New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-08-01
THE NEW COLONIAL POLICY.
ENGLAND's ABROGATIoN OF THE GER
MAN AND BELGIAN CONNER
CIAL TREATIES.

AssURED-Is ENGLAND PLAY 40 WITH THE
SILVER ENvoYs,-woRK OF THE LAM
BETH CONFERENCE.-THE CHIT
RAL REvOLT-oPENiNG or
THE ENGLISH YACHT
ING SEASON
fBY CABLE TO THE TRrBuSE1
London. July 3l.-The stage thunder of the
London Newspaper Row has not been heard In
the Foreign Office One diplomatic question be-
tween England and the United States has been
temporarily adjusted toward the end OF this
week The British Government have formally
consented to send delegate to the Behring Sea
conference which will assemble in Washington
in October Russia, the United States. Eng
land and Canada will be represented and prob
ably japan Also The reports Of the American,
British and Canadian experts will be received.
and proposals for new system Of regulating
peagic seal fisheries Will be considered. IL IL
probable that Sir Wilfrid Laurier will represent
Canada at this conference. Ex-Secretary Foster
will sail to-day by the American liner His
work in Russia was admirably done and opened
the way for the discussion. II not for the ad-
Justment, Of the question by International
conference He has conferred with Mr.. Cham
berlain and Sir Wilfrid Laurier here but has
not gone to the Foreign Office. This was dis
Greet for 1t has been commonly believed in Dip
lomatic circles that he Is the real author Of the
so-called Sherman dispatch which has excited
bitter criticism here. Negotiations with the
British Government have been conducted en-
trey by Colonel Hay. who is entitled to full
credit for obtaining Lord Salisbury's consent to
the conference. The publication Of the Foster
Sherman dispatch has not interrupted diplomatic
negotiations nor clouded the friendly relations
Of the two countries. One effort will he
made to preserve the seal herd by International
action; If it fails the fur zeal will speedily dis
appear from the face Of the waters
The British Government still considering
the bimetallic proposals presented by the
American and French Embassies and Senator
Wolcott and his colleagues. Experts are at work,
and the subject is receiving careful study. Mr..
Henry Norman in the August "Cosmopolis"
affirms that the British Government have no in
tention Of reopenng the Indian mints to the
free coinage Of silver. and that he has full au-
thorty for the statement that II this be true
the bimetallic movement will fall: but the Gov
ernment are not yet decided, although fnanciers
In the city refuse to believe that there can be
any doubt respecting their refusal 10 lend any
encouragement whatever to the bimetallic move-
ment. The current view in the Street is that the
Salisbury Government are merely playing with
the silver ENJOYS and that the French MIN
istry itself has encouraged them without real
sincerity, and will refuse at the last moment to
join the United States in resolute bmetallio
policy. The reopening OF the Indian mints will
be a great surprise to Lombard Street II the
British Government agree 10 this concession. but
there are good reasons for the belief that this
surprise is in store for London fnanciers Sir
Michael Hicks Beach has colleagues who are sim
cere bimetallists, and Lancashire with its i'm
mense cotton trade with India, knows the evils
Of deprecated silver.
The Foreign Office has certainly been i'm
pressed with the Importance OF the Franco
American alliance on the monetary question.
whatever answer is given by the British Gov
ernment to the demand of the two countries for
a conference. This alliance is accurately de-
scribed by Mr.. L. J. Maxse in the August Ma
tional Review" as ample vindication Of the wis
dom Of President Mckinley in his sustained
effort to fulfil the principal pledge in the Re-
publican platform. Mr.. Maxse is an enthusiastic
bimetallist and assumes that, apart from the re-
opening Of the mints, the Government are pre-
pared to propose the more extended use OF sill
YER by making it the basis for notes, raising It's
legal tender and enarging the silver bank re-
serve. Senator Wolcott and his colleagues
meanwhile waiting for the Governments
reply. When It is received they will return 10
Paris to consult with the French Government.
They can do nothing In Berlin until the German
Emperor returns. They will probably remain in
Europe until October
To-days dispatches from Berlin and Brussels
record Canadas triumph in securing formal
denunciation OF the commercial treaties with
Germany and Belgium. Mr.. Chamberlain
seemed so lukewarm on this subject when the
Colonial Premers conferred with him that this
result causes much surprise. The present Mih-
istry is evidently in mood for 'rying economic
experiments. fact which has an indirect bear
ing the possible adjustment OF the silver ques-
ton. 1t has adopted an exceptional method OK
encouraging special conditions OF trade with
Canada even at the risk Of sacrificing the In
terests Of a much larger commerce with Ger
many. where resentment will be excited and
some means OF retaliation devised. The total
volume Of trade between Canada and the United
Kingdom Is only one-third Of the aggregate
trade between Great Britain and Germany.
Since the Golden Club has sanctioned this re-
nunciation Of the most favored nation treaties
the Government have entered upon policy Of
encouraging preferential tariffs and have seized
the opportunity for making an important con-
cession to Canada. The most favored nation
treaties. which have always been regarded as Q
logical sequel to free trade. are now doomed.
and the Fair Traders contention that the tariff
could be made a useful lever for opening new
markets has been formally approved. The
Jubilee was not outside the range OF practical
politics. after all. The gift OF battle-ship has
been received from Cape Colony, and the COM
mercial treaties with Germany and Belgium
have been abandoned There will be some
shrill music by the German bands in Berlin and
elsewhere. and the tune will not be God Save