ANGLO-AMERICAN QUESTIONS.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 5462, 14 January 1896, Page 4

ANGLO-AMERICAN QUESTIONS.

POSSIBILITIES OF TROUBLE. . AN INTERVIEW]; The conflict of interests that has. arisen between England and, the United. : States over the -Venezuelan frontier question, and the possibility of warlike trouble ensuing over. the question, makes it important that we should understand the prevailing sentiment of Americans on the subject of the Monroe doctrine and the. aggression of European Powers on the American continent. The presence in Christchurch of Mr P. S. Cassidy, of the NewTdrk Mercury, was therefore taken advantage of by a representative of this joxu-nal in order to obtain from an American citizen of long-standing and accurate knowledge of public affairs, a statement of the attitude and feeling of the United States public with regard to the Venezuelan dispute arid other questions now engaging attention. Mr Cassidy, who has just arrived in the colony by the Monowai, was found at Warnen's Hotel, and being an experienced journalist and a courteous gentleman,, gracefully submitted to the ordeal of interviewing. - .VENEZUELA. In reply to a question as to American feeling on the. Venezuelan dispute, Mr Cassidy said: The feeling is very strong and emphatic ; and I have noticed that the Press of New 'Zealand, though very bright and clever, has not fully grasped the American point of view of that question. The intelligent, thinking citizen of the pitted States looks .upon the Venezuelan question as involving the, great fundamental principle or Iriw.' of self-preservjktibn. ' Rightly or wrongly, the American regards the aim. of England to be ultimately the domination, if not the actual ownership, 6f Central America. If she were allowed io do as she pleases in Venezuela, it would not be long before the Orinoco— one of the five great river systems of the American Continents-would be under English swajp.: She already has one of these; the St Law*: rence, and if she is allowed to extend her territory in South America, the United States would be hemmed in between vast British territories, amounting" almost to kingdoms. As a matter of fact, Sir John Macdonald, the father of Canadian federation, had intended to call it the Kingdom of Canada, and add " Queenof Canada " jbo Victoria's title, but. the idea was abandoned. . There is no sentimental feeling in the United States towards the Venezuelans ; the attitude is based upon the strong conviction that the United States must take the lead in protecting the freedom of tie Continent. If England were allowed to deprive Venezuela of the Orinoco Basin, she "might next, on the same excuse of, boundary dispute, encroach on Brazil and finally obtain control of the vast valley jof the Amazon. The boundaries' 1 between British -Guiana and Brazil are almost as vague as the Venezuelan boundary—-suffi-ciently vague, at least, to give an excuse for demanding others. In the same way, England might- absorb Honduras, Guatemala and Yucatan, starting on her boundary disputes from Belize. Thus the. American, looking into the future, sees a great monarchical power built up southof him, while to the north he has already Sir John Macdonald's Kingdom of Canada. There . hire . other . colonising Powers in Europe," suet as: Germany , and -Italy, who njjghtjseize upon olbher parts of South Amenca/le^^ing the United States the only Republic ,on /the 'Continent. '; It is in \this. way 'that 'the exclusion of European Powera from further hold ' on America becomes! a, question of self preservation to the United states. '.■'.; : V : . ■'; ... '■;■.■ , \ . ' \ . THE MONROE DOCTRINE.. \ ■ The people of the United States, Mr Cassidy thinks, have made up thejir minds absolutely that the declaration of policy, initiated by President Monroe must ibe, enforced under all circumstances and at all hazards; They- regard that doctrine 'as, being as sacred.^as the Declaration ;6f Independence: itself, and that in' fact it ( is.the.corpllary or supplement to that Declara-. ytioiai, as in its enforcement lies the preservation ■ of ; the .liberty which they have, /obtained. :. The, policy of the United States is to : enter into no entangling alliances with other nations, and ;to carry out" this policy 'she neither ■ colonifees j nor. annexes territory. She declined in the days of President Grant to annex San Domingo, and she. declines at present^to annex.Hawaii. - If Hawaii made application to be taken , in as a State of the American Union the case would Ibe different, but the matter would require very serious consideration. As for Lord Salisbury's contention that England held the disputed territory before the Monroe doctrine was promulgated, and that the question should not, therefore, be" subject of arbitration, Mr Cassidy thinks it^ utterly untenable. George Bancroft, the historian, .