Mr. Blaine has taken another step in his policy of
placing all South America under the protectorate of the United States. According to a telegram from Buenos Apes to the Times, for the accuracy of which the sender vouches in an unusual way, Admiral Walker, acting as the agent of the American Govern- ment, has pledged it to protect the Argentine Republic in case of boundary questions either with Brazil or Chili, and in case the European Governments attempt to prevent or punish a decree of repudiation. Mr. Blaine at first asked in return that the Argentine Republic should place its fleet at the dis- posal of the Union ; but this " reciprocity " claim was abandoned, and the agreement now remains the one-sided one we have described. There is very little in the story except evidence of Mr. Blaine's large schemes. It was always certain that the United States would try to prevent the invasion of any American State by a European Power, but the Senate would not sign a treaty yielding the Union no advantage in return for an onerous obligation. The Washington Govern- ment, moreover, has never yet interfered in any inter-State
quarrel in South America, nor if it did so could it hope to secure the protectorate of the continent. Admiral Walker, as we pre- sume from the telegram, has been talking, probably after some banquet; but the step between that and a formal treaty which must be kept is a very long one. It is not particularly pro- bable, either, that even a South American Government, before it had repudiated, would publicly provide against the inter- national consequences of repudiation.
