Speaker 1: Chapter forty eight of Philip Drew, Administrator by Edward House.
Speaker 1: This LibriVox recording is in the public domain, recorded by
Speaker 1: the Progressing America Project, Chapter forty eight an international coalition.
Speaker 1: Busy as General Drew had been rehabilitating domestic affairs, he
Speaker 1: never for a moment neglected the foreign situation. He felt
Speaker 1: that it was almost providential that he was in a
Speaker 1: position to handle it unhampered, for at no time in
Speaker 1: our history were we in such peril of powerful foreign coalition.
Speaker 1: Immediately after receiving from Selwyn the information concerning the British
Speaker 1: German alliance, he had begun to build as it were,
Speaker 1: a fire behind the British Man Ministry and the result
Speaker 1: was its overthrow. When the English nation began to realize
Speaker 1: that a tentative agreement was being arrived at between their
Speaker 1: country on the one hand, and Germany and Japan on
Speaker 1: the other, with America as its object of attack, there
Speaker 1: was a storm of indignation, and when the new ministry
Speaker 1: was installed, the diplomatic machinery was set to work to
Speaker 1: undo as nearly as could be what their predecessors had accomplished.
Speaker 1: In the meantime, Drew negotiated with them to the end
Speaker 1: that England and America were to join hands in a
Speaker 1: worldwide policy of peace and commercial freedom. According to Drew's plan,
Speaker 1: disarmaments were to be made to an appreciable degree, custom
Speaker 1: barriers were to be torn down, zones of influence clearly defined,
Speaker 1: and an era of friendly commercial rivalry established. It was
Speaker 1: agreed that America should approach Germany and Japan in furtherance
Speaker 1: of this plan, and when their consent was obtained, the
Speaker 1: rest would follow. Drew worked along these lines with both
Speaker 1: nations using consummate tact and skill. Both Germany and Japan
Speaker 1: were offended at the English change of front and were
Speaker 1: ready to listen to other proposals to them. He opened
Speaker 1: up a wide vista of commercial and territorial expansion, or
Speaker 1: at least its equivalent. Germany was to have the freest
Speaker 1: commercial access to South America, and she was invited to
Speaker 1: develop those countries both with German colonists and German capital.
Speaker 1: There was to be no coercion of the governments or
Speaker 1: political control in that territory. But on the other hand,
Speaker 1: the United States undertook that there should be no laws
Speaker 1: enacted by them to restrain trade, and that the rights
Speaker 1: of foreigner should have the fullest protection. Drew also undertook
Speaker 1: the responsibility of promising that there should be no favoritism
Speaker 1: shown by the South and Central American governments, but that
Speaker 1: native and aliens should stand alike before the law so
Speaker 1: far as property rights were concerned. Germany was to have
Speaker 1: a freer hand in the countries lying southeast of her
Speaker 1: and in Asia Minor. It was not intended that she
Speaker 1: should absorb them or infringe upon the rights as nations,
Speaker 1: but her sphere of influence was to be extended over them,
Speaker 1: much the same as ours was over South America. While
Speaker 1: England was not to be restricted in her trade relations
Speaker 1: with those countries, still she was neither to encourage immigration
Speaker 1: there nor induce capital to exploit their resources. Africa and
Speaker 1: her own colonies were to be her special fields of endeavor.
Speaker 1: In consideration of the United States lifting practically all custom
Speaker 1: barriers and agreeing to keep out of the Eastern Hemisphere,
Speaker 1: upholding with her peace and commercial freedom of the world
Speaker 1: and of the United States. Recognizing the necessity of her
Speaker 1: supremacy on the seas, England, after having obtained the consent
Speaker 1: of Canada, agreed to relinquish her own sphere of political
Speaker 1: influence over the dominion, and let her come under that
Speaker 1: of the United States. Canada was willing that this situation
Speaker 1: should be brought about, for her trade conditions had become
Speaker 1: interwoven with those of the United States, and the people
Speaker 1: of the two countries freely intermingled. Besides, since Drew had
Speaker 1: reconstructed the laws and constitution of the Big Republic, they
Speaker 1: were more in harmony with the Canadian institutions than before.
Speaker 1: Except that the United States were not to appoint a
Speaker 1: governor general. The Republic's relations with Canada were to be
Speaker 1: much the same as those between herself and the mother country.
Speaker 1: The American flag, the American destiny, and hers were to
Speaker 1: be interwoven through the coming ages. In relinquishing this most
Speaker 1: perfect jewel in her imperial crown, England suffered no financial loss,
Speaker 1: for Canada had long ceased to be a source of revenue,
Speaker 1: and under the new order of things, the trade relations
Speaker 1: between the two would be increased rather than diminished. The
Speaker 1: only wrench was departing with so splendid a province throughout
Speaker 1: which that noble insignia of British supremacy, the Cross of
Speaker 1: Saint George, would be forever furled. Administrator Drew's negotiations with
Speaker 1: Japan were no less successful than those with England. He
Speaker 1: first established cordial relations with her by announcing the intention
Speaker 1: of the United States to give the Philippines their independence
Speaker 1: under the protection of Japan, reserving for America and the
Speaker 1: rest of the world the freest of trade relations with
Speaker 1: the islands. Japan and China were to have all Eastern
Speaker 1: Asia as their sphere of influence, and if it pleased
Speaker 1: them to drive Russia back into Europe, no one would interfere.
Speaker 1: That great giant had not yet discarded the ways and
Speaker 1: habits of medievalism. Her people were not being educated, and
Speaker 1: she indicated no intention of preparing them for the responsibilities
Speaker 1: of self government to which they were entitled. Sometimes, in
Speaker 1: his day dreams, Drew thought of Russia in its vastness,
Speaker 1: of the ignorance and hopeless outlook of the people, and
Speaker 1: wondered when her deliverance would come. There was he knew,
Speaker 1: great work for some one to do in that despotic land.
Speaker 1: Thus Drew had formulated and put in motion an international policy, which,
Speaker 1: if adhered to in good faith, would bring about the
Speaker 1: comity of nations, a lasting and beneficent peace and the
Speaker 1: acceptance of the principle of the brotherhood of man. End
Speaker 1: of chapter forty eight,