New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-03-25

and the French refusal - Ufd' .""'
Joint responsibility o: rule-neVe' a. Old! VIII.
r,gland would no.ihave been glad 10 get ou- u
Eryp, II she could The obl'gatio'ns 'she nan "'-
cepted bound her 20 the banks OF the'N''' INV
goes on in Cairo and elsewhere one '''
cabal against English rule. !heie may ~ o.
explosion AZ any moment. 1he'' ar 80
explosions All moments the 'n@' u"'N
r.., "a u.ba, an Eog,ishtFore.gn minister has -
be ready for.
q,,roa crises % the grayest character navo oc-
currel during The last eighpen months. m'each
one the enemies Of EnGand.on the Mic hav' had
the AID OF the enemies Of EnglaW-that Is O.
any bu; q Little England-on the banks 'of the
Thames Europe looks on With CURIOSITY 20 see
bov =, such circumstances an English Foreign
Minis.ar deports himself. II vas seen that l'rd
poscbarv supported Lord Cromea 10 nc fu".
Turkey was suen. France angry no European
Power helpful. and from none was help asked.
1,,, rho crisis was always dispose1,Of. More than
that 1, was. disposed Of with little help from MS
colleagues with little support dromhhem IN Far
uaroan, or in the country. IT was ,he country
itself which sIpportcd him. MrlGlad%ones par
,i,utv f,r Frame and strange belief in French
friendship for England indispOsed him To take
strong line IN Egypt in opposition 10 france
Ia snake with more voices than one. Latteriy
his view stiffened and once ats least he commit
tod himself 70 the policy Of occupation. But
more than once before he hadsused language OF
a very embarrassing kind.
There is a story on this point which IS proDa-
bly, true. but prefer to leave the responsibility
for It with the French paper in which II irSl
saw the light Mr. Gladstone had snade one of
those speeches on Egypt with which for time he
used to rekindle French hopes of seeing England
evacuate that country. NJ. Wadhngtoh 'heh
French Ambassador in London, besook himself
to the Foreign Office next day had his AUDIENCE
and expressed to Lord Rosebery his hope mat
now at last the moment had come when England
would give effect to her pledges 10 leave Egypt
He asked Lord ROsebery If he was able 10 give
him any more explicit assurances than those
contained in Mr.. Gladstone's gratifying speech
Of the dav before Lord Rosebery replied that he
c,uId return no answer to NJ Waddington's ques-
ton. because he had not had time TO read the
Prime Minister'S speech. This story is contained
in one Of VI. Waddirgton's dispatches. 1t dis
PEELED once for all any lingering doubt as L"
whether Lord Rosebery or Mr.. Gladstone was
Foreign Minister Here or in America the anec-
dote might make no strong impression But on
the Continent. where strict notions OF admins
trative hierarchy prevail. it was accepted as "A
revelation and made Lord Rosebery stronger
than ever.
There have been other difficulties with France;
one. at least. which was quite serious enough.
There were difficulties with Russia. There
was the Franco-Siamese question. There
were African questions. Uganda above all As
one after the other arose, the ChanceIleries Of
Europe were the qui vive to See whether Lord
Rosebery really had that free hand for which
1, .n IN stimulated They
in each case t. the conclusion that h. had. Il
finally ceased t. BE- a question. It came to be I'M
ders,ood that 50 long as Lord Rosebery remained
at the Foreign Office. the foreign policy of Eng
land remained in his hands. II was seen. also,
that though his predictions. or rather cpnvic-
lions were known TO be on the side of the Triple
Alliance he held the balance even. II III" mo-
inent came. he might probably side with Ger
many against France. but he was not the man -
take a premature step or TO show his hand till
he was ready TO play 1t. After some months the
impression he made abroad was decisive. Eng
land had had no Minister. since Palmerston who
was 50 much respected. BY the friends Of Eng
land-she has none too many-he was liked ana
trusted. BY her enemies he was dreaded. Hy
both ne was regarded a strong. patient,
adrot inhexible Minister.
In the English Foreign Office Lord Rosebcry
made his mark from the beginning II his first
tenure Of office in 1856 He mastered the bust
ness. He grasped the points. lie inspired the
Permanent Chiefs with respect Men who had
grown gray in the service said that his minutes
the dispatches were such the Oldest and
abest Minister might have penned He took
command Of his department. The rule is that
the Department takes command Of the Minister.
l will add one other thing based on the testi-
mony Of half dozen men in the Foreign Office
in various positions They agreed in saying that
from the heads Of the great departments into
which the Foreign Office is divided down to the
portels and messenger boys. there was no one
who did not deporc Lord ROsebery's depart ure
There elsewhere he made himself something
more than liked: the feeling for him and
| is one Of affection. G.. W. <