New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-02-27
Mr. CHAMBERLAIN'S POLICY.
CONDUCTING CRITICAL STATE
AFFAIRS.
London, February !.

vbo has pursued Cecil Rhodes with rancorous
hotred opened the discussion Thursday evening
nv proposing amendment to the address, as
sertlrg that no investigation would be complete
unless II included the financial and political ac-
,on OF the Chartered Company He was in
feeble health. and his speech lacked his usual
fire and force: but he drew an effective parallel
between the Matabee war and Dr. Jemeson's
raid and described the successive South African
raids as inspired and directed by common mo-
tlve--that OF influencing the Stock Exchange
and unloading shares upon credulous investors.
Mr. Arnold Forster supported the amendment
by strong remonstrance against the prostitu-
tjon OF imperial functions 10 the sordid ends OF
stock speculation and avarce Mr.. Chamber
lain spoke for an hour to a crowded House, and
on the following afternoon the debate ended
without a division and with signs of open frater
nlzation between the Liberal leaders and the
I'nionist statesman who has been mainly re-
sponsiblc for the defeat Of Mr. Gladstone's home
rule policy.
This result has been great personal triumph
for the Colonial Secretary achieved at the very
moment when he was convicted of having made
his first serious mistake in publishing prema-
turely his long dispatch to Sir Hercules Robin
son on the future of the Transveal, and thereby
calling out an angry reply from President
KRUGER, coupled with refusal to visit England.
1t was triumph won. moreover. without refu-
tation of the grave accuse tons made by Mr..
Labouchere and Mr.. Arncld-FOrster. Indeed, by
implication Mr.. Chamberlain may be said 70
have confirmed the main proposition. that DR..
Jameson was conducting financial raid In the
interest OF millionaire Spectators. either in the
Rand or on the London Stock Exchange. lie
had taken pains to affirm his belief that neither
h. directors
tered Company nor the Reform Committee OF
Johannesburg had possessed previous knowledge
Of the conspiracy for the invasion of the Rand
As DR. Jameson is not suspected OF being a
speculator himself, this vas tacit ADMISSION
that a small group Of capitalists had invoked MS
aid for financial rather than political purposes.
A BUsINEsSLIKE SPEECH.
Mr. Chamberlain's speech was delivered be-
fore an audience fairly GREATNESS with interest,"
but there was not a rhetorical passage IN H.
and nothing that could be described as elo-
ouence II was masterpiece of lucid EXPOSE
+ion characterized by easy, fluent style and the
selfconfdence of an official who has mastered
q complex subject and had nothing to conceal
The origin and history of the momentous trans
actions in the Transvaal. which had brought
England within measurable distance of war
with Germany, were described in orderly Sc
quence and the policy of the GOLDMAN olhce
was explained with amazing frankness. II was
a. clear busnesslike presentation Of every
branch of the subject.
There was only one passage when pore EVIL
dence of Encouragement and design. mat was
at the close. when Mr.. Chamberlain commuh-
Gated TO the House President Krugers heated
remonstrance against the premature publication
of the long dispatch to Sir Hercules Robinson
His voice deepened. and the quiet, conVersa-
tional manner disappeared. Dlscialmlng any
intention Of interference in the internal aHairs
of the Transvaal. he emphatcally declared that
the British Government could not be indillerent
70 the righteous grievances Of its subjects in the
Rand. and that measures must be taken 10 Sc
cure for the Uitlanders the justice which had
been denied to them
The success of this speech was due in large
part TO the precautions which had been taken
to anticipate it with the text Of the dispatches
and correspondence. All the facts. with single
execution had been disclosed twenty-four hours
before and the policy Of the Colonial Office had
been revealed in the long dispatch to the High
Commissioner, which affronted the dignity Of
President Kruger. The general subject was not
an inextricable maze Of complexities and blind
passages. Mr. Chamberlain had taken the Com
mons and the public into his confidence and fur
nished them the clews, that when he spoke he
could be followed ntelligenty by an audience
familiar with the ground. His speech was in
deed an exposition Of his dispatch to the High
Commissioner with running commentary on
everything that had happened and on the future
arrangements to be made for giving DR.. Jane
son an impartial trial, for determining the
sponsbty Of the Chartered Company, and for
securing redress for the grievances of the Tit
being represented in the Government. There
were only two important disclosures in the
speech-President Krugers protest, and the
prompt steps which had been taken to deprive
the Chartered Company al once of its control of
police and soldiers.
Indeed, it is noticeable that Mr. Chamber
lain appears. not only N this speech. but
throughout the Transvaal transactions,
man of business rather than as diplomatist.
The professional way Of managing great affaire
Of state rs to keep the public in the dark and
10 lay great stress upon secrecy and mystery.
Mr. Chamberlain has sh AIRED his secrets with
the country from the outset. During the first
fortnight of the crisis the news was rapidly
furnished to the press from the Colonial Office,
and indeed bulletined at the clubs hour by
hour; and there has been the least possible de-
lay In the publication Of the official dispatches
MR.. CHAMBERLAIN'S GLASS HOUSE
Mr. Chamberlain has not chosen to make
mystery Of his South African policy. He has
preferred to live. he has said. in a glass
house where everybody could see him and know
what he was doing. He has wished TO transact
this important business Of State in the full
light Of publicity. diplomatist would nave re,
tired into the inner room where NOBODY could
have had access to him. and the Transvaal al
fair, like the Armenian question. wouid nave
been one Of the irscrutable mysteries Of British
policy
This policy Of publicity has had It's DRAWBACKS
President Kriiger has been irritated by MI
Chambsrlain's mpetuous ardor for getting c't'y-
thing into print The Boer President INSISTS
upon having everything dore In lelsurey way,
and is exasperated by the pIeclpltate haS,e WIN
which the Colonial Secretary has outilneu