New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-08-17
THE NEWS OF EUROPE.
MR.. BIAINE'S BEHRING SEA POLICY AS
SAILED BY THE BRITISH PRESS.

NIX. BlAINES ',Ih CAiNA @hS-
SAILED BY THE BRITISH PRESS.
CONDEMNATION OF THE AMERICAN SILVER ACT
EXTRAORDINARY SPEECH OF THE GERMAN
EMpERoR-PRINCE BISMARCK AND HIS
INTERVIEwERS - END OF THE
STRIKE IN SOUTH WALES.
tBY CABLE TO THE rAIBUNE.I
Copwight; 1890 By The Ne,c- York Tribune
London. Aug. l6-The publication of the Beh-
ring Sea correspondence is followed by two so
norous blasts on two British trumpets Inc
Tines and The Standard" both proclaim to the
universe that Great Britain is entirely right ana
the United States entirely wrong In this dihcuio
controversy Both pour out scorn on MI Blame
The Standard" attributes to the American Gov
ernment political motives in dealing WIN te
diplomatic question, and declares the lrish III
America TO be at the bottom of what trouble
there is But for the Irish, America wouid ao"n-
don "pretcnsions without a shred Of plausiblity'
If that be not a sufficient explanation oi MI
Blaine's conduct his extraordinary devotlon 10
the interests Of the Alaska Commercial Company
supplies what is wanting Our Tory friend is
not less positive on the merits of the quarrel -
its OWN word Mr.. Blaincs dispatch is loftliy
described as ill-tempered Lord Salisbury dlssects
and refutes it to the complete satisfaction OF the
Tory mind, which pronounces the British case
unanswerabe. and fondly believes Americans Will
think so too when they take the trouble 10 mas
ter the facts and arguments The thun-
ders in which Mr. Blaine has been deal
ing are of the most transparently artificial kind
He has done worse than manufacture artlhclal
thunders He has met the protests OF the Eng
lsh Government first with neglect; and then with
evasion and promises that have been given ana
not kept Whitehall, therefore, claims dam
ages for "a culpable invasion of the rights oil
british subjects and. on the whole, the matter
us not one that friends of the goodwill between
the two nations can view without misgivlng, "a
tame conclusion to all these rattling thunders,
artificial or otherwise. The Times is rather
more temperate in tone, with exceptions, as when
a. declares that "hc conduct of the United States
Government in rejecting Sir Julian Pauncefo'e'S
modus yivendi, in instructing United States
cruisers 10 dismantlc vessels found in Behrlng
Sea and in breaking off negotiations evinces an
arbitrarness and contempt for reason happily
rare in international relations at the present day
Mr. Blaine's contention with reference to the
Adams dispatch, resisting the Russian clalhis 10
exclusive jurisdiction Of the same sea, Is hahded
in not less decisive a tone. Mr.. Bhines argu-
ment consists of painful manipulation OF 'he
meanings of words 1t is incOmprehenslble now
a dipomatist of his acuteness and experience
could have allowed himself to advance theory
which unlike most diplomatic arguments. could
be and has been almost mathematically demon
strated to be false" The other morning J0urhalS
are silent.
The British Foreign Office has chosen moment
for publishing this correspondence which gives 1t
the last word The Blue Book ends with LORD
Salisbury's dispatch of August ?. The frime
Minister. as if content with this final perform
ance, has gone to La Bourboule. in France ior
rest and cure
The coming into force of the Silver Act was
saluted by q strong article in wednesday
Times" Like nearly every financial authority
in this country, that journal thinks the present
silver policy Of America mistake and describes
the Act as one which compels the United States
Government 10 buy certain commodity ana 10
hold it. issuing meantime to the sellers warrants
which the public are compelled TO receive as
money" The motive for passing the Act Is
believed to he not wholly financial, but poh'-
ical also THE Congressman and Senators who
represent the silver States were sufficiently NUM-"
Gus 10 make the threat Of secession from the
Republican party formidable to the political wire
pullers" Again: What carried the Silver Din
was not general belief that it was states
manlike treatment of the coinage question: or
even a hazy idea that somehow or other the
people would be supplied by it with
cheap money. The power that forced II through
Copgress in the teeth of the opposition
If nine-tenths Of the business community
was the determination the part of u silver
producers that the Nation should buy what they
have to SELL coupled with the fear of the Repub-
hcan party lest it should lose the next Presidential
election" The effect II the Act is then con-
sidered "Our own view has always been that
the rise in tie price of silver would be pretty
rapd and this has proved 10 be the case. lheTc
will probably be a pause when the price Las
reached "a or 80 pence per ounce lhe Treas
ury adds this writer is at the mercy OF the holders
OF metal, whether producers or spectators, pro-
yided they combine. Never in the history Of the
world has any Government been placed In a
similar condition. In the long run, moreover The
demand must increase the supply. New mines VIII
be opened and the new supplies Will reduce the
price. Nobody say what amount of silver
notes the American people Will require or accept
for business purposes. Bat it is certain that OF
the various kinds Of currency now in existence
some will before long be redundant. If the new
silver notes are rejected there must be fall in
silver But we inclined to think the dis
carded medium Of exchange will be gold in other
words that the United States will eventually
adopt silver as its standard" The United States,
that is, TO place themselves outside Of the
financial pale, AMI to he at the financial mercy Of
countries with gold standard.
The debate the Anglo French agreement
touching Zanzibar, Madagascar. and North At
rica was remarkable for nothing so much as
the tone of contempt in which Lord Salisbury
referred TO his North African concessions. To
France his description of the Desert of Sahara
as a territory of which the soil was in agrcult-
ura phrase, very light, irritated the Parisians
whose appreciation of English humor is iinper-
feet. They rejoincd bitterly, for they seemed
to rejoice in this treaty as a kind Of announce
,nent TO Enrorr that France after all can still