 |
| Walter Wellman. |
Cortland
Evening Standard, Friday, July 16, 1897.
ALL HUNGRY FOR TRADE.
The
Struggle Among Great Nations of the Earth.
WHY
GERMANY FEELS UNFRIENDLY.
Colonization
Policies Are Mere Public Subsidies For Trade—The Monroe Doctrine and Interference
With Germany's Ambitious Plans—A Grave Question of Policy.
WASHINGTON. July 16.—(Special.)—The attitude
of the German emperor and of the inspired German press concerning the foreign
policy of the United States, as reported by cable, has attracted wide attention
in Washington. Emperor William is represented as saying that the danger to the
peace of Europe lies not in anarchy, nor in the ambitions of sovereigns, but in
the aggressiveness of the United States. At first it was doubted if Emperor
William had said any such thing. Members of the Washington cabinet scouted the
idea when the report was first made public, but later, when it became known
that the German newspapers which usually represent the government's views were
talking in the same strain, our public men pricked up their ears and said there
might be something in this sudden turn of Germany against the United States.
For some time the relations between Germany
as a government and this country have been rather unpleasant. The commercial
war, the high tariff on this side, German exclusion of our meat products, the
German charge that this country had acted in bad faith, really violating the treaty
by refusal to abate the tax on German bounty paid beet sugar, the life
insurance trouble, in which Germany sought to restrict the operations of
American life insurance companies in that country—all these things have
combined to produce a great deal of unpleasant feeling. Between the people of
the two countries, of course, there are warm ties, because such a large and
welcome part of our population is of German blood, but just now the German press
is filled with abuse of the United States. Nothing that is done in our country pleases
our critics across the water.
Germany's
Designs.
Germany, I am told by state department officials,
feels much piqued because the United States proposes to go ahead with the
annexation of Hawaii. The Germans have interests in Hawaii, and they are
cultivating trade in that direction. They little relish the thought that all
this is to come under the control of the United States. It may not be that
Germany has had designs of her own upon the Sandwich group, but it is certain
that if the Hawaiians had ever proposed annexation to fatherland there would
have been no delay in acceptance at Berlin. German politicians are represented
as very angry because the United States proposes to interfere in Cuba. If Spain
finds any ally in Europe, it must be in Germany. No one here believes Germany
will ever do anything more than to give a sort of diplomatic support to Spain.
Of course if the United States and Spain come to blows, as it is not impossible
they will, and Germany were to take sides with force against us, that would
create a most serious situation. Probably that would lead also to England's
intervention on our side, and thus a great European war might be brought on,
but it is highly improbable.
Feelers
For Commerce.
German dislike for the United States is a
commercial pain. The expressions of the emperor and of his organs indicate
unerringly that Germany fears American competition. The whole incident serves to
emphasize the fact that today all the nations of the world—the great nations—are
engaged in a fierce struggle for commercial and political power. They are all
land hungry, all trade hungry. Their colonization policies, backed up by great fleets
and armies, are mere public subsidies for trade. They are feelers for commerce thrown
out by the mighty arm of the state. Four-fifths of all their diplomacy and of
all their armament on sea and land have special reference to their colonial policies.
Without their colonies, which mean markets, England would sink to a fourth rate
power, Germany to a second rate, and France would lose prestige almost in like
proportion. They are all struggling to widen these markets and to keep them for
their very own.
If the United States awakens to a
realization of the fact that in this day and generation the nation which stands
still really goes backward, and that unless we stand out for our proper share
of this commercial and political power we shall be in danger of retrogression,
perhaps the words of Emperor William will be in some measure justified, but he
is wrong in supposing, if he does suppose, that this country has any designs
upon the peace of Europe. We have nothing to do with the politics or policies
of Europe save as they involve America.
If this country goes in for colonization or for spreading its prestige through
annexation in Hawaii or protectoracy in Cuba, as we are very likely to do during
the coming few years, all our efforts will be confined to the American hemisphere.
