The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1897-11-11
A BROAD Hint 70 FRANCE.
SALISBURY'S SPEECH AT THE
LORD MAYORS BANaUET-DEALT
WITH AFRICAN PROBLEM.
rs 70 The CONCERT OF THE POWERS
Premier Compared 1t to n Steam
Roller, Having Great Power hut
Little speed-European COM
petition of Armnments.

London, Nov. 9-In spite of thick
drizzle and heavy fog the annual GUS
tom of presenting the elected chief mag
istrate of London to the representatives
of the sovereign and to the people today
was observed with success.
Col. John Hay, the United States am
bassadOr, who was to have responded to
the toast of the Foreign Ambassador
at the Guild hall banquet, is confined
to his room and in consequence the Japan
csc minister will take his place.
The brilliancy of the gathering of the
lord mayors banquet at the Guild hall
this evening was somewhat marred by
the tokens of mourning for the late
Duchess of Teck. A number of ladies
present wore gowns of black or dark ma.
terial
The entrance of the Marquis of Sails
bury, prime minister, and Arthur J. Bal
four, first lord of the treasury, was tn,
| signal for loud applause, but the reception
rendered to the foreign diplomats was Of
| the tamest character us compared witt
the enthusiasm which last year greeted
the then ambassador of the United
States, Thomas H. Bayard.
The Marquis of Salisbury was greeted
with several minutes of continuous cheer
ing when he arose to speak. He bega,
by deploring the engineers dispute, whicl
he said involves the future prosperit,
or disaster of the country" but adde,
that he was glad to say there was ''re
newed prospect that the board of trade
intervention would prove successful"
His lordship read a telegram from tn
queen asking him to express how deepl
her majesty felt the marvellous displa,
OF loyalty to the crown and to her per
son at the diamond jubilee festivities.
After referring to the conduct of tn
troops in the Indian frontier in term
similar to those used by the Marquis o
Landsdowne and warmly praising tn
conduct of the Anglo-Egyptan exped
ton in the SOudan campaign the pre-
mier came to the leading passage in hi
speech, introducing the tangled questio
of the Niger and the conflicting claim
and interests of Great Britain an
France in that section of west Africa.
He said:
1T might not achieve the general cor
frankly into all the negotiations betwce
the powers respecting Africa We an
all aware of the great extent Of territor
cast loose during the last twenty yeal
in Africa and put up as the object @
, acquisition for several enterprising go,
errors. The negotiations that are pr,
ceeding will possibly continue lon
, time. We desire that territory to be go,
erned on strict principles of right an
| with constant regard to its prosperit
and to the interests of the empire. w
! al ~ al
achievements and we don't wish to tai
! territory simply because it would loo
well to paint red Oh the maps.
'Our objects are strictly business. "
, wish to extend commerce. trade, industl
and civilization: to throw open as man
markets as possible and to bring togeth,
as many consumers and producers as DO
siblc and to open the great natural hig
ways and waterways of the continei
We wish trade to pursue IN uncheckt
course on the Niger the Nile and Il
Inmbczia. and in doing these thing
while we wish to behave in Il ncighbor
manner and to show due considerable
for the feelings and claims of others. W
are obliged to say there is Il limit to Il
exercise of this particular set of fcelin:
and we can not allow our plain RICH
to be overriddcn.' prolonged applause
His lordship then passed 10 speak
the situation in the east. He said Il
history of the past year was that Il
European concert had failed to prcvel
Greece from going to war. hut had su
ceeded in preserving the peace of Europ
1t was, he submitted Il great and prais
worthy achievement for the concert
avert that calamity. He continued:
| Had the concert pNcrtcd all of i
force TO prevent Greece from going
war. the responsibility might have rcstt
upon it of crasing Greece from the map
With reference to the Crctan matte
his lordship observed that this was sti
unsettled, but added:
| The concert of Europe is like II stenl
roller.with great power, hut lit
| speed"
. In concluding his speech. he said:
'One hope we have of preventing I'll
competition of ornaments among Eur,
pran powers. ending in n terrible cffol
| for mutual destruction. fatal to civiliz,
| ton. is that the powers may he grad,
| ally brought to act together in Il friendl
| spirit as to questions that may arts,
until at last they shall he welded in som
international construction which will Civ
the world. as the result of their greo
| strength. II long spell of unfettcred con
merce.. prosperous trade and continue
peace