The herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1893-1900, 1898-05-14
SHOULD DRAW CLOSER EVERY
NATIONAL BOND
WAR IS CERTAINLY TERRIBLE
But It Is Not Too Great Price to
Pay for an Anglo-Saxon
4, A~--,tt Alliance

Q Joseph Chamberlain, secretary of state .
for the colonies, made an important .
speech on public affairs at Birming- .
ham this evening. .
. Mr.. Chamberlain, after deprecating .
. the constant assertions in certain .
quarters that Lord Salisbury was .
"discrodited" and the government .
"wealr and validating" said: .
'If foreign 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 country's .
. honor and interests .
Then, declaring that he intended to .
o;nake '"plain statement of the facts, .
, unfettered by the mysteries and re- .
. licences of the diplomacy of half .
. century ago, which, without revealing .
. secret negotiations, should be under .
. stood by the people," Mr.. Chamber .
lain said he would accept the judgment .
of the people as willingly as that of .
. the wisest diplomat in the world. Re .
esferring to the policy of strict isolation .
: that England has pursued since the .
Crimean war, he remarked that this .
. had been perfectly justifable." and .
od.l IT
Great Britain may be confronted by .
a combination of powers, and our first .
duty. therefore. is to draw all parts Of .
the empire into close unity, and our .
next to maintain the bonds of per- .
. nianent unity with our kinsmen .
across the Atlantic" loud cheers) .
There is powerful and generous .
nation said Mr.. Chamberlain" .
'using our language. bred of our race .
and having interests identical with .
. that, terrible as war may be, even .
. war itself would be cheaply purchased .
and Stripes and the Union Jack should .
wave together over an Anglo-Saxon D
. alliance. prolonged cheers.) .
. cit is one of the most satisfactory .
results of Lord Salisbury's policy .
that at the present time these two .
. great nations understand each other .
better than they ever have done since .
over century ago, when they sep .
. arated by the blunder of British .
government" .
Mr.. Chamberlain proceeded to draw .
gloomy picture of the situation in .
China. where we have to count with .
- Russia, as in Afghanistan, except that .
We do not possess an army or de- .
fensive frontier in China, and cannot .
therefore injure Russia without an .
ally. The fate of the whole Chinese .
empire is involved, and our interests .
. are So enormous that no more vital .
question was ever presented for de- .
. 'cision u Inc. brltisn nation and
British government. Unless the fate .
. Of China Is to be decided without .
England's voice, we must not reject .
. the idea of an alliance with those Q
powers whose interests are similar to .
. ours" .
Editorial Comment
LONDON, May 1.-The Times, comment
ing editorially upon Mr.. Chamberlain
speech at Birmingham last evening, saws:
'Mr. Chamberlain was assured before
hand of the approval of the whole body of
the Upionists when contending that. we
must draw closer the ties binding us to the
colonies. 1t was almost as much a fore
gone conclusion that the opportunity
should be seized of establishing permane mt
relations Of amity and something more
with the United States, whose success in
the operations that have lately taken place
has been welcomed here as not only justi-
fed 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 preparations for
the struggle had been made"
The Daily Chronicle welcomes Mr.. Cham
en Anglo-American alliance"
The Morning Post says: "Mr. Chamber
lain insists that it is only his own aspira-
ton when he declared that we should
seek an Anglo-Saxon alliance, but we
doubt whether this open-mouthed diplo-
macy will suit Lord Sallsburys arrange
ments at a moment when Spain and Amer
lea are involved in a contest in which we
are neutrals."
The Daily News thinks the speech "A
strong signal" and believes that ''the i'm
mediate point Of danger is West Africa
The Standard. applauding Mr.. Chamber
1ain's stand, says:
There is not the smallest reason to sup
pose 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 surface current Of
diplomacy; and the special quality which
lie has impaired to the declaration was the
emphasis Of concentrated and unadulter-
ated truth. We are liable at any moment