The
Monroe Doctrine.
Added to it is another American policy, now
well known the world over, the Monroe doctrine. Under it the United States assumes
responsibility as the first of western powers. In the family of nations upon this
continent we are easily the most powerful, and power means leadership and
responsibility. We should be foolish to incur responsibility under the Monroe
doctrine without accepting its natural incident, and its incident is an
extension of our prestige and our commerce throughout all America. If this
interferes with Germany's ambitious plans in Hawaii or Cuba, or Central or
South America, we cannot help it. Germany and the other great powers of Europe
have overrun Africa and Asia and Australasia, they have reached out into the
South Pacific and grabbed nearly everything in sight, and they surely should be
willing to give the United States a little room for growth within our own
neighborhood and upon the continent which our civilization so thoroughly
dominates.
I met the other day an old student of international
affairs, a man of great experience and reputation, who predicted to me that the
next great war in which the United States engages will be fought over the
Monroe doctrine. Its issue will be whether that doctrine shall stand and so
much of America as is unable to govern itself properly shall fall under the
stars and stripes, or whether this continent will become subject to further
European colonization. Upon the determination of this question, said he,
depends whether or not the United States is going to be the first nation of the
world or a second rate power.
PAGE TWO—EDITORIALS.
Consistent
at Least.
Russia's position relative to the Turkish question
has been more consistent throughout than that of any of the other great powers
of Europe. When Greece first proposed to annex Crete, the csar was the first to
say "Don't."
When the
disappointed Greeks urged their government to make war upon
Turkey,
Russia advised them to abstain from such a conflict, warning them that they
would lose by it. For this the csar was most cordially abused by all Greek
sympathizers, and he was openly charged with being in secret league with the
sultan.
But events have proved that the Russian
ruler was right, and he is now engaged in proving that his accusers were wrong.
He is saying to the Turks in reference to Thessaly just what he said to the
Greeks regarding Crete, and his "Don't" is likely to have more weight
than all the protests of the other powers combined. No one doubts that Russia has taken a position against
the dismemberment of Greece because it is to Russia's interests to prevent such
dismemberment, but at the same time the consistency of that government's course
throughout the entire series cannot well be denied.
A NEW
PROJECT.
ELECTRIC
RAILROAD THROUGH THE OTSELIC VALLEY.
From
Binghamton to Georgetown, a Distance of Fifty Miles. Erie Railroad Company
Said to Have Eyes on the Route—Plenty of Water at Willet.
In these days of advanced civilization, it
seems too bad that the beautiful Otselic valley should not have some railroad connection
with the outside world. In that valley, nearly fifty miles in length, lies some
of the most fertile farms of which the great state of New York can boast, and
the residents also are among the most industrious and thrifty to be found. But
the one drawback of this fertile and productive section has been the lack of
railroad connection. The farmers are compelled to haul their produce overland,
many of them ten and fifteen miles to reach a railroad. The merchants doing
business in the beautiful and flourishing villages which are scattered on
either side of the Otselic river are compelled to haul their wares from a
distance.
But a new project has been brought to light,
which will, if carried to completion, give this valley such a boom as was never
known, and place it on an equal with the rest of the world. This is the construction
of an electric railroad from Binghamton to Georgetown, Madison county, a
distance of about fifty miles, and it is stated on good authority that the
owners of the New York, Lake Erie & Western railroad are about to consider
such a project, or may have already given the matter their attention. It is a
fact that one of the officials of the road who knows of the valley and its
resources is favorably impressed with the scheme.
