New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-04-04
CURzON's BITTER SPEECH.
THE SECRETARY REPLIES TO ATTACKS
ON THE GOVERNMENT.


THE ARBITRATION TREATY AND THE POLICY OF
GREAT BRITAIN IN THE LEvANr-coN-
CERT OF THE POWERS
LEAGUE OF PEACE.
Southport. England. April 3.-George n cur
zon. the parliamentary Secretary for the Foreign
ONCE and the representative in Parliament ior
this the southwest, or Southport, DIVISION Oh
Iancashi made his annual address to his con-
ailments to-day and met with an enthusiastic
reception He opened with reference u i'c
Arbitration Treaty negotiations with the oh''eu
States, an achievement with which, ne sa'u' '"o
name of the Marquis Of Salisbury wouid De per-
petually linked in history, and for which, a' any
rate the people on this side Of the water deserved
the exclusive credit II. as they were toid' war Is
likely: but he hoped It would not occur Ii the
motives and tactics which were alien to the spirit
OF the proposals they apparently INTENDED u
wreck succeeded in strangling that agreement
IN ,ts cradle they would not succeed in depriving
ts authors either on this side or the other size
Of the Atlantic Of the credit Of Its parentage ana
a 10 tor date would surely come when their treaty.
| ~ not completed now, would take Its place as q
mart Of the code of the Anglo Saxon brothernoou'
| and perhaps a part OF the international law OF
| the world The law givers who originated IL
| would ever afterward be held In honored refheh-
brance These remarks were greeted WITH cheeiS'
| speaking of the Eastern question. Secretary
| Curzon said that q war cloud was dahy sro"
ing on the horizon. and that the people OF
r,urone were regarding the clouds with fearful
onnrebension. but he was hopeful that prudent
statesmanship and the unselfsh aims OF the
Powers might yet dispel the cloud berore IL
broke into cycore Of universal destruction.
| He presumed that tn British had two opJects
In view the welfare of Crete and the avoidance
Of European war; These remarks were greeted
with cries of Good. Good. old CurZon!
The speaker excepted the Radicals. who, he
said, held without regard for facts that what
ever Greece did right even If she plunged
Europe into war; and the Irish Commoners, who
favored insurgents in all parts OF the world,
presumably because they were so often in
surgents themselves and less concerned for the
peace of Europe and the cause Of humanity
than with a desire to injure the Government OF
the Queen.
Secretary Curzon then referred to the "bogie
integrity" of the Ottoman Empire and said that
part of the international law which had hereto
fore been modified by the Powers would be
modified again; but that the distribution OF the
Empire as it gradually breaks up must be
undertaken by Europe, and not left to any In
dividual Power to grab what 1t thought was its
share Of the spoils.
The only effect, he said, Of Lord Kimberleys
or Lord Harcourts proposals to tear up the
treaties and repudiate the obligations OF Great
Britain would be to ALLEVIATE her allies and leave
vacant place in the concert OF Europe, which
was q league Of peace. At the present mo-
ment nothing could be worse for Crete and MOTH
ing so unfortunate for Greece than that the an
tbo CHI ha innprlpd
| or that the financial difficulties or the latter
should be aggravated by q strain which annexa-
ton would impose. Both would be absurd TO
| the Powers. and produce a constitution which
| might be destroyed in week by the ciasn OF
| arms but a constitution for Crete would be
! ready soon, and peace would be restored More
important points than the forming OF a constl-
| tuition were the creation OF supreme govern
! ing authority and the pacfcation OF the island.
The new Governor should be Christian nomi-
, mated by the Powers. The speaker said that ne
| could not imagine more impracticable sug-
gestion than Mr.. Gladstone's, that the Cretans
| be allowed to select their own Governor Inc
| withdrawal Of the Turkish troops was logcal
sequence after the withdrawal OF Crete from the
! authority of the Sultan. England was taking
| all the steps possible to get rid OF the turkish
| troops on the island, but the responsibility TOT
| their remaining rests with the Insurgents anu
| the Greek troops who were encouraging tnem
| Only a knave would make the suggestion that
| we are acting for the Turks in this matter. ana
only an idiot would believe. II Greece declared
| war as we read with shame, she would do IL
| I'm order to spite herself on the Powers Sne
could not act from a pettier or meaner motive
| or commit a greater crime. our duty nes WIN
| the concert Of the Powers, because IL IS III the
| cause Of peace II Is cabinet OF nations, mark
| ing the greatest advance of international law
| and international ethics which the century mas
| seen.
| At the conclusion Of Secretary Curzon's re-
marks he was warmly cheered. and vote OF
| confidence in the Government was taken ana
| was unanimously carried