New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-12-08
PLAIN TiJK ND PJN-pRTTKS


Mr.. Chamberlain and Sir Michael Hicks
Beach are both outdOnc. III what some'call cour
age and some indiscrction The one applied
TO dealings with Russia the saying that he
who sups with the Devil must have IA long
spoon" The other declared that the open
door, in China must he kept open or there
would he WY. Eoth uttcrlnces were criticised
rs rash and msciiieyo. They were not.
They were deliberately and a1viScdiy made.
and they have caused DO mischief but much
good Now the uttcrlncCS Of Sir Edmund
Mcnson are decidedly stronger than those. part
ly in themselves and partly in th" personality
of their maker ard the place and manner Of
their making. Mr.. Chamberlain and Sir Mi
chacl Iicks-Bcach are responsible statesmen
ard Cabinet Ministers Of high rank. But they
do not represent the Foreign Office. ard they
were speaking not abroad but nj home. and
to purely domestic audicnccs Sir Edmund
Monsoon. en- the other hand. is Her Majesty'S
Ambassador and the agent of The Foreign Office
IN the most distinguished and important place
in the whole foreign service of the British En-
pirc. What he says officially is the voice Of
the British Government to It's ncighbors. II
possesses an authenticity second only 10 that of
the Queens speech Itself. when $ir Edmund.
ton in the capital Of ;he Government and ma
ton 80 which II" l. accredited. says. therefore.
that the latter Government has been innictinc
pin-pricks upon the British Government. ana
That il must stop doing - or there will be- re-
pri,als-whc hc says That he says something
the importance q wh!c., cannot he cxa-gcr-
atrd.
II is not for H. 10 decide upon tho justice ~
France We may. however. observe that in
making Il TIE British tmla>> ,'lor was merely
quoting 4 most respectable French authority.
\ fal-eorii.. French pub.icsi. writing i'll the
Paris "Matin' few wco',s ago declared that
"wc"-thc French "havc inaugurlird the pol
icy Of playing tricks on Great :ritan--a pol
icy which had no definite object ana which
was bound to turn ont badly. We row find
yourselves confronted by q people VINO have
eat las: been cyaspcratca by TIE continual pin
"IrckS which we have given them" VI. De
Lancssan. the former Governor of French In
dot hina. moreover. recently wrot" in the Rap
pcl' 4 strong protest against 'th" hajrrl If
"Encland which has existed in France FOR -
"many years and which has finally reached a
point at which some terrible enterprise VIII
che undertaken unless Frcnchmen begin -
"Sl,b~ii,utc calm reasoning fer "nFtY boast
ing" And he added that Frcnch politicians
know full well that; however stupid they may
hc they can pass themselves OFF ~ grclr men
If they smitr England and the English. Those
are unpleasant sayings. Eut they are the de-
Hberatr sayings Of Frcnchmen of liglIt ana
lending. Their" can u" no offence III recalling
them rs such. Nor are we inclined - think
there will w. any serious offence in Sir Ed
mund Monsons dispaSSiorai" citation Of them
and his firm but rot unfricndy application of
them 10 existing conditions.
The British Wow is that for many ycarS-in-
Decd ever since 1871 'ho policy Of France has
been progressively anii-i:riish Tl!Ns. il is said.
France has seized moro land in Africa than
Great Britain. or 'han there is left for Great
Britain 10 seize. ard has reduced four or five
British colonies 20 mprc cnciavcs. She has
clbowcd the British out Of Madagascar. She
has torn up her promise not to fortfy BiScrta.
and has transformed That place into second
Gibraltar. She has acted in siam rs though
there were no Other Power in the world to be
considered hut herself. she has transsresscd
almost every treaty stipulation in Newfound-
land. She has made serious menace or inter
ference ~ the SCrdan. And at various other
points alone the line she IS charged with de-
ing things not merely Tor personal advantage
80 much rs for the sake of checking or thwart
Ing or annoying Great EritI.n-ln other words.
has been sticking pln-poDts into Great Brit
ain And the one unfailins means of gaining
APPLAUSE in France * f. dcnounce and menace
"Pcridious Albion" Snch, we repeat. IS the
British view Of The case. and II is largely and
in its most important features corroborltcd by
thc French authorities We have quoted. What
Slr Edmund Nonson did on Tuesday evening
was 10 give frank expression to that view Ac-
cording 10 some canOns Of diplomacy. II may
have been indiSCrcCt But there are not lack
ing those who think truth-tclling advisable in
diplomacy IL well rs elsewhere. We may be
sure that an equally plain and straightforward
reply from VI. Delcasse or VI. Cambon would
be received with cquanlmity by Great Brit
ain. 1t may well be that such plain speaking
will serve to tear away the web of prejudiccs.
Illusions and hctiOns that has for years been
woven between tho two nations. and lead each
more Justly to understand and TO appreciate
the other.
THE LATEST FROM BROOKLYN.
The interesting intelligence is current that