The times., 1898-05-16
cHAMBERLAIN's ePAvE TONE.
1t Gives EngIishmen Severe At
tack of Nerves.

Mr.. Chamberlain and Lord Salisbury
| together have managed to give English
| men a severe attack of the nerves. 1t
will pass away as the situation is frankly
faced and some definite line of policy
is evolved. but this morning there is
no mistaking the familiar symptoms of
John Bull in something of a furry.
Lord Salisbury began the process on
Wednesday, at a private dinner of the
Bankers Association, when. thinking
that he was beyond the hearing of re-
porters. he drew so black picture of
the outlook abroad that the bankers
hurried to Threadneedie Street next
morning with ominous looks. OF course,
the character of the speech soon leaked
out. and the conjecture hastened to make
France and West Africa responsible for
Lord Salisbury's forebodings of a grave
crisis ct hand.
Last night at Birmingham Mr.. Cham
berIain assumed an equally grave tone
He did so openly and in long -dra wn-out
warnings, but made 1t clear that the
anxiety of the government was caused
not by West Africa alone,-as matter Of
fact ne did not once refer to West Afri-
ca-but by the world wide struggle be-
tween the living races and the dying, Of
which the Spanish-American conflict is
the most striking example. and out of
which, as the government hope and be-
iieye, great Anglo-Saxon understand
ing may spring.
Indeed, seeing the dominant influence
OF Mr.. Cecil Rhodes in imperial counsels
just now it is necessary, in order 10 un-
derstand the real trend of British policy
to read Mr.. Chamberlain's speech in con-
nection with Mr.. Rhodess views on
American policy, arising out of the Span
ish war, of which | was able to send you
an account on Thursday.
THE time may come before long
said Mr.. Chamberlain when the Govern
ment may have to appeal to the patriot
ism OF the people as a whole Such Ian
guage. taken in conjunction with Lord
Salisburys recent speeches and the con
text of MIR. ChamberIain's own speech, is
Interpreted In many quarters today
warning that diplomacy IS nearly eS-
hausted in some quarter of the globe. AS
though to emphasize this fact Ng. Cham
| berlatn went on 10 declare. amid loud
cheering, that war, though terrible. would
| be 'cheaply purchased if in a great and
noble cause the Stars and Stripes and
union jack should wave together over an
Anglo-Saxon alliance
There can be no miStaking the mean
ing of all this The British government
sees Russia in the Far East and France
in West Africa opposing British
policy by every means in their power
They have set themselves resoluteIy to
checkmate the policy of an open-trade
door upon which the future commercial
stability of England absolutely depends
In China. Russia, with France behind her.
has managed to get the better of England
in what Mr.. Chamberlain deliberately
insisted upon was a mere preliminary
skirmish.' Counting or Lord Salisburys 8
past complaisanee, in the way of grace
ful concessions and dread of war. in
West Africa, France with Russia behind
her. is trying the same tactics of trade
eXclusiveness
Mr. Chamberlain is the last man in
public iffe to<be called timid. but even he
shrsnks. as the majority of the cabinet
| shrink, from encouraging England TO face
alone this formidable European compact
| In view OF the inevitable collapse of
| Spain as an imperial power and, as they
| think, the possible entrance of the United
| States into the politics of the outside
/ world. the British government see in the
/ latter an effective ally in this common
cause of an open-trade door while they
| believe that in Mr.. Rhodes's tariff policy
| in Rh0desia which in this matter is the
! deciding factor for an South Africa, and
| Mr.. Laurier's tariff policy in Canada may
| be found the means Of cementing Anglo
| American unity ON the basis of mutual in
| terests.
| These, there are good reasons to be-
| lieve, are roughly the lines upon which
| the ministers thoughts here are running.
| with what chance of success must largely
| rest with you in America TO say. not
| today, or probably on any near day, but
| in the not distant future.
| 'As for England. il is practically of
/ md In, Tacir ,ros
| ticable understanding with America, but
| there viii be very many to agree with
! the Westminster Gazette this afternoon.
! when it says, We import the spirit of
| Tartarin when We talk of the Stars and
| Stripes and the Union Jack waving to-
| gether in great and terrible war we
| want to persuade both countries and
the world at large that the Anglo-Amer-
! lean movement should make for peace.
| How widespread is the English expec-
! tation of change in the American atti-
| tude towards international affairs is for
| chilly Illustrated By an article on i'm
| perial America in the Speaker a journal
! which speaks the mind of the Liberals
| The Speaker anticipates that Cuba and
| Puerto Rico will become terrilor of the
| Union, and adds: If the PhilippInes are
! to be administered as is the Indian Ru-
| reau, or as the Freedrnens Bureau usec
! to be, by office-seekers from the States.
| the future is full of trouble for the Union.
| Ii America means to govern the PhiIiD-
| pines successfully. it must give them q
| permanent civil service a permanent colo
NAL army. and an administration fret.
| from the scandals which made the deal
| ings with the Indians a lasting reproach
| Even so a new set of difficulties proba-
| bly, awaits it. Possession of the Philip
| pines will give a dangerous stimulus tc
/ the power of the capitalist and trusts
will upset the political balance of the
! Union, divert capital from useful employ
ment at home to speculative investment
| abroad, and involve the republic in Eu-
| ropean complications from which her
! founder advised her. above all things. tc
keep aloof'
| Mr.. Chamberlain's speech, though it
carefully omitted reference to war, inevi-
! tably indicates the feelings which he and
| the ministry entertain towards the be-
| gfnnings of European movement for
/ Intervention in the interests of Spain
| Every day increases the uneasiness of
| European soYereigns at the possible con-
! sequences to their own thrones of the
| spread of the condition of things the war
has brought to the surface in Spain and
| Italy, and anti-monarchical agitation is
| sfngularly contagious among hungry and
| overtaxed men. The impression here is
| that the kaiser and the czar would go
| great lengths in support OF the king of
Italy and queen of Spain in case of dire
necessity. Nobody, however, suggests
that England would under any conceiva-
bic circumstances join in imposing upon
either country any particular form of
| government.
CASTELRERG The Reliable JeweIer.