The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-05-18
Offensive Language Uttered BY a
British Minister.
EXPLANATION DEMANDED
CHAMBERLATN'S SPEECH PRO
NoUNCED AS INDISoREET.
Chamberlain Himself Enjoys the Sem
sation, But No One Else Finds
Cause For Hilarity Desire to
Drive France From Africa, Even
at the Risk of War.

New York, May IA dlSp2tcn 10 the
World from London says:
The Russian ambassador has been
directed to demand from Lord Sails
bury, it is reported, an explanation of
Mr.. Chamberlain's assertion that Rus
STA is ineligible for an alliance because
of her perfidy.
The prevailing opinion now is that
Mr.. Chamberlain speech, in which he
advocated an AngloSaXon alliance,
was a grievous indiscretion. 1t has eX-
cited resentment without promising to
attain any advantage. His Indirect
calling the car the devil is sure, 1t
is believed, to give undying offense in
St. Petersburg.
In the City of London the financial
district) today great depression prevail
ed. Rumors We're flying about that the
government proposes to offer a large
issue of exchequer bills to form war
chest. A further rise in the bank rate
was freely predicted.
Mr. Chamberlains main and immedi-
ate object is known to force France
to evacuate Brossia, West Africa, even
at the fisk of war. Il has leaked out
that in his private talk TO bankers last
Thursday Lord Salisbury said that the
West African situation is the most Sc
rious matter the cabinet has now to
deal with and it's satisfactory solution
seems well nigh impossible.
This anticipatory declaration by the
prime minister gives gravity to Mr..
Chamberlain's speech, which it other
wise might have lacked because of the
universal suspicion that he was playing
simply his own hand.
ONE MONTH TO CLEAN OUT"
A further element of seriousness is
impaired to the situation by the re-
mark of the Duke of Cambridge at the
volunteer banquet on Friday night,
that France had been given a month
to clear out of Brossia, the disputed
district in West Africa. The duke to-
day denied having said this, but volun
teer officers present declare that his
words were taken down at the time
and passed around the table to all
guests on a slip of paper marked con
fidential."
A variety of circumstances, in short,
tend to cause great anxiety here con-
corning the outlook, which now is af-
fected by the inspired statement from
French agencies that the West African
negotiations are progressing satisfac-
torily
Everything seems to prove the worth
of the words of an editorial published
broadcast here, that Mr.. Chamberiain's
proposed Anglo-American alliance
springs from a desire to draft us into a
war over a miasmatic swamp in West
Africa. Among even the limited sec
ton of politicians in parliament favor
able TO such an alliance the idea of Mr..
Chamberlain's declaration is treated as
absurdly in advance of events, while
the bulk of the members of parliament
who would either be Indifferent or hos
tile to it. are affronted that a minister
should hawk offers of a British alli-
ance in the market place.
FUN FOR CHAMBERLAIN.
Mr. Chamberlain himself is delighted
over the sensation he has created,
though his jubilation obviously is not
shared by his colleagues. Several mem
bers OF parliament pressed him private
ly tonight for & more explicit state
ment concerning the danger ahead. He
merely replied oracularly:. ''Eve1s will
justify"
The Liberal leaders intend to have a
debate on his speech ut the earliest pos
sible moment, which cannot now be
until Friday. after the Whitsuntide re-
cess.
A drift of opinion regarding the An
alliance may be gathered
from articles in the principal papers,
except the Mail, which has championed
none but lest causes during its short eX-
istence. No newspaper has received the
suggestion with enthusiasm.
The News fears that whatever chance
there is Of realizing an alliance. .'gush
ana jingoism" are likely to destroy Mr..
1t says: He was guilty
of jingoism in arguing an Anslo-Ameli-
can alliance as an engine OF decisive
action"
The Globe observes: we would be
glad to live in the likelihood of n per-
manent alliance of the English speaking
nations, but in the case of the United
States their foreign policy undergoes
such quick and violent changes that
friend Of today becomes an enemy to-
AS long as our naval sIprem
acy endures we have no need for help
on the ocean, while the United States
could give no help on land
The Star, strongly pro-American,
says: Let US not fall into the error of
forcing sentiment in a dollhouse of sell
fshness That is Mr.. Chamberlain's
mistake In this business of an Anglo
American alliance pushfulness is like
~ to do more harm than good"
The st. James Gazette remarks: THE
good people who fancy that all is now
but signing a formal treaty
IF Offense and defense are going much
too fast, and are likely to do only mis-
chief The United States have yet to
realize their own isolation and actual
LANCER, but for British support in Eu-
rope"
The gush referred to by the News is
supplied by editorials from certain New
York papers, which may have been
EASILY drawn out by Mr.. Chamberlain's |
Interesting effusiveness.
SALISBURY'S RETICENCE.