The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1891-11-22
FOREIGN DIPLOMACY.
The Mission Of De Giers to France
British Political Moves.

NEW YORK, Nov. 21.-The Tribune s
special correspondent at London cables the
following: The visit of Nj. de Giers to
Paris Of course means business at it IS
impossible to know with precision what tho
business is, the field for conjecture is Wide.
1t becomes the happy hunting ground of the
European journals, and coniectures are il
Vulnerable. The French themselves believe
firmly that the Russian Foreign Minister Is
in the French capital In order TO sign and
seal treaty between France and Russia.
and that this treaty can be nothing less
than treaty of offensive and defensive
alliance. If there were any basis probatfo
for view so extreme as this 1t might gals
strength from the strenuous efforts made 70
discredit II. Whatever the French press
and the French people may wish, the Frenell
Foreign Office is conducted with discretion.
Ribot has no desire that things should Cone
out prematurely, or that England or Ger
many should exaggerate the Importance o.
meaning OF De Giers' visit.
When French Minister desires to throh
dust in the eyes of the public he has many
means at his command. One that he uses
most frequently is perhaps the Times 81
London, whose Paris CORRESPONDENT sends a
telegram column and half long to prove
that this visit has no important Significance
at all. He would have the world believe
that IL De Giers has any object, 1t Is 10 act
as mediator between France and Italy. II
Is certainly the first time In diplomatic his
tory that, such a part has been played by q
Foreign Minister of Russia.
So weary are the English of the Irish
question that leading Tory cries out In
anguish that its own Government seems
smtten with blindness, almost resembling
the blindness Of the Stuarts to facts so
patent that any child would understand
them. The whole duty Of the political maR
and especially Minister, Is, in its view. 80
trump the Gladstonjan trick. Hodge-tha
British agricultural laborer-has got the
power TO turn this Minister out or keep him
in, and Hodge must be made to see that Il
will pay him better to keep Lord Salisbury
in than TO bring Gladstone back. Such are
the practices which are now advocated in
the highest quarters. The appeal to selfish
ness Is as strong on one side as on the other.
Ihe London worm, in the person OF The
London taxpayer, is trying to turn. There
has been protest against being trodden en-.
They baye formed Defense League. the
object Of which they declare to be to resist
exorbitant taxation and to protect the inter
eats of the London rats-payers, irrespective
of party politics. 1t sounds like the New
York revolt against Tammany twenty years
ago. The Tamrlany OF London comprises
two bodies: the London County Council and
the London School Board. They are both
entitled to an apology for this comparison of
Is corrupt. Nobody steals. There is 40
contract or ether job for the benefit of the
bosses. There are, indeed, no bosses. no
boodlers. Yet the result Is to the tax-paye er
much the same. They are both spendthri1ts
| both Of them squander vast sums of put,iic
| money with the best intentions. Neitherioi
| them seems TO have in its collective capacity
| much notion OF economy or sound finance.
The Times has not yet thought fit tt offer
| an apology TO Admiral Brown for accusing
| him OF acting as a spy to Senor Balmacedi
1t published a leading article on Monday
on the relations between Chile and the
| United States and itself. From this article
it appears that Admiral Browns denia: is
| good enough for Chileans, hut not ga
enough to justify the Times in expressing
| regret for the calumny OF its correspondent,
which 1t adopted editorially. Yet IL is in
| this country customary to offer, voluntarily,
some adequate amends for an unfounded
| accusation. 1t may be regretted that the
| leading journal, which departed from this
custom in ParnelPs case, should now feel
| bound by the precedent it then established
and established for itself only. 1t is OF the
| oplUl0n. moreover, that we have taken un-
| kindly its good advice on Chilean matters.
| Its advice has consisted Tor most part in inl-
| putatlons OF an offensive character and we
| are now reprOached with our senstiyeness
| to these imputatlODs. l. may be that Mr..
| Monitor is right, and that we should dc
| better to Eat them with the contempt they
| deserve. he correspondent who tele.
gTaphed these stories from Chile Is not,
learn, the same who served this journal during
the Revolution, but his successor, being the
third who has had that post since the
Chilean troubles began.