The proposed line would of necessity
parallel the D., L. & W. R. R. from Binghamton to Whitney Point, where it
would turn to the northeast and follow the Otselic river, passing through Upper
Lisle, Willet, Cincinnatus, Taylor, Pitcher, North Pitcher, South Otselic, and
terminating at Georgetown, Madison county, a station on the Chenango Valley
branch of the West Shore railroad. The project carries with it the suggestion
of the utilization of water power at Willet and at Pitcher which could be
secured at a nominal sum. In the hills east of Willet are two large reservoirs which
are always well filled by streams. and from them the fall is so great that the
power would, it is thought, be sufficient to run all the machinery necessary for
the generating of the electricity needed for the line. At Pitcher also,
considerable power might be obtained from the falls in the Otselic river.
This line would open up a section of country
unbounded in resources, and it is estimated would receive the traffic incident to
an area of 600 square miles, and would prove to the Erie road a feeder of
inestimable value. The residents along the line of the proposed road are said
to be highly enthused over the prospects of a road, for they only can realize
how great the benefit would be to them.
If this is done it will probably end all
prospects of either a steam or electric road from Cortland to Cincinnatus. Now
is the time for some grand hustling on the part of the promoters of the Erie &
Central N. Y. R. R., for if the latter should be built the electric line scheme
from Binghamton would probably fall through and Cortland would be the gainer
thereby.
4,000,000
Tons of Rain.
During the afternoon shower at Rochester last
Sunday the rainfall was 3.35 inches. The Rochester papers figure the weight of
the rain in that city alone to have been 4,000,000 tons. Forty cars of the
Rochester Street Railway company were hauled into the barns for repairs after
the shower. The lightning would travel along the trolley wires and burn out the
motors or brush holders, making it impossible for the cars to proceed. A car on
the Allen-st. line was thrown off the track and badly damaged.
Adjudged
Insane.
Miss Almira Carlow, a resident of Texas
Valley, 78 years of age, was examined yesterday by Drs. Dana and Bennett of
Cortland, and was declared insane. Today County Judge J. E. Eggleston made an
order committing her to the Binghamton state hospital, and she will probably be
taken there to-morrow. She was at one time about a dozen years ago an inmate of
the asylum at Utica.
 |
| Cortland Park. |
BREVITIES.
—New display advertisements to-day are—A. S.
Burgess, Hot Weather Goods, page 4 .
—Admission to all parts of the park tomorrow
on the occasion of the annual picnic of St. Mary's church will be free.
—The Sunday-school of the First M. E. church
is picnicking at the park to-day. Some went over this morning to remain all day
and others went this afternoon.
—A load of hay at Willow Glen was set on
fire and burned up the other day and it is supposed that the fire was caused by
a wheel rubbing on an iron on part of the hay rack.
—There
will be a band concert at the park to-morrow night at 7:30 o'clock.
Dancing
will occur in the pavilion after the show and music will be furnished by McDermott's
full orchestra. The dancing will be free.
—When the Auburn baseball team wins a game
the dailies of that city devote about two columns to the account of the
contest. When their club is defeated three or four inches suffice to tell the tale.—Moravia
Republican.
Elm
Stump.
ELM STUMP, July 14.—Mr. and Mrs. Henry Hakes
of Cortland were guests of Mr. and Mrs. George Sherman over Sunday.
Miss Lynch of the Cortland Fair store was a
guest of Mr. and Mrs. Emmett Lang over Sunday.
Miss Lena Price, who has been seriously ill with
appendicitis, is improving under the skillful direction of Dr. F. D. Reese of Cortland.
Mr. and Mrs. Earl Johnson of Marathon are
helping Mr. and Mrs. Jay Wooden through haying and harvesting.
Miss Ida Livermore of Cortland was a guest at
Mr. Charles Stoddard's yesterday.
Mr. David Ross of Cortland has engaged to
help Mr. Irving Price through
Haying and
harvesting.
Miss Jennie Corwin, Miss Gertrude Doherty
and Mr. Wilbur Corwin of Cortland called at Miss Lena Price's last evening.
Mr. Robert Adams of Virgil has been engaged
to help the Misses Coligan through haying and harvesting.
No comments:
Post a Comment