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Show AS A DEFENSIVE MEASURE. The New York Sun suggests an alliance with Great Britain, a limited alliance like that between Japan and Breat Britain, which guarantees help when either power is attacked by two or more enemies, by the other, the idea of the Sun being that with such alliance, the immense sums spent annually on the navies of the respective countries, coun-tries, could be very greatly reduced. In the course of its argument the Sun mentions the possibility pos-sibility of a combined attack by Great Britain, France and Germany upon the United States to do away with the Monroe Doctrine, which this country insists must be maintained. The Sun affects to believe that such an attack will be made before the close of this century, when the population of Europe becomes more dense. When Diaz first became President of Mexico he invited foreigners to settle in his country, promising them protection of life and property. The result has been that $600,000,000 of American money has been invested there, and so many Americans have gone there that were Mexico to become involved in war, those Americans would become a bulwark to the country. The Secretary of the Navy asked for an appropriation appro-priation of ?113,000,000 for use In his department this year. This, if granted, will involve a large sum annually to keep the ships that are to be finished and the other ships that are to be launched, in commission. The expenditure is necessary, for our navy must be kept as effective as is that of Germany. But three years of such expenditures would build 10,000 miles of railroad in South America, and with those roads built in the right direction by Americans, the menace that comes in maintaining main-taining the Monroe Doctrine would pass away, and the co.st of maintaining our navy could be so much reduced that the whole sum could be saved In six years. With the roads American a constant stream of young Americans would follow the building, and in twenty-five years they would in great measure shape tho policies of those South American states. Then In the event of a war they would do their part. It would open an Immense field for the restless rest-less spirits in our country. Brazil alone is as large as the United States, and has vastly more natural resources. Eastern Jolivla is perhaps the richest rich-est mineral region in the world. The rich agricultural agri-cultural area of South America is double that of our own country. |
