Birmingham state herald., 1896-01-19
LANGUAGE OF THE CABLE Surmises Concerning the Flying
 Squadron. NOTHING DEFINITE KNOWN New Monreeism Means a Conflict With Great
 Britain,
AT LEAST so SAYS THE SPEAKER
The Governor of British Guiana Will Cast a Glance at the Boundary Line-Polit- ical Honeymoon of France and
 England.

: London, Jan 1S.-Though the destina- tlon of the flying squadron cannot be definitely known until it is nearing the point fixed by the sealed orders under which 1t sails, 1t is an accepted fact among the officers of the squadron that it's course will be towards the West In- dies Some inkling of Rear Admiral Dale's instructions has certainly trans pired. Report says that the fleet will proceed either to Bridgetown, Barbadoes. or Port of Spain, island of Trinidad, which lies directly north of Venezuela.
 The officials at the admiralty, when questioned on. the subject, protest that they are in entire ignorance of where the squadron will be sent but it can be stated that within the admiralty circles it is taken that as it has been decided to send the vessels to the southwest, their course will be somewhere near Venezuela. The squadron is commissond for three years, and 1t Is not intended that it shall be stationed long at any one point. As the trouble over the emperors attitude on the Transvaal question appears to have been placated, the conservative papers no longer associate the flying squadron with a demonstration against Germany, and they carefully avoid using the word demonstration" in connection with the dispute Wltn tHe OIuleu 0tdleS, WHICH dispute has again become the leading anxiety.
 The Speaker says:
 If the congress indorses the new Mon roeism and the United States govern ment demands Great Britain's accept ance thereof, 1t would be equivalent to declaring war, for Great Britain could never submit to make a virtual surren- der of her possessions in America until she had exhausted all her resources of re- sistance.
 The St. James Gazette says:
 If the Americans insist upon the new Monroe doctrine, rendering the United States the absolute and irresponsible ar bitter of affairs on the continent, one third of which is British what can be done? Great Britain cannot avert the consequences by yielding The issue of peace or war lies with the Americans, not us It is misleading optimism to pre- tend anything else.
 Sir Augustua Hemming, the new gov ernor of British Guiana, will sail for Georgetown on February 26. He will be authorized to negotiate with Venezuela for settlement of the boundary dispute if the latter assents to treat with him. There is reason to state that prior to his arrival at Georgetown overtures will be made through the Brazilian government to the government at Caracas, which it is expected will bring Sir Augustus In di- rect communication with the Venezuelan
 
 the Venezuelan consulate here in matters of diplomacy, so the consulate of course knows nothing officially of what is going on. Nevertheless it can be stated on good authority that Lord Salisbury is en- deavoring through neutral power to re- g. direct negotiations with Venezuela. and will propose the appointment of joint commission to delimit the frontier. Should this commission fail to reach complete agreement the points in dispute will he referred f0 third power for de cision.
 Until the government shall be able to announce in the queens speech, which will be read at the opening of the com- ing session of parliament. that there Is definite prospect of the difficulty with the United States being arranged, the question of arbitration will be the lead ing amendment to the address in reply to the speech. As a large section of the conservatives coincide with the liberals regarding arbitration, the ministers will have to be provided with satisfactory leg islations of the whole course of their deal- ings with the government at Washington or risk a division which, despite their majority, will shake the position of the government. The sending of the flying squadron to the West Indies will not strengthen public confidence in Prime Minister Salisbury. The report that the squadron will go either to Barbadoes or Trinidad seems so contrary to prudence that outside of naval circles 1t is re- ceived with incredulty. The service pa- pers make no mention of the destination of the fleet.
 The Army and Navy Gazette cautiously explains that the flying squadron Is not intended for the Cape of Good Hope nor the far east, nor is it, whatever danger threatens, to be sent around the world to act as re-enfercement to the squads- rons already in the Mediterranean or elsewhere. The latest report from Ports mouth Is that the squadron will leave Spithead on Tuesday next for Perehaven. and will probably proceed thence to Gi- braltar, where it will await further or ders. It is questioned by some whether the government has yet decided upon the squadron's objective point. and the opin- ion Is held In some quarters that having rushed it's concentration to soothe the country during the anti-German fever, the main purpose has been served, and the squadron can now patrol the seas waiting. for events that may transpire anywhere. The abundant talk of an Anglo French alliance is based solely on the agreement recently signed by Great Britain and France relative to the partition of Siam. The fate of the weak republics in the western hemisphere, If they are not pro- tected by the United States. can be seen in this spoilation of a wealthy but defense less country. Under the new convention France acquires the whole western val ley of the Mekong river and part of the edStcTH tdltey oA tAS uPpSi MChoiiS, of which territory comprises the richest of the Siamese provinces. England takes the territory west of the Menan valley and absorbs the Malay peninsula ga that the Indian empire will extend in an un- broken line from BeIoochistan to the Straits settlements France wanted to seize Bangkok, the Siameee capital which would have completely put an end to the kingdom of Siam. but England ob- jected. Siam proper will now, be con fined to the valley of The Menan. Neit1h- CT power can allege the slightest. reason for their breaking up of q great state Slam was progressing in civilization and