New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-03-13
LORD SALISBURY'S WAY.
HIS LOVE OF CONTROVERSY SHOWN IN THE
BEURING SEA NEGOTIATIONS
/. FIRM FRONT on THE PART OF THE UNITED
STATES ALI, THAT IS NEEDFUL FOR
SETTLEMENT WARNlN0 ~
CANApA-BRITIsH LACK OF
INTEREST IN THE
tnY CABLE TO THE TRISUNr.

, prcttv intimate acquaintance with them pS 'iiS
time Bit the tclecrams tell lie Mr. Blalhc Is H.
and one goes - far ~ TO say that MT ""'i'o"
dspatch of March was, as ma''er VI Il" -
written By the President. whoever Wro'c IT. '
,or. ~ il is excellent and the dispatch, so FAR as
its contents arc made public here IS Ju'' ""'''
opobt 70 he addressed TO Lord Salisbury.
The Foreign Minister of Great Brltah = uie-
nutant and p very able ono. lie has passion
for controversy. possibly hcca'lS" aware 81 ~, o""
cxnertness in controversy subject like brhrihG
Sea with its varied historical, legal. diplomatic
and to some extent personal, ntricacics. snits nm
rntirelv we'll. He revels in it. lie VIII go on
ayguing with compiacency till the last seal IN tIe
ycmotest waters of the Pacific has been siaugh-
tered by his maraudng clients from 'ahaoa' i'v W
will do it, that is if he is allowed lie wiz
agree to nothing from which Inc can pi'u'i"H
dissent His refusal to extend or 10 rene" '''o
modus vivendi is only his way OF expressing '''
pleasure in continued correspondence WIZ" 0
State Department at Washington lie l. "'''
10 take a distinction between the orc"inS'
in which the former mOdus was aSrced To ''i' wv
circumstances under which its renewal i P'O-
posed The pleasure Of taking IT out"ei@hN ,"''
considerations of commOnsensc and ol lh'ern"'i'"'
comfy which ought to govern the cohducl VI
responsible Minister 1t is an exercise ID ol''c''o'
which he cannot forcgo.
The proposal which he makes IN r''"i"' ~.
thirty-mic line. and the limit OF "oooo Se'''
;r,ido II ;s prcno.tcrous. and he probably knows
il TO Re pnpoStcrous. 1t ~ based We "i' " ~
,bc recommendation of the British Coumlss""erS
,y1 :, rood relations between England ana
America are TO depend on the Judgment, sense am
l.nowIedge OF Sir George BaGcn-PoweN, th"y VIII
not in the opinion OF those VINO kho" h''"
host last lonc Sir George ba> cNCeiient lh'eh-
rons and traly British inc"paclty "t Seeihs
any fact OF forming any opinion except IRON
purely British point OF view lie took out VIII
him a large stock Of ineladcable preJudiees, anu
has added to them in Canada and elsewhere lhe'e
could not be a worse adviser Tor purposes Oh an
amicable settlement 81 question IN when iaf-c
business interests are concerned ard large spirit
il needed both sides.
Lord Salisbury Is mislel in Other ways ana J.;
other people than this crooked commissioner
The English Foreign Office IS in respects tie
best served in Europe. IL receives with Ic-u'dr'}
and uses with Intelligence much information when
other Foreign Offices do not receive at all, or rc-
ccive in imperfect form. All the gossip OF wash
ippton il pioeon-holed in Downing Street. livery
street-car story about the relations between thc
President and Mr.. Blaine. every tale winch passes
current in the diplomatic circles at The oapiai' an
the tattle of doorkeepers at the Department, al
the tea-table talk, all the embroidery OF iact'
dne to the invcntiveness Of the feminine mind
these and many other things are TRANSMITTED 10
london. and are read. sorted, docketed minuted
and submitted in their most condensed anu MS
chicvous form 70 Lord Salisbury lie excursions
OF the American newspapers into the not always
familiar domains OF diplomacy are followed with
equal attention. In short whatever passes Ir
America, whatever is said or done. especially by
na,tisan epemie. Of the Government, tending Ia
dscredit the Government or TO weaken ITS case, is
known i'm london. Some Of it comes, as l have
often had 20 say. by cable. II is all taken INTO
account in forming judgment upon tDc ac's
and official declarations Of the Government. Inc
Foreign Minister of Great Britain counts upon en-
barrassments Of the American G0vcinment nv
Americans upon that division OF opinion winch
we express so freely in print. IL is al. 30 much
ammunition 10 HIM
IL is the Democrats, and that haser form or
Democrat known as the Mugwump. ~ho are at
,bi, moment Lord Sasbury's best allies. II is
they who stand between the American Governments
and that settlement 10 which it is entitled, that
agreement which the Government has done It's Mt
most 70 bring about Lord Salisbury. dispatant
as he is is a disputant only to a certain point So
dong Us he feels that he has friends in the other
camp he will risk something: 50 long as he
knows the American Government 20 he hampcrcd
by the American position, be viii continue hie
own: so long as be secs that the wish TO score
a point for the coming Presidential election Is
stronger with the Democrats than the wish 70
strengthen the Government against England,
he will continue correspond 10 coqnct, TO IN
vent new difficulties, and 10 eXpcnd lis mex
haustible intellectual dexterty in proracting ne
Qotiations that ought long since to have come to
an end.
&c IN, lcor lnr1 Sal
mind of all Tire diplomatic cobwebs in which his
natural sense is cnmeshcd. | know Of no other
way 10 do it than for the President 10 put his
foot down to make up his mind what he VIII
concede and no more and TO say so. This he
seems in great measure To have done in the dis
patch of March s. For my part. us one VINO
wishes for peace hope he will not recede an
inch believe the demand for renewal of the
Inodus vivendi is regarded here, by those who
really understand the points, as Just. can
imagine that even Lord Salisbury in his cooler
moments, perceives it TO DE just. and that ne will
I've disposed to yield TO it he 10 convinced
that we do rot mean TO depart from it. IL he does
not yield, We have still plain policy before us,
namely to police the seas ourselves.
Something is heard oyer here of Canadian com
plants Of Canadian interests injured or imper-
HE'D and Of Canadian readiness TO bring about as
many brawls she on those Pacific waters,
to pursue her peaching in short TO the bitter end.
IL thought any body in authority in Canada would
listen TO me. / would give MIN a friendly warn
ing: or, if he does moi like the word warning, a
friendly hint. Canada thinks herself irrcsponsi
BILE She is the spoiled child of international poll
tics Again and again las she done acts unfriendy
10 the United States, relying on England TO back
her All that is perfectly understood here. So
far as her policy is comprehended it amuses the
English, who do not all perceive in what grave
perils it may at any moment land them 1t is
perfectly understood by Lord Salisbury. who, of
course, does perceive what it may lead 10. But
Lord Salisbury understands even better that Eng
land has no idea of allowing herself to he led.
I do not say into war, but into false position
With reference TO the United States, in order that
Canada may play at piracy give herself the
rfaanrn of seeming to bully her big neighbOr in