The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-09-26

of London's Inaugural, banquet, owing to
the practice of the prime ministers of the
British empire to reserve for that particu-
lar occasion their most important utter
ances Of the entire year concerning the
foreign policy of England.
1t is a custom which, far from calling
for criticism or ridcule, merits on the
contrary commentator. For no matter
how temperate, men are likely to take a
more genial and kindly view of things to-
ward the close of a good dinner than
when their stomachs are empty; nor is
the atmosphere of conviviality which pre-
walls at such times without a softening
influence upon any tendency that there
may be to aggressiveness and animosity.
Indeed, 1t may be questioned whether the
maintenance of peace between the civil
lied powers of the world during the TWEEN
ty-seVen years which have elapsed since
the Franco-Prussian war of 1870 is not
attributable in great measure to the part
played In modern statecraft by after-din-
ner speeches.
1t must not. however, be gathered from
this that these post-prandial political ut
| terlnces pre spoken on the spur of the
moment, or that the sentiments express
ed are wholly due TO the promptings Of a
! coutentcd digestion. With the exception
of Emperor William there is not a ruler
| or statesman who delivers speeches of this
character without mature reflection and
preparation. Thus all toasts of the pres
ent car since his accession have been
read by him from a slip of paper, and the
terms employed therein have been iuVa-
riably well weighed and discussed before
hand, usually with his foreign minister.
That may serve to explain why they are
so brief and formal in tone, conveying the
impression that Nicholas is anxious not to
say a word beyond what is absolutely
niece ssary. 1t accounts, too for the anger
which he manifested last year when he
found that the text of the toast which he
pronounced at Breslau on the occasion of
his visit to Emperor William had been al
tered by German court dignitaries in. a
more friendly sense to the kaiser before
they issued the official version thereof to
the press agencies for publication. 1t is
doubtful whether Nich2las has ever really
forgiven this almost incredible piece OF
deceit practiced at his expense with the
manifest object of diminishing the warmth
of the welcome which he was to receive a
few weeks later in Paris. The trick was
subsequently laid bare during the course
Of the trial Of Police Commissioner Won
Tausch, and of his titled press agents at
Berlin.
1t is precisely with the object of avoid
ing any possible misinterpretation or dis
tortion that the czar invariably uses the
language of diplomacy, namely French.
in delivering his post-prandial toasts. aud
his example in this respect is followed by
every other European sovereign except
Emperor William. Indeed. King Hum
bert who speaks just as perfect German
as the kaiser himself. made a point last
week at Homburg of responding in pre-
else, brief and formal French to the full
some and long-drawn-out German elo-
Quence of his Teuton host and ally. And
when old Francis Joseph of Austria visit
! ed st. Petersburg last spring all his after
dinner utterances were couched In the