< has told how England made, application five or' six times to have the boundary of. the Oregon territory fixed by , arbitration, thus setting a precedent which, she cannot now' consistently ignore. If England is building upon the belief that the United States would* not go to war to maintain the Monroe declaration of policy, she is vastly and very grievously in error. TVXMi THERE BE WAR?. 1 As to the probability of a collision between England . and 'Venezuela, : : >which should lead to decisive action being taken by the -, United : States, Mr' Cassidy's opinion is 'thatHhere will be no outbreak of actual Taostilities at present. He be-, lieves ttiat England will- in time s£'e her way to submit the matter to arbitration. If she has a good cause she need npt fear to do so, and her continued and fifcal 1 refusal would be taken by America, and perhaps by other nations, as being [due to a consciousness of having a bad \- cause and that she depended solely upon the weakness of Venezuela to carry out her intentions; Being reminded of the threatening aspect of affairs at present— the arming and the English Cabinet considering the situation — Mr Cassidy said the question of whether war could now "be^averted; rested "entirely with "England. If England took the onerous responsibility of precipitating a war; and if she were to land troops in British Guiana to assist the colonists' thei y e against Venezuela, then the United States could take such action in no other .sense than as a deliberate manifestation of unfriendliness j and it was to be, feared that popular opinion in the United States would force the authorities to an acceptance of the challenge. President Cleveland has thrown all the responsibility of such a.conflict upon England. In Mr Cassidy's opinion, a war. between England and the United States would be one of , the greatest crimes of this or any other century. It would be a horrible outrage on civilisation; and he firmly believes that the good sense of the thinking people on both sides will avert such a deplorable event. THE BOUNDARY COMMISSION. In the meantime, it would be only coiu'teous for the British Government to stay action pending the report' of .the Commission appointed to report on the boundary question, chiefly as .to whether or not it comes within the scope of the Monroe declaration of policy. If President' Cleveland had not appointed that Commission, and thereby cut off the agitation in the House of Representatives, there was a probability that the House might have made a declaration of war. Cleveland thus did a great service to humanity and civilisation. No matter what may be the personality of the man who . occupies the Presidential chair, the people of America reßpect him and his official acts, and tliat was the reason why President;

Cleveland's appointment of the Commission had quieted down the rising feeling that had been excited. The Commissioners chosen are honourable men who have the respect of the American, people. , The London Times had adversely: criticised one of the Commissioners, Mr P. R. Coudert, of New York, but Mr Cassidy, speaking from personal knowledge of that gentleman, warmly eulogised his ability and uprightness, and said that any words he might have used in the course of a post-prandial oration would not disqualify him for the performance of a duty that involved justice and right. THE POLITICAL ASPECT. According to Mr Cassidy's view, there is no truth in the statement that the recent warlike agitation in the United States was got up to serve the ends of the Democratic party. There could be no idea of it helping the re-election of President Cleveland, •because he has had two terms of office, and he knows that no man can have a "third term" until the United States have forgotten George Washington. Whatever tali there may have been of Mr Cleveland running for a third term can only, have been midsummer holiday-idle gossip. Even General Grant, with many circumstances in his favour, got only some 350 votes out of the whole Eepublican Convention when proposed for a third term in the Republican interest. That settled the third term question for another century. The feeling in the United States with regard to the Monroe doctrine was common to both political parties. No doubt the Republican Party would make use of the President's action to help themselves. TheHonThomasßead, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Major . M'Kinley, Governor of Ohio/and the other prominent leaders who are candidates for the Presidential nomination on their party ticket, are well known to be intensely 'American in the matter of the Monroe doctrine, and are notoriously devoid of any friendly feeling towards England. The Republican Party now controls the House of Representatives, and it is not the