The record-union., 1898-05-14

Joseph Chamberlain, Secretary of State
for the Colonies, made an important
speech on public affairs at Birmingham
this evening.
Mr. Chamberlain, after deprecating
the constant assertions in certain quar-
ters that Lord Salisbury was tdiscred-
ited' and the Government weak and
vaccillating," said IF foreign coun-
tries believe and act upon those state
ments, they will find themselves much
mistaken, and that courteous diplomacy
and graceful concessions are not in
compatible with a firm maintenance of
the country's honor and interests"
Then. declaring that he intended to
make a plain statement of the facts,
unfettered by the mysteries and re-
licences of the diplomacy of half a GEN.
tury ago, which without revealing Sc
cret negotiations should be under
standed of the people" Mr.. Chamber
lain said he would accept the judgment
of the people as willingly as that of
the wisest diplomatist in the world.
| Referring to the policy of strict iso-
lation that England has pursued since
the Crimean war, he remarked that this
had been perfectly justifiable," and
added: '"The time has arrived when
Great Britain may be confronted by
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 perma-
nent unity with our kinsmen across the
Atlantic. Cloud cheers).
There is a powerful and generous
nation said Mr. Chamberlain, using
our language bred of our race and
having interests identical with ours. l
would go SO far as to say that, terri
BILE as war may be. even war itself
would be cheaply purchased if in a
great and noble cause the Stars and
Stripes and the Union Jack should
wave together over an Anglo-S Saxon al
lance. prolonged cheers).
| 1T is one of the most satisfactory
results of Lord Salisbury's policy that
at the present time these two great
nations understood each other better
than they ever have done since over a
century ago, when they We're surren-
dered by the blunder of British Gov
iernment."
| Mr.. Chamberlain proceeded to draw a
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 a defen-
sive 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 decis-
ion to the British nation and a 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 Powers whose
interests are similar to ours"
| PRESS COMMENT ON THE SPEECH.
! LONDON, May 13.-The Times -
commenting editorially upon Mr.. Cham
berlain's speech at Birmingham last
| evening, says: Mr. Chamberlain was
assured beforehand Of the approval of
| the whole body of the UnionistS when
contending that we must draw closer
| the ties binding us to the colonies. 1t
| was almost as much a foregone con-
clusion that the opportunity should be
seized of establishing permanent rela-
! tions of amity and something more with
| the United States, whose success in
the operations that have lately taken
place have been welcomed here as not
only justified by the goodness of her
cause, but as a tribute to the practi-
| cal 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..
| Chamberlain'S brave and historical
plea for an Anglo American alliance"
The Morning Post says: Mr..
Chamberlain insists that it is only his
| own aspiration when he declared that
we should seek an Anglo-SaXon alli-
| ance, but we doubt whether this open
| mouthed diplomacy will suit Lord Sal
! isbury's arrangements at a moment.
when Spain and America are involved
| in contest on which we are neutrals." :"
The Daily News" thinks the speech
"a strong signal and believes that the
Immediate point of danger is West
| Africa
| The STANDARD" applauding Mr..
| Chamberlain's stand, says: There is
not the smallest reason to suppose that
/ his convictions are not shared by ev-
cry 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 he has impaired to the declara-
ton was the emphasis of concentrated
/ and unadulterated truth. We are Ii
| able at any moment to be confronted
! by a combination of all the European
| Powers. The contingency should not
be dismissed as impossible, merely be-
cause it would be startlingly unpleas-
ant. Already we have endeavored with
! no small success to draw all parts of
our vast empire together in the firm de-
| termination to cooperate for the COM
mon defense; nor can it be said that
| there is anything lacking in our feel
/ ing of regard and friendship for the
great kindred community on the other
side of the Atlantic