St. Paul daily globe., 1896-03-04
NATIONAL FLAGS ENTWINED,
WHILE THE AUDIENCE SINGS
"AMERICA" AND GOOD SAVE THE
QUEEN" TOGETHER.
LETTER READ FROM GLADSTONE.
Movement VIII BE Joined, ON an In
ternatiOnal Basis, With the One
Begun In America.

! disappointing from the point of view
of numbers, the audience, which was
not large, being mostly made up of
women. Much enthusiasm was occa-
stoned prior to the arrival Of he speak
| ers for the evening, when the girls who
were to sing in the choir trooped upon
the stage in patches, which were ar
ranged alternately in sashes formed of
the union jacks and the stars and
stripes, until a complete blending of
the flags of the two countries was ef-
fected, intended to be symbolic of inter-
national harmony, which the pro-
moters of the meeting are seeking TO
establish
Before the meeting opened the Or
ganist played Hearts Of Oak" Our
Ships That Sailed" Columbia" and
kindred airs. The choir also sang the
well-known patriotic air, which is to
some extent common to the two coun-
tries, one-half the choir singing my
Country, 'Tis of Thee" and the other
half God Save the Queen" simultane-
ously the audience joining in the dual
anthem.
President James Stansfield presided
over the meeting, and he was supported
by W. T. Stead, Lady Henry Somer-
set, Rt. Hon. A. J. Mundella, Radical
member of parliament for Sheffield;
Prof. James Bryce, Rt. Hon. George
Shaw-Lefevre, Mrs. Hall Caine, Rev.
Hugh Price, the bishop of Rochester,
and others.
Mr.. Stead after the opening of the
meeting, read letters of sympathy with
lord OF the treasury; Mr. Gladstone,
Rt. Hon. Henry Asquith, home secre-
tary in the Liberal government; Mr..
Labouchere, George Meredith, the au-
thor; Henry Norman, who went to
washington on behalf of the Chronicle
at the time the Venezuelan question
was at its acute phase, and who wrote
strongly from there in behalf of in
ternational arbitration. and many
others.
NIX. GLADSTONE'S LETTER.
Mr.. Gladstone wrote. .T am a,oa 4.o4 -
discussion or arbitration is to he senarated
I rom the Venezuelan question upon which 7
oS oS th not feel myself in final and full possession
OF the facts that / should wish NV vieUrS o1
arDltratlon in place of war were gatberod cd
from the part took in the matter OF fhe Az
pauia CLAIMS. l will only add that NV con
anu sentiment the subject orovv ~,
81, sts[ehsth from year 10 year in proportion to
tne growth OF the monstrous and harharonS
~ Imlliltarlsn, III regard to which 7 consider tI -
sponsibility.' SNARE ol re-
MI Baifour wrote my sympathy with tho
OBJECT OF the meeting has been more than
unt expressed IN public, and hope need
Iiot emphasize it. There are no do1ht omec
s tlons that a nation could not permit tn he
settled by any tribunal. But this argument
is is not against arbitration, but against its
rasn ana unconsidered use.'' 80
Ihe letter from George Meredith cold.
Sihce tne Denlgnant conclusion of the great
est OF civil wars, 1 have looked unon the
i1izstion people as the leaders of our civ
ti Ha.ioiI' ana Whatever may be said among
tL' them' am not alarmed by the thought of
s slieir wantonly, willingly or consentinely taxi
ing step to shatter it,
Henry Norman said in his 1ettar. so1rho
americans are practically unanimous for ar
duration on all subjects The overwheImtne o
nfscGa1 HscGPity OF the British are the same Only
oiHclai conservatism blocks the wav Is
tnls the moment to pigeon-hole in the foreien
the United States?" "i1'i
ond SIR ,atd1 John Millars the distinguished artist
ana lately elected president of the Roval
Academy, wrote suggesting that Edwin A
Abbey or John S. Sargent the weII-known
Ne[1can nrasid artists might possibly be some day
cal proof of the art brotherhood of the two
nations e wv
Several letters were heard from Her.
pert Spencer, Holman Hunt Wilson
Barrett the actor; William Watson,
III tlie poet Viscount Peel, eX-speaker of
the mouse of commons; Leonard Court
ney, Alma Tadema, G.. F. Watts. DIR
Parker and several bishops.
Inc reading of these letters elected
vigorous cheers from the audience.
A BLESSING IN DISGUISE.
Sir James Stansfield, the chairman
0Dpnlnp -
were only for the hearing of the letters
the meeting would not have been in
vain. The Venezuela question. he
thought, was blessing in disguise. be-
cause he believed that the result would
be treaty of arbitration William r.
Cremer, ex-member Of parliament, who
visited Washington last year with a
petition In favor of national arbitration
signed by the members of parliament.
related the history of the present move
ment. Mr.. Shaw-Lefevre moved a res
olut1on 1nstructing the chairman to
sign memorial on behalf of the meet
ing to President Cleveland, the Mar
qu1s OF Salisbury and to Mr. Balfour.
urging that the time was opportune to
consider treaty Of arbitration. Mr..
ShaW-LefeVre then made a speech on
the history of the Alabama case and
subsequent cases of arbitration, refer
ring to Americas vigor in negotiating
treaties containing arbitration clauses.
He urged the arbitration of the Vene-
zuelan question without any reserva-
tion whatever. The bishop of Roches-
ter seconded the motion, and Lady Hen
ry Somerset supported it with a de-
nunciation Of war between England
and America. Hall Caine, Rev. Hugh
Price Hughes and others spoke on the
resolution, which was then carried by
acclamation.
Rt Hon. A. J. Mundella then moved
resolution requesting the committee
be convened in a meeting to reconsti-
tute itself on a national basis, with q
view to cooperate with the Washington
movement. Mr. Mundella, in the course
Of his speech, read a telegram of SYM
pathy and accord from America He
urged the Importance of grasping the
hand of fellowship thus extended, and
he advocated the formation of a great
Anglo-American association to promote
the movement and to perpetuate the
principle by means of a permanent
standing committee on both sides Of
the Atlantic.
This was carried unanimously, and
the meeting terminated with the sing
ing Of the national anthem.
III C1I