The evening times., 1898-08-04
CONCERT THAT FAILED.
The Part Great Britain Played In .
Cuban Scheme.


Some attention has been attracted to a
report in the July number of the National
Review, published in London, of an at
tempt in Europe to form concert OF
powers to deal with Cuba as they treated
Crete, the United States to be placed In
the position Greece occupied against Tur-
key The project was frustrated. the Re-
view says, by Great Britain's refusal to
countenance 1t. The editor, L. j. Maxse
says his facts ARE drawn from several
reliable sources" The London corre-
spondent of the New York Commercial
Advertiser. in answer to an inquiry, ca
bles as follows:
THE report has been current here oral
ly for three months. The Review puts
together details and hints from journals,
speeches and club gossip. The secret
American sources of Mr.. Maxse are re-
garded as trustworthy, and he is in the
foreign office swim
The Reviews article Is subjoined:
when the history of a recent piece of
diplomacy comes to be written 1t will be
found that British craftsmanship played
a part with which the British people have
every reason to be gratified. AS the Incl
dent is now closed and Is becoming en-
numbered with the interested misrepre-
sentations circulated by those who were
hoist with their own petard, II is as well
that the ascertainable facts should be
placed upon record-especially as they
form an episode that may at any moment
be repeated. When the Cuban crisis came
to head. and it at last became manifest
even TO the perverse and purblind states
men of continental Europe that a war be-
tween the United States and Spain was
imminent. they resolved to make a Euro
pean question of Cuba: in other words
to turn It. If possible, into a second Crete,
and treat the States as they had treated
Greece. France, followed for once BY her
consort, Russia, and eagerly seconded by
Austria, took the lead in the preliminary
pourparlers.
The animating motive of the latter
power-apart from reactionary prejuiices
against America-was the respectable de-
sire to protect an Austrian princess in
distress tthe Queen Regent of SPAIN: the
French government was mainly impelled
by less sentimental and more practical
motives-the irresistible instinct OF the in
vestor- The French stake in Spain was
estimated few months ago at no less
than flGo,0 .0oo-that is. G4 per head of
the entire French population or four-fifths
of the huge indemnity France paid to
Germany after the Franco-German war.
stand idly by when this vast mass of
French wealth was in jeopardy. More
over, the financial tie between France and
Spain is strengthened by an ardent Latin
patriotism and by the close political re-
iations existing between the governments
BY her abstinence from the Triple ALI
ance the monarchy has greatly strength
ened the hands of the republic which
otherwise would have been obliged to
keep several army corps along the Pyre-
nees as she does along the Italian from
tier.
This well-known contingency has hith-
erto provided Spain with a powerful
trump card, held so long in reserve as to
be now probably useless. Italy. we be-
lieve. remained outside the Cuban Con-
cert at any rate, she had taken no ac-
tive steps in the matter when the triplice |
of France. Russia and Austria were ex-
changing views with Germany The Ber-
lin government not unnaturally responded |
most cordially to the proposals. The op- |
of setting the two great repub- |
lies by the ears and of humiliating ore
by the instrumentality of the other was |
not likely to be missed by the Kaiser |
and his astute advisers Moreover. there
were old sores to be paid OFF against a |
country which had attracted the flower |
of the German population. and which |
might, unless checked, cut Germany out |
in commerce. develop into a great sea
power and insist on exercising demo-
cratic influence on questions which are
only fit for the cognizance of autocrats
1.-THE accession of Germany to the new
concert was made contingent on the CO.
operation of Great Britain-a condition
that was heartily assented to by the 9TH
sr powers, who did no. regard 1t is en-
1angering the project. Indeed these
xiseacres regarded Great Britain's sup |
port as already assured. Had not Lord |
declared himself an enthusias-
ic adherent of the Federation of Eu
-ope' as the only hope of perpetuating |
,eace. and what more suitable work could |
De found for it than the protection of a |
nation? Again, were not the |
citations between the British and Amer |
can governments always more or less |
strained. and could Great Britain have |
orgotten or forgiven the Venezuelan |
message and the Olney notice to quit
he Western Hemisphere? Could She. |
inally. be so fatuous as not to recognize |
hat as sure as rappetit Went en- man. |
,eant the appropriation of Spanish Cuba |
)y the States would lead to the appro- |
,riation of British Canada by the same
lggressors?
$50 they argued. and convinced them
elves that 1t was reasonable to demand
,uE I WIS vital 10 OBTAIN
t, for, in case those amazing and meal
ulable Americans should refuse to bow
o the superior sagacity of European
and decline to permit the
brilliant Cretan experiment to be repeated
It their doors, John Bull would be the
'ery man to bell the cat. He could make
himself useful in a naval demonstration |
If Boston and New York. and If that
lid not bring the States to their senses
he worst that could happen would be an
american attack upon Canada Then.
vhen those villainous Anglo-Saxons had
,ot one another comfortably by the
hroat the continental combination would |
e free to amuse themselves elsewhere.
rhile Russia, e. g., would be able to turn |
round. disclaim all connection with the
.lleged concert, and pose as the tradi-
ional friend of the great Republic. 1t
vas, altogether the prettiest plot of mod
m times. and though the desire to up
old an European nation against America
vas at the bottom of 1t. the possible ul-
er;or developments as indicated above ad-
INV NnllM NJ TnV Rnl1M M |