The San Francisco call., 1896-12-13
GREAT RRIT TAIN
I IS NOT JEALOUS
Statesmen Appear to Be
Pleased With the Russo
Chinese Treaty.
1t Merely Gives the Gar the
Right to Run a Railroad
Through Manchuria.
Force Of the Radical Party Directed
Against Chamberlain and His
TranSvaal Policy.

LONDON, ENG, Dec. 12.-The London
bureau of the United Associated Presses
has the highest authority for the state
ment that the Russo Chinese convention
is by no means a surprise to Lord Sails
bury. nor are the main clauses of the
agreement opposed to England's interests.
The substance OF the convention was dis
cussed. upon the occasion of the visit OF Ii
Hung Chang to London, and was known
N Sir Nicholas O'Connor, the then retir-
ing British Minister, before he left Peking
to assume the duties of British ambassador
/ at St. Petersburg.
The convention does not contain any
CONCESSION of territory, but only secures
to Russia the right to construct railroad
through Manchuria to Vladivostock. The
branch railway to Port Arthur is purely
Chinese enterprise.
The Right Hon. A. ]. Balfour, First
Lord of the Treasury, speaking at Bristol
on February 8 last, while the Russo
Chinese treaty was pending, said that so
far from regarding with jealousy the ac-
quisition by Russia of commercial port
on the Pacific which would not be frozen
over to the exclusion of vessels six months
in every year, England would welcome it
as a distinct advance of civilization.
The whole force OF the radical party is
TO be directed at the earliest possible mo-
inent against Chamberlain and the Gov
arnment's policy toward the TransvaaI.
Behind the attack on the Governments
action generally there is a bitter hatred
toward the Colonial Secretary. Time has
not softened the feelings which ELECTED at
every mention of his name in the meetings
of the National Liberal Club the cry of
Judas"
So every possible advantage is taken to
show him up a prevaricating and un-
90 scFupulous politician. The Labouchere
clique think they now have him on the
hip in connection with the jameson reve-
lations, although nothing that is new can
be garnered from the most recent develop
ments OF the controversy.
Put in brief, the newest form of the
charges against Chamberlain is that Sir
John WilloughbY and other officers lead
ing the raid on the Transvaal had Cham
berlain's assurance that he approved of
. the movement and would support it.
There are hints from the Radical side
that an eminent politician who saw
Rhodes while he was in England pledged
himself TO support the expedition. Here
Sir William Vernon Harcourt is aimed at.
There certainly exists correspondence
=
mold showing that Jameson, Willoughby
and other leaders of the raid had been
led to believe that Chamberlain (for the
Government) and Sir William Vernon
Harcourt (for the opposition) had given
their sanction to the attack on the Trans
vaal. But it can be stated with absolute
certainty that there exists no documen-
d tary proof duplicating either Chamberlain
or Sir William Vernon Harcourt. The
evidence which will be brought before the
Parliamentary committee Will consist
chiefly OF letters passing between Sir John
Willoughby, DR.. Jameson and brother of
ficers anent interviews with Chamberlain,
Sir William Harcourt and others. Neither
Cham berlain nor Sir William will be found
to have given themselves away by docu-
mentery evidence.
The destruction of the English colonial
sugar industry is supposed by the free
trade English press to be counter balanced
by the growth of the English CONNECTION
and preserved fruit Industry, which it is
claimed more than covers any loss arising
from the cessation of colonial trade. This
is true in an immediate practical sense,
and points the morals of the interviews on
the subject con tanned in dispatches to the
United Associated Presses, where the an
Eexation of the British Antilles to the
United States was shown to be the natural
issue of the situation.
But the grayitation of the West Indian
colonies toward the United States is no
part of the programme of the Imperial
Federationists. Chamberlain's commits
sion of inquiry into the West Indian
sugar industry is such an obvious put-off
and so useless that the Imperial Fedora
ton leaders will have nothing to do with
it. So, when Parliament meets there will
appear on the notice motions of the house
several proposals that the decaving condi-
tion of the West Indian sugar industry
shall at once be met by a system of coun-
tervailing duties.
The interest aroused by the revival in
an acute form of this trouble recalls the
opinion expressed by Mr.. Gladstone some
ten years ago, after the London conference
on the bounties system. 81 think" he
said, 'fthat both the trader and the work
sugar have great reason to complain. My
desire is that the British consumer should
have bought sugar and every commodity
aC the lowest prices at which it can be pro-
duced without arbitrary favor to any of
those engaged in the competition, but
cannot regard with favor any cheapness
which is produced by means of the con-
ceaIed subsidies of a foreign state to
particular industry, and with the effect of
Gripping and distressing capitalists and
workmen engaged in lawful branch OF
British trade"
The quotation here is expressly made,
because on absolute official inform alton it
will ultimately form the basis OF the ac-
ton of the English Government In settling
the question. Cham berlain knows the
absurdity of the commission, and the ulti-
mate issue of the whole matter is that
either the continental bounty giving
powers will abolish bounties or the
colonies obtain codntervailing duties.