gave lier, nor has she,ovon settled Formosa." Immigration Restrictions.

• Japaii: began the new year by turning over a now leaf, so to speak. The hist official act of the] Government in li'o7 was to dispatch a 'memorandum on the immigration question -to .-.the American Embassy. This is taken to ho significant of a desiro on tho part of tho Government to begin tho year 1908 under hotter auspices. An. official'said to a member of the American staff"Wo have every reason to believe that the details of our administration and future control of the emigration question will be satisfactory to tho American Government. President Roosevelt wanted us to act promptly, and our mentor-', antlum. is the result of much careful work and investigation.; While doubtless changes will be made before the matter is finally disposed of,] wo are. of the opinion that the last official act of 1907 will make tho dawn of 1908 brighter in both, countries'." ' The details of this memorandum, have not been'-.mado. public, but'it is believed that Japan intends •to meet tho ' requirements of ■ the United States. in respect to tho immigration of coolies. If tho Japanese succeed in stopping undesirable immigration inti this, country, ;action looking towards actual suppression .by the.. American Government may. bo avoided. If tlnp influx continues in its present volume an exclusion law will bo passed .by Congress, and this would he taken as an offenco to Japanese dignity and might lead: to worse, complications. ./ , -Rodolplie Lomicux,- Canada's ■ representative to Japan, said recently, in reference to the talk, of war:,"ln Japan it is not taken Financially they are in a poor .condition,' and they are all for peace." Ho reported his own mission to Japan as successful iii its results, and-that immigration to Cdnada would be restricted.

r' However, all is not well in British Columbia. At Vancouvor a band of' Japanese attacked, several city firemen and slashed them fearfully .yith' long knives. ' From Vancouver,'also'is reported a movement of Japahomeward since'' the" sailing of tho American flcot to . Pacific waters. Apparently an ordor. has come for the return of the soldiers .who after the Russian war came iii groat numbers to Canada and the Pacific States. On' the Pacific coast tho; general opinion is that an Asiatic conflict .will como sooner or later, and nobody seems' to care much if it come "sooner." '

It is pertinent'to ask Australia and New 'Zealand on which side they would bo-in the 'ovent of. a gigantic conflict'in 'the .Pacific between the white and yellow, races. ,Which is'stronger: your connection wi'tli'.the,Mother Country or your thought for your own safety ? England .may yet , extricate .herself from what to - an outsider /seenis ito" be a, false position,.but in the event of dissension I predict the ■formation of tho .White Loaguo.of the Pacific for defensivo purposes. If England maintains the present' treaty,, thep Germany will be found on the sido of the Americans against •'tho'.'allied'.forces.of England 'and Japan.