The daily morning journal and courier., 1898-05-14
TAE BRITISH POLICY Joseph Chamberlain, Secre- tary for Colonies, Makes
 an Important Speech. A STATEMENT OF FACTS UNFETTERED BY MYSTERIES AND
 RETrCENOEs OF DIPLOMACY.
After Referring to Great Brltain,s rso-

After Referring to Great Britain's Iso-
 lation Since the Crimean War and .
 Possible Combination of European
 Powers Against the Country He Says.
 "War Itself Would be CheapIy Pur-
 chased if in Great and Noble Cause
 Jack Should Wave Together Over an
 AnglO-Saxon Alliance.
 London, May 13.-The Rt. Hon. Jo- seph Chamberlain, secretary of state for the colonies, made an important speech on public affairs at Birmingham this evening. MT. Chamberlain, after deprecating the constant assertions in certain quarters that Lord Salisbury was "discredited' and the government weak, said: "If foreign countries be- lieve and act upon those statements they will find themselves much mistak- en and that courteous diplomacy and graceful concessions are not incompat- ible with a firm maintenance of the country's honor and interests"
 Then declaring that he intended to make "a plain statement of facts un- fettered by the mysteries and reticences of the diplomacy of half century ago, which, without revealing secret negoti- ations, shouldtb 'understanded of the people, MT. Chamberlain said that he would accept the judgment of the peo- pie as willingly as that of the wisest diplomat in the world. Referring to the policy of strict isolation that England has pursued since the Crimean war; he remarked that this had been "perfectly justifiable," but he added, tthe time has arrived when Great Britain may be confronted by a combination of pow ers and our first duty is to bring all parts of our empire into close unity.
 There is a powerful and generous nation," said MT. Chamberlain, speak ing our language, bred of our race and having interests identical with ours. [ would go so far as to say that war itself would be cheaply purchased if in great and noble cause the stars and stripes and the Union Jack should wave together over an Anglo-Saxon alliance Prolonged cheers).
 Tt is one of the most satisfactory re- suits of Lord salisbury's policy that at the present time these two great na- tions understand each other better than they ever have done, since over a cen- tury ago they were separated by the blunder of a British government"
 MT. 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 posses an array or a defen- sive frontier in China and cannot there fore injure Russia without an ally. The fate of the whole Chinese empire is in- volved, and our interests are so enor- nous that no more vital question was ever presented for decision to the Britt ish nation and British government. Unless the fate of China is to be decid- ed without Englands voice we must not reject the idea of an alliance with those powers whose interests are similar to ours.''
 IN THE HOUSE OF COMMONS. Baron Muskerry Asks Salisbury an Ex- tremeIy Difficult Question. London, May 13.-In the house of lords, to-day, Baron Muskerry, con- servatiye, asked if measures would be