The Question of the Pacific

In the harbour of Honolulu, aboard theAmerican Battleship 'Pennsylvania,' en route to Australia.June 30.History has a slovenly way of beginning a new question before she has cleared up half-a-dozen old ones. Here we are with the Russian problem as great a problem as ever, and with no definite settlement of the Franco-German difficulties arrived at, yet, lo and behold, there is an inexplicable turmoil in China, and the cruise of the American Fleet to Australia and New Zealand reminds us that there is a Pacific question.'Yes,' says the Labourite, 'there is a Pacific question solely because Washington will not let sleeping dogs lie, but must needs arouse them by letting off her big guns all around the Hawaiian Islands. America has created the Pacific question about which you speak.'Alas, that question existed before the joint manoeuvres began; and to blame America for holding these manoeuvres would lead, logically, to the prohibition of manoeuvres anywhere. America has as much right to hold naval manoeuvres among her own Hawaiian islands as Great Britain has to hold naval manoeuvres off Minorca, which she did some years ago. Moreover, war would not cease if America withdrew from the Pacific altogether and left Honolulu defenceless. Such a scuttle would make war inevitable within a few years unless Washington refused to regard as an unfriendly act the seizure of the Philippines and the Hawaiian islands by Japan. It takes two to make peace, as well as to make a quarrel

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