MEXICO AND THE PANAMA CANAL.
(To ME Eii70n or ma "Sracraros.^l SIR,—The present state of chaos in Mexico undoubtedly pro- vides the United States with a very substantial reason for intervention. I am inclined to think, however, that even were Mexico as well governed now as in the days of Porfirio Diaz, the United States would have been bound to assert a virtual protectorate over it on some pretext or other. For bow could they possibly tolerate the existence of a strong -independent nation between themselves and the Panama Canal ? The most elementary military knowledge would show them that their influence must be predominant and unquestioned as far south as the Canal, and, in fact, such extension of their power became a necessity as soon as the cutting of the great water- way was finally decided upon. The intervention of the three South American Republics is not perhaps entirely for peace. On the North American Continent, at any rate, the dominion of the Anglo-Saxon race must be complete and unchallenged, and Canada is quite as much interested in this as the United States themselves. Let Brazil, the Argentine, and Chile confine their efforts to their own half of the New World: there is ample scope there for progress and reform without excursions into territories which are within the geographical sphere of an equally enlightened and equally vigorous race—
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