The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-05-14
ANGLO-SA ALLIANCE
JOSEPH CHAMBERLAIN SPEAKS FOR
MANY BRITONS AND AMERICANS.
Says 1t Is the Duty of England to &C.
ment More Firmly Her Relations
with the United States.

LONDON, May 13.-The Rt. Hon. Joseph
Chamberlain, secretary of state for the col
onies, made an important speech on public
affairs at Birmingham this evening. Mr..
Chamberlain after deprecating the constant
assertions in certain quarters that Lord
Salisbury was 'dlscredited" and the govern
ment weak and vacillating,' said: IF for
eign countries believe and act upon those
statements they will find themselves much
mistaken and that courteous diplomacy and
graceful concessions are not incompatible
with firm maintenance of the countrys
honor and interests" Then declaring that
he intended to make plain statement of
facts, unfettered by the mysteries and reti-
cences of the diplomacy of half century
ago. which, without revealing secret ne
gotiations should be 'understanded of the
people" Mr.. Chamberlain said he would
accept the judgment of the people as will
ingly as that of the wisest diplomat in the
world. Referring to the policy of strict iso
lation that England has pursued since the
Crimean war he remarked that this had
been perfectly justifable." but. he added.
1.-The time has arrived when Great Britain
may be confronted by combination of pow
ers and our first duty, therefore, is to draw
all parts of the empire into close unity. and
our next to maintain the bonds of perma-
nent unity with our kinsmen across the At
lantic. Cloud cheers)
There is a powerful and generous Ma
tion,' said Mr.. Chamberlain speaking our
language, bred of our race and having in
terests Identical with ours would go so
far as to say that, terrible as war may be.
even war itself would be cheaply purchased
if in a great and noble cause the stars and
stripes and the union jack should wave
together over an Anglo-Saxon alliance. pro
longed cheers.) 1t is one of the most salts
factory results of Lord Salisbury's policy,
that at the present time these two great
nations understand each other better than
they have ever done. since over a century
ago, they were separated by the blunder of
a British government"
Mr.. Chamberlain proceeded to draw a
gloomy picture of the situation in China
where we have to count with Russia,
in Afghanistan, except that we do not pos
sesS an army or defensive frontier in Chi
ma and cannot, therefore, injure Russia
without an ally. The fate of the whole Chi
nese empire is involved and interests
are so enormous that no more vital question
was ever presented for decision to the Brit
iSh nation and a British government. I'm
less the fate of China is to be decided
without England's voice, we must not re-
ject the idea of an alliance with those pow
ers whose interests are similar to ours.
The Times, commenting editorially on Mr..
evening, says: Mr.. Chamberlain wa Was as as
sured beforehand of the approval of the
whole body of the Unionists when contend
ing that we must draw closer the ties bind
ing us to the colonies. 1t was almost
much foregone conclusion that the oppor-
tunity should be seized of establishing per-
manent relations of amity and something
more with the United States, whose sue
cess in the operations that have lately
taken place has been welcomed here as not
only justified by the goodness of her cause.
but as tribute to the practical capacity of
the Anglo-Saxon race in the business of
war, even when no adequate preparation
for the struggle had been made"
The Daily Chronicle welcomes Mr.. Cham
berlain's brave and historic plea for an
Anglo-American alliance
The Morning Post says: Mr.. Chamber
lain insists that it is only his own aspira-
ton when he declared should seek
Anglo-Saxon alliance, but we doubt wheth-
er this open-mouthed diplomacy will suit
Lord Salisburys arrangements at a mo-
ment when Spain and America are involved
in a contest in which we are neutrals.'
The Daily News thinks the speech "a
mediate point of danger is West Africa
The Standard. applauding Mr.. Chamber
est reason to suppose that his convictions
are not shared by every member of the
Cabinet They had been anticipated by
most men who have tried to look below the
cial quality which he has impaired to the
declaration was the emphasis of concen-
trated and unaduterated truth We are
liable at any moment to be confronted by q
combination of all the European powers.
The contingency should not be dismissed as
impossible merely because it would be
startIingly unpleasant Already we have
endeavored with no small success to draw
all parts of our vast empire together in
the common defense, nor can it be said that
there is anything lacking in our feeling
of regard and friendship for the great kim
dred community on the other side of the At