Sequachee Valley news. (Sequachee [Sequatchie], Tenn.) 1896-1952, 1898-09-01
Z EUROPE AND AMERICA.
How Great Britain Blocked Il sO-
Called Mediation scheme OF
the other Powers.

When the history of recent piece
of diplomacy comes to be written it
will be found that British statesman
ship played a part with which the
British people have every reason to
be gratified AS the incident is now
closed and is becoming incumbered
with the interested misrepresenta-
tions circulated by those who were
hoist with their own petard, It is as
well that the ascertainable facts
should be placed upon record, es-
peclally as they form an episode that
may at any time be repeated. When
the Cuban crisis came to a head, and
it at last became manifest even to the
peryerse and purblind statesmen OF
continental Europe that a war be-
tween the United States and Spain
was imminent, they resolved to make
a European question of Cubai in other
words, to turn it, if possible, into
second Crete and treat the states as
they had treated Greece. France, fol-
lowed for once by her consort Russia,
and eagerly seconded by Austria, took
the lead in the preliminary pourpar-
lers. The animatiug motive of the
latter power-apart from reactionary
prejudces against Ameriea--was the
respe 2table desire to protect an Aus
trian princess in distress (the queen
regent OF Spain); the French govern
ment was mainly impelled by less SEN
timental and more practical motives
the irresistible instinct of the invest
or. The French stake In Spain was
estimated a few months ago at no less
than 6O,00O,OO0, j. e., ga per head
of the entire French population.
John Bull would be the very man
to bell the cat. He could make him
| self useful in a naval demonstration
off Boston and New York, and If that
did not bring the states to their senses
the worse that could happen would be
an American attack upon Canada.
Then when those villainous Anglo
Saxons had got one another comfort
ably by the throat the continental
combination would be free to amuse
themselves elsewhere, while Russia, Q.
e.. would be able to turn round dis
claim all connection with the alleged
concert, and pose as the traditional
friend Of the great republic. It was
altogether the prettiest plot of mod
ern times, and, though the desire to
uphold a European nation against
America was at the bottom of it, the
possible ulterior developments as in
dicated above added greatly to its
merits in the eyes of its eminent en-
gneers, NJ. Hanotaux and Count Mu
rayietf.
At the time when this delicate busi
ness Was first mooted in London, Lord
Salisbury was abroad recruiting his
health, thoagh he still kept general
eve on the business of the foreign
office. Arthur Balfour was acting as
foreign secretary, and to him and Sir
Julian Pauncefote primarily belongs
the credit of appreciating the full
proportions of this plan of friendly
mediation" which, if successful, could
spell nothing but disaster for the
English-speaking nations. Mr.. Bal
four's well-known sentiments toward
the United States-which is perhaps
his only political passion-reenforced
his solcitude for British interests. So
the attitude of this country intimated
to all whom it might concern that
Great Britain would'under no circum-
stances be party to anything that
might be ever construed as unfriend-
ly to the Washington government.
The Cuban concert" consequently
collapsed and melted away like snow
/ before the sun, leaving so few traces
behind that its "organizers' have been
emboldened to circulate semi-ofiical
dement's of its existence, and it is now
adays treated as "a malignant inven-
ton of the British" who wish to em-
: broil France or Russia or Germany, as
the case may be, with their dear friend,
r the United States. The facts we have
stated are, however, drawn from sew
: eral reliable sources-partly Amer
! ican.-National Review.
/ no m 49,