The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1896-12-06


pected, a denial has followed close
upon the statement published yester-
day morning by the Daily News to the
effect that the six great powers would
shortly consider a project, the OBJECT
of which is the occupation by Russia
of the northeastern corner of Turkey,
formed by the BosDhorus and the
Black sea, to about half way down
the Bosphorus, which, together with
the Dardanelles, will be made entirely
free to the vessels of all nations The
Daily News added that the forts along
the Dardanelles would be dismantled,
and Abdul Hamid would retire from the
SGltanate-
In official quarters here it is declared
that the alleged project is an absurd
fantasma. The foreign Office has hearu
of no such proposal, and officials there
say it is impossible to understand why
a responsible paper should publish such
a statement The truth is that there
is still complete pause in the discus
sion of the question affecting the Oar
danelles. When the matter is reopened
Lord Salisbury will not admit OF any
change in his contention that what
ever rights in the straits nave peen
obtained by Russia must be extended
to all the powers.
WEST INDIES SUGAR.
Since the dispatches of the United
Associated Presses in November an
nounced the beginning of the agitation
in favor of the West Indies sugar IN
dustry the matter has acquired large
political interest in England, and bids
fair TO become an initiative towards re-
vival of protectionism. The commits
sion of inquiry proposed by the gov
eminent is held on all sides as a mere
staving off of subject which de-
mands urgent settlement. In minis
Serial circles the agitation is not at
all relished. The ministers know that
ar increasing body Of their supporters
are eager TO seize the decay of the
colonial sugar industry as leverage to-
ward a revival of protection. Lord
Salisbury, while the last Conservative
gov eminent was in power, declared in
favor of what was termed reciprocity
or some system of cOunteracting duties |
which wouId check the destructive in !
fiuence of foreign bountIes upon the /
colonial produce It will be recollected |
that Lord Pirbright discussed this
question of reciprocity and after long
sittings arrived at no conclusion, giving |
a remote indication of how TO balance
the conflicting interests. Now that the |
foreign bounty system threatens the /
absolute extinction of the colonial Sug- !
ar trade the Conservatives want de- !
cisive legislative action. The predic- /
lions in English free trade quarters |
that the European countries would get /
tired of paying bOunties to give En- I
gland cheap sugar, are proving false. |
The fear now is that once the eXtinc /
ton of British colonial sugar products
is accomplished. the British consumer
viii find hir ar Of con-
tinental rings which will raise prices
at their will. The question has be-
come so acute and interesting with far
reaching possibilities of an alteration
in English commercial policy that the
representative Of the United Associated
Presses has felt it advisable to inter
view some of the chief men concerned
in he agitation. Mr.. T. L. Ohlsen, sec
rotary of the West India committee,
stated that one of the recommendations
OF a government committee was sure
to be the placing of a duty Of 60 per
ton on all foreign sugar imported into
The chief consideration of
the commission would be remedial
measure for the distress in the West
Indies and connected there with the
granting o. imperial loans (adminis-
tered through the local governments on
certain conditions of interest, etc.) to
planters for improving their estates.
The West India committee was in con-
slant communication with their gov
urging it to call a conference,
and had reasonable hopes that the in
fuence Of Mr.. Chamberlain would be
exerted on their behalf The commit
tee was also in communication with
prominent foreign politicians and COM
mercial bodies.
AS TO ANNEXATION.
Regarding the question of the an
of the British West Indies to
hflT mir to he
the planters there was a strong feel ,,
ing that they would be better treated
f absorbed by the United States. Touch {
ing this subject of annexation, Mr..
Neville Lubbock. when interviewed. /
said if the West Indies We're to be {
uined in order that England might ;
AVE her cheap sugar, thereby ieav- !
ng the West Indies to starvation.
here was certain to be much {
letting and bloodshed. The edu- |
ated classes, growers and others,
whose money and interests We're '
n the islands, were nearly all =.
patriotic Englishmen. But there was
Increasing feeling among them that in :
he refusal of England to assist, there :
vas but one alternative, the annexa-
ion of the islands to the United States.
They would prefer to remain English
they could, but not at the cost of ;
financial ruin. The United States would
iON dilCN al liQuSlfy so valuable to | Z
he American people to be DESTROYED i.
nd when the time came for the West
indian colonies of Great Britain To he
AIKEN over by the United States If
ould not be question of purchase bv
he United States, as The colonies
eemed to be worth nothing TO En-
land, who could not offer to sell. b5t a
aust give them to the United States n
Vest Indian sugar entering the United s
tates duty free would suit the Ameri- g
an people and restore the finances of II
he islands to a fiourishing condition ?
'ithin a few years.
LIBERAL LEADERSHIP. y
1t is a pretty well established fact II
lat the question of leadership of the "
liberal party has been settled. Sir %
3illiam Vernon Harcourt is now the -
,cognized chief The English papers. u
ostly Conservative, which predict the
of Lord Rosebery as
ader, are thoroughly at fault. Lord
arlington, who seemed to speak with til
lthority about Lord Rosebery's reas- co
lmDtion, has not only been contra co
cted by Rosebery's intimates but is "
aown 10 have no sanction whatever la
ON his lordship The current stories fe
the English papers, of shortly TO c.
published correspondence between So
arcourt, Roseoery and others. is FIR,
ere conjecture. Throughout Lord m