Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-10-14
ENGLAND FEARSOME
Inside View of Salisbury's Back
down.
CANADA FEARED TIE RESULT
Japan and Russia Might Have Sided
Against England.
DIPLOMATIC DUPLICITY
Special Correspondence of The Evening Star.

| Special Correspondence Of The Evening Star.
LONDON, October 2 1897.
If there ever was an attempt to perpe-
| trate diplomatic bunco game the under
hand method by which the British foreign
| office has attempted to retreat from its
| agreement for conference on the sealing
| question may be characterized in all
judicial mldness. This is the verdict of
the diplomats of London. who have been
spectators of the negotiations, some Of
| whom have been the victims of similar
frauds in the past. all of whom cherish
| for English diplomacy hearty dislike.
| How much of tie inner history of the
| episode may have been revealed in the
United States one cannot know here until
j the American papers have arrived. Only
! the British side has been communicated
| to the British public, because Ambassador
Hay, in the observance of diplomatic tradi-
| tions has refused to make any statement
! for public consumption and the London
| papers have been fed by the foreign Office
with carefully expurgated versions Of the
| incident. They do not know nor would
| they admit if they did know, that the con-
| duct of the foreign Office in the affair has
been on plane which. if it were in
| would forfeit for him the confidence of all
| honest men.
| Personal and Political Honor.
| The. doctrine expounded by the Rt. Hon.
| Joseph Chamberlain in dealing with Cecil
| Rhodes generaiship of the Trapsvaal raid,
| that no political dishonesty reflects upon
! mans personal character, shows how
ever. that British statesmen do not con-
| slider that the rules of common honesty
| apply to diplomacy. The only question in
volyed liz this latest phase of the sealing
| QiSDnta is whether hp mi
| understood that Russia and Japan were
| to take part in the conference which was
arranged to be held at Washington. That
| they did understand this beyond the posi-
blity of doubt might be easily proven in
any court outside the tribunals of diplo-
| macy. But England finding it to her in
terest to back out from her agreement at
| very late day, falls back techncalty,
| declaring that there is documentary
evidence to prove that she contemplated
meeting with Russia and Japan. Yet
| even before Lord Salisbury accepted the
invitation of the United States it had been
| proclaimed, through the newspapers, that
| General Foster and the Russian govern
ment had agreed on the conference.
| Col. Hays Carefulness.
In addition to this informal notice the
fact that the United States had also invited
! Russia and Japan to become parties and
that these governments had accepted the
invitation was several times talked of in
| the conversations between Lord Salisbury,
| Ambassador Hay and Sir Julian Paunce-
fote. and was perfectly well understood
| by all parties. Both the Russian and
japanese ministers called at the foreign
Office and talked with the heads Of the
service concerning the sealing conference
| 1t being never suggested that their repre-
| sentatives were not to be in Washington
Most Of these conversations took place be-
fore Lord Salisbury sent to the United
| States ambassador the Lote of July %, for
n,ally accepting the invitation Of the Amer
iean government for the meeting. This note
merely stated that the British govern
| ment accepted the invitation of the United
| States, making no mention of the other
powers concerned. Surprising this onis-
sion to be a mere oversight. but desiring
| to leave the record without a flaw. Colonel
| Hay on the next day sent to Lord Sails
| bury the note which calls his attention
! to the fact that ''as I have already had
| occasion to mention, the President expects
| the governments of Russia and Japan to be
| repr esented."
To EnEland's Dfscrelft.
| The really disreputable feature of Eng
lands course hinges upon this note Near
| ly two months after it had been written
and received the foreign office published
| what purported to be the entire CORE
| spondence between the two governments
on the sealing question. There was even
| included the long and labored defense Of
| Englards position. resurrecting ancient
| history of a half century, which MIR. Cham
| berlain, as secretary for the colonies, had
| sent to Lord Salisbury. a device for bring
| ing before the public the British arguments
without giving the United States an oppor-
tunity for replying to them which had been
| suggested by Sir. Louis Davies Of Canada,
and which really had no place in the blue
book But for some reason which yet re-
mains unexplained Colonel Hays note was
| omitted from the volume.
Two months had passed since the receipt
of the note, and as no reply had been made
| to 1t and no exception taken to it's state
ments. the United States had, matter
Of course, presumed that England agreed
| to the arrangements. But the remarkable
failure of the foreign Office to publish the
letter led to inquiries by the United States
| ambassador, which ELECTED the statement
| from Lord Salisbury that England does
| not see her way clear to take part In
conference with Russia and Japan
| Canada Was Afraid.
The only effect OF such notice given at
such a late day must have resulted in the
abandonment Of the meeting, so far as
England was concerned. because Lord
Salisbury must have known that the Unit
cd States could not decently withdraw its
invitations to the other governments when
| their representatives were already on their
way to Washington. So Colonel Hay re-
monstrated, and in the most forcible man.
ner permitted to diplomat represented the
unfairness Of this late notice and secured
a stay of judgment.
The facts in the case were that Lord
Salisbury had acquiesced in the admission
of japan and Russia and in the state
ments of the suppressed letter. but at the
eleventh hour Canada became frightened
at the possibility that the three other play
ers might stack the cards on her. and so
requested her chaperon to withdraw from
the game. England is so strenuous;y en-
deavoring to cultivate her colonies that she
would yield to anything they might ask
But it is not her motive, but her rlethod
to which the diplomats of the London cir
Gle take exception.
Diplomacy a In Salisbury.
Because there was no record of the fact
that Lord Salisbury had agreed to the ad-
| mission of Russia and Japan his lordship
coolly declared that such thing had never
been thought Of. And SO far as England is