The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1898-05-27
Chamberlain
On Union Of
AngloSaxons

The following is tho full text Of that
part Of Mr.. Chamberlain's Birminghanl
speech which relates to England's atti.
tude to the United States:
Nov the first point that want to
impress upon you is this. It is the crux
OF the situation: Since tho Orimean war.
nearly 30 years ago, the policy Of Eng
land has been policy Of strict isola-
tion. We have had no allies; am afraid
we have had no friends. Laughter.
That is not due altogether to the envy
which is undoubtedly Hclt at our suc-
cess 1t Is due in part to the suspicion
that we arc acting in our own selfish
interests, and were willing that other
people should draw the chestnuts ont
OF the fire for us; that we would take
no responsibilities, while we were glad
enough to profit by the work Of others.
In this way we have avoided entangling
alliances; we have escaped many dan.
gers, but we must accept the disadvan-
tages that go with such policy. As
long as the other great powers Of Eu-
rope were also working for their own
end, and were separately engaged, I
think the policy we have pursued-oon-
sistently pursued--was undoubtedly the
right policy for this country. ["Hear,
hearpl Il was better we should pre-
serve our liberty Of action than become
mixed up with quarrels with which pos
sibly we had no concern. ["Hear,
hear"] But now in recent years dif-
ferent complexion has been placed upon
the matter. A new situation has arisen,
and it is right the people Of this ooun-
try should have 1t under their consid-
GRAFTON. All the powerful states Of Eu.
rope have made alliances, and as long
as we keep outside these alliances, as
long as we are envied by all and eus-
pected by all, and as long a. we have
interests which at one time or another
conflict with the interests of all, we are
liable to be confronted at any moment
with q combination Of great powers 30
powerful that not even the most ex-
treme, the most hot headed politician
would be able to contemplate Il without
certain sense Of uneasinesa [''Hear,
hearp'1
"That is the situation which want
You to have in view, which You must
always have in view when you are con-
sidering the results of the foreign pol
icy OF any government in this country.
We stand alone, and we may be con-
fronted with such a combination as that
I have indicated to you What is the
first duty of government under these
circumstances? I say, without hesita-
tion, that the first duty is to draw all
parts of the empire closer together loud
and prolonged cheersl, to infuse into
them spirit Of united and of imperial
patriotism. [Cheers. We have not neg
lected that primary duty. fCheers. We
have pursued it steadfastly and with re-
suits that are patent to ell the world.
Never before in the history Of the Brit
ish empire have the ties which connect
cd us with out great colonies and de-
Tendencies been stronger. Never before
has the-sense of common interests in
trade and in defense and in war, never
before has the sense Of these interests,
been more strongly felt or more cordi-
ally expressed. [Oheers.
What is our next duty? It is to es-
tablish and to maintain bonds Of perma-
nent amity with our kinsmen across the
Atlantic. Loud cheers. They are q
powerful and generous nation. They
speak our language; they are bred Of
our race. Loud cheers. Their laws.
their literature, their standpoint upon
every question are the same as ours:
their feeling, their interest In the cause
Of humanity and the peaceful develop
ment Of the world are identical with
ours. [Cheers lido not know what the
future has in store for us do not know
what arrangements may be possible
with rs, but this know and feel-that
the closer, the more cordial, the fuller
and the more definite these arrangements
are with the consent of both peoples
the better 1t will be for both and for the
world. Loud cheers And / even go
30 far as to say that terrible as war
may be, even war itself would be cheap
ly purchased II in great and noble
cause the stars and stripes and the un-
ion jack should wave together loud
and prolonged cheers] over an Anglo
Saxon alliance Now, it Is one Of the
most satisfactory results Of Lord Sails
bury's policy [cheers] that at the pres
ent time these two great nations UNDER
stand each other better than they have
ever done since more than century
ago ["Hoar, hearl"] they were separat-
cd by the blunder Of the British govern
ment. London Times.