The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1887-05-07 00:00:00

....
tile Co.

thus commanae, t,
and public. The wan..
several Colonies have been ao.,
thziir various representatives, their ra.—
meents have been listened to with respect by
her Majesty's Ministers, and all friends of
the Empire are hoping that the result will
be an oven closer cementing of the already
cordial relations between every one of the
British Colonies and the State from which
they sprang. Now our Australian Colonies
feel very strongly upon the New Hebrides
qustion, and hence it is that Monday night s
debate in the Lord's tbereanent has an inter-
est and importance which the casual reader
may be apt to underrate. The thousands of
miles of ocean which stretch between Britain
and Australasia made one liable to forget
the details of matters there which, if
neglected, may one day bring us a grievous
awakening. Dominating, so to speak, the
north of Australia, and stretching from Java
eastward far into the Pacific, there is a
scattered but very considerable island chain.
Passing the more extensive islands on the
Asiatic side, where Spanish and Dutch
authorities are established in amicable re-
lationship to our people, we come to New
Guinea, where the British Government has
made a somewhat feeble sort of an arrange-
ment with Germany. The Solomon Islands
-next lengthen out the chain to the New
Hebrides, which finally stretches right past
the French possessions at Tahiti. These
islands, it ought not to be forgotten, are the
places from which the chief portion of the
trade—now greatly grown between Aus-
tralia on the one hand, and our Indian
Empire and China on the other—not to speak
of places to the north, to the west, and to
the east will be carried on Anything
affecting their pacific condition or friendli-
ness towards Britain or Australia is hence of
vast importance. rhey are the outposts of
Australian commerce, and therefore of great
value to our Antipodean Colonies, which for
want of railway accommodation find inland
transport of commodities costly and full of
difficulty, and so are looking constantly about
them for island and off.coast trade. If
Australia found itself cut off from these
islands we have spoken of because of some
quarrel of Britain with Germany, with
France, with Spain, or with Holland, the
consequences would be disastrous, and so
severely would the Colonies suffer that it is
not unlikely thatithey might be led to throw
off all allegiance to the Motherland, so as to
avoid identification with the Imperial dis-
pates. Our policy, therefore, should be the
maintenance of a pacific-attitude with other
interested nations as to the affairs of these
islands, and an insistanee upon a respect of
neutrality and of right. Thus we may resist
in a firm and unflinching manner any at-
tempts at annexation likely to lead to diffi-
culty; we may protest against the bellicose
parading of foreign ships of war in the har-
bours of these islands; and we may, in short,
protest in an unmistakeable manner against
any breach of international good faith. At
the same time we should refrain from frivo-
lous intermeddling ; we should see that our
own agents keep their hands clean; and we
need not sail our Pacific . Squadron into dis-
respectful contiguity to the holdings of other
nations. It seems t) us that it would be
well if we could bring about an International
Council of representatives of all the Powers
interested, to place on a proper basis each of
the matters involved in the occupation of
these islands of the Pacific. Thereat it
should be examined what rights of owner-
ship the dominant countries have, disputed
points should be settled, and a cole of agree
tn nt subscribed to b:u ling all the s;gnatory
States. I hen the vexed questions 01 the
New Hebrides and the contiguous islands
would be solved satisfactorily, once and for
all, and we should have no danger of rupture
with France or any other country on the one
1 and, or estrangement from Australia 011 the
other.

COMMENTS ON CURRENT NEW*
Tag Royal Academy is open, with the
prelude of the big banquet at Burlington
l]fouse, partaken of by a most select rep-, -
o,,t,,tive oona?any of celebrities. The iieir-
Aypirvulkt the Primo Milliliter! the Head 4