President, but the House, which has the power to declare war. All Mr Cleveland's, actions in this matter show him to be a friend of peace and a statesman of the highest type. ! THE IBISH ELEMENT. Some English and colonial newspapers are fond of writing of "the noisy Irish crowd" in America, and of asserting that American politicians are always panderMg to "the Irish vote." Mr Cassidy says such statements present an erroneous view of the facts. The Irish are undoubtedly very popular with the Americans, and they become better citizens of the Republic than any other nationality. The people of the United States feel that the only European Powers they are ever likely to have trouble with are Germany and England; and while .they could not depend upon the German population of the States in the event of war with the Vaterland, they know that citizens of Irish descent dould be relied upon in any troubled That is one of the reasons why, when any Irish, question came up, such as Home Rule, the American people, born in the country, and attached to the soil for generations, take the greatest interest in it, attend meetings and subscribe their money on behalf of it. Their Legislatures pass resolutions, and their public, officials appear on platforms in favour, of ,any movement that looks to the enlargement of the liberties of Irishmen at Home. . ■ '. ' \ : . ■ ' ■ ".. / '■'■. '. '■'':■■'■/ THE' CXTB4N' EEVOLT. ' ' V/:j In reply to^a question as to \ whether there" was active sympathy in the United; States with- the '■■ Cuban :■: rebels, Mr Cassidy. : said;thefeeMg'was'stro%lym favour of: the Cubans, as it'would be in the caseiof any people who were struggling to establish a free and representative government.' There is no racial or other interest in "the; matter ; it is simply that America, being the leading Republic in the world, desires the establishment of as many republics i as: possible everywhere. International law has, however, been strictly enforced, 'and \ parties 1 "of men attempting to leave the . United States to join the Cuban rebels have been prevented by the authorities. If the revolutionary forces were to get possession of Havana, or to establish themselves, firmly in "any seaport where they could hold communication with the outside •world, there is scarcely any doubt that they wjOl be granted belligerent rights by the United States. As things how stand; their, position would not seem to justify such recognition. Cuba, like Hawaii, • might .apply to be received as a State of the American Union, and auch an application j possibly would be the outcome of the Venezuelan question. The present Venezuelan situation resembled that which arose when Texas was set upon "by Mexico over the Rio Grande' question, and beingf unable to defend herself applied and was admitted as a State of the Union. NICAEAQTTA. The question of the bearing of the Nicaragua Canal ' upon the international relations of the United States having been raised, Mr Caspidy said the American people believed that unless they had complete'control" of that projected' water-way between the Atlantic and the Pacific, the enforcement of the Monroe principle would be a source of difficulty and very heavy expense to tie United States, even necessitating'the maintenance of a large standing^ army and navy, and with a constant possibility >of war; The American Company . that holds the concession from the Nicaragiian Government has spent nine millions of dollars on the work, and the concession runs another year. In the meantime, an American commission of engineers will thoroughly investigate the feasibility of the project, and if their report is favourable, there can be no doubt that the United States Government will guarantee the canal bonds to a value sufficient to finish the work. The extreme estimate of the cost is 110,000,000, dols, and if the American people continue to hold that the control of the canal is. necessary to the maintenance of the Monroe policy they will not hesitate for a moment about guaranteeing that sum, as it would be a trifling amount compared with what might have to be expended afterwards in complications 'with England or other Powers. : Mr Cassidy does nofcthihk that the sentiment of kinship would do much to restrain the American people from fighting England: if ■■ occasion demanded it. There is, so to speak, no English blood in the i United States, compared with Irish, German and other anti-English elements. The descendants of the early English settlers have their prejudices fostered by memories of the war of independence; the children learn their history at school, and the prei sent generation have not forgotten -the Alabama and other incidents of the civil war. Some • general conversation on other topics igjjesed a very interesting interview that • helped to throw much light on American politics.