The Houma courier. (Houma, La.) 1878-1939, 1897-05-15
ENeLleH SUPREMACY.
D-eSeneracy OF British Diplomacy
shown i'm Many Instances.

shown in Many Instances.
Henry Norman, the well-known
writer on eastern topics takes a very
gloomy view of English prospects in the
far east. Indeed, he goes so far as to
declare that English supremacy in that
section of the globe has gone past hope
of recovery; that Eng sh diplomacy in
Asia has been outwitted at every point,
and that the real center of diplomatic
action for many months past has been,
not in Paris or St. Petersburg or LON
don or Constantinople, but in Picking.
An anonymous writer in the same re-
view declares that not only England, but
China. has been outwitted and deceived
by Count Cassini, who secured the con-
cessions which have practically made
China a Russian province. Ii Hung
Chang is also accused of having de-
ceived the English diplomatists and
betrayed the interests of his vi coun-
try. If this writer is to be believed, the
concessions which have given Russia
complete control of Manchuria, the use
Of the finest seaports in that part Of the
Pacific in time, of war and the opportu-
nifty of establishing her power e the
whole of the empire, were secured
without the knowledge of the English
foreign Office. although apparently
under its very eyes. This allegation
bears with peculiar heaviness upon a
ministry which has always claimed the
exclusive possession of a vigorous
foreign policy. Upon this same min
fStru fCH M" nhn--O1 A. -.1oo,4s-- a
England to a position of secondary inn
portance in the far east. Her supremacy
for the moment seems to be gone and
her influence has been seriously shaken,
with probable disastrous results to her
commercial interests in that part of the
world. What Lord Salisbury can do to
retrieve the diplomatic defeats of the
last year remains to be seen, but the
record of the conservative government
SO far, not only at home but abroad, has
certainly fallen far below the prom
Uses which were made for it when it
went into power.
In view of the rapid changes OF re-
cent months in the diplomatic relations
of the great powers, the London Spec
tator makes the interesting suggestion
that the greater powers of Europe di-
vide themselves into two classes; Eng
land and France representing in diff
ferent ways and degrees the democrat
ic principle that people should govern
themselves and should decide their own
policies, both domestic and foreign;
Germany, Austria and Russia represent
ing the conservative and monarchical
principle that countries should be gov
erned by their rulers Independently of
the wishes If their people. These Inn
perial powers are pledged by their very
constitution to resist popular move
ments wherever it is in peril. The in
terests of these two groups. the Spec
tator thinks, tends historically to bind
the component states together. In 9th
er words, the natural tendencies and
Sympathies of Germany, Austria and
Russia would impel them to common
action. The Spectator thinks that the
area of territory now open to, occu-
patton and reorganization by the great
powers could be divided in such a way
rs to give the nations composing these
two groups plenty of work to do for
many years to come without serious col
1ision with each other. In view of the
present alliances, this suggestion may
seem to be purely academic. On the
other hand, there is a logical element
in it which may predict the r~eorganiza-
ton of the alliances of the great powers
at no distant date in the future.-Con-
temporary Review.