Evening journal., 1897-11-10
SALISBURY'S IDEAS.
England's Premier Speaks at
Lord Mayors Banquet.
no MENTION OF SEALING QUESTION,
The Franco British Troubles In West
Africa Discussed and the Attitude of
the Government Explained-The
European Concert.


LONDON, Nov. 10-The brilliancy Of
the gathering at the lord mayors ban
quet at the Guildhall last night was
somewhat marred by the tokens Of
mourning for her royal highness the
late Duchess of Teck. A majority of the
ladies' present wore gowns of black or
dark gray.
The entrance Of the Marquis of Sails
bury. the prime minister. and Mr.. Ar
thur j. Balfour, the first lord of the
treasury, was the signal for loud ap-
plause but the reception rendered the
foreign diplomats was of the tamest
character as compared with the en-
thusiasm which last year greeted the
then ambassador Of the United States,
Mr.. Thomas f. Bayard.
After the usual loyal and formal
toasts, the Marquis of Lansdowne, Sec
retary of state for war responded for
"The Army" In the course of his speech
he euloglzed "the gallant work being
done on our Indian frontier, especially
by the troops OF those native rulers who
have long wished TO stand shoulder to
shoulder with u.s." He then proceeded
10 point out the necessity for an in
crease of the army to meet "the re-
Quirements of imperial expansion"
The Marquis of Salisbury on rising.
was greeted with several minutes Of
continuous cheering. He began hy de-
ploring the engineers dispute 80 hich,
he said, "involves the future prosperity
or disaster of the country" but added
that he was glad to say there was "a
renewed prospect that the board Of
trades Intervention would prove sue
cessful." His lordship read a telegram
from the queen, asking him to express
how deeply her majesty felt the mar
velous display of loyalty to the crown
and to her person at the diamond jubi-
lee festivities.
After referring to the conduct Of the
troops on the Indian frontier in terms
similar to those used by the Marquis
of Lansdowne and warmly praising the
conduct of the Anglo Egyptian expedi-
tion in the Sudan campaign the pre-
mier dealt with the West Africa trou-
bles with France. He explained that
the British government did not wish
TO take territory simply because it
would look well on the map. That the
object of the administration is to en-
courage commerce and throw open as
many markets as possible" In con-
cluding this portion of his speech. he
said:
I'VE wish trade to pursue an un
checked course on the Niger, the Nile
and the Zambezi and, in doing these
things, while we wish to behave In a
neighborly manner and to show due
consideration for the feelings and
claims of others, we are obliged to say
that there is a limit to the exercise
of this particular set Of feelings. and
we cannot allow our plain rights TO be
overridden."
His lordship then passed to speak OF
the situation in the east. He said the
history Of the past year was that the
European concert had failed to prevent
Greece from going to war, but had sue
ceeded in preserving the peace OF Eu-
rope. 1t was, he submitted, a great and
praiseworthy achievement for the con.
cert to avert that calamity. He con-
tinued. Had the concert eXerted all its
force to prevent Greece from going tC
war the responsibility might have rest
ed upon IL of erasing Greece from the
map" With reference to the Cretar
question, his lordship observed that thi.
was still unsettled. but added, "Th,
concert Of Europe is like a steam roller
with great power, but little speed"
The lord mayors procession In th'
afternoon took place in a drizziing rain
and a heavy fog, but large crowds o
people lined the route despite the dis
agreeable weather. The decoration
were more ambitious than usual, con
sisting mainly of triumphal arches
Venetian masts. floral festoons and
liberal display of bunting. more stir
ring proof of the popularity of tn
yearly pageant known as the lord may
or's procession has not been given in
long time, due very largely to the bril-
liant year of office of the retiring chic
magistrate. the Right Hon. Sir Georg
Faudel Phillips.