The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1898-05-20
ADVOCATES ALLIANCE.
Significant. speeoh OF Mr.. Cham.
berlatn, Secretary OF State
80 FOR the Colonies.

Es London, May 14.-Rt. Hon. JOSEPH
Chamberlain, secretary Of state for the
colonies, made an important speech at
Birmingham last night, it being note
worthy as the first open official advocacy
of an Anglo-American alliance. ~.
He made an outspoken attack on Rus
Ssia and argued in favor of the abandon
zment Of Great Britain's policy of isola-
ton. be said, in effect, that, In view of
the combined assault of the nations of the
world on the commercial supremacy of
Great Britain, which assault, If success
3fui, would threaten the country's exist
ence, the time must come before long
when the government of the day would
have to appeal to the patriotism of the
people. In prospect of the liability of be-
ing confronted at any moment vita a
combination of the great powers, the gov
eminent had not neglected it's first duty
together. The ties between the colonies
and dependencies and the mother coun-
try were never stronger.
The next duty, Mr.. Chamberlain de-
clared, was to establish and maintain per
manent amity with the kinsman across the
Atlantic. (Cheers.)
ne did not know what arrangements
might be possible with the United States
but he was convinced that the closer. fuller.
more cordial, and more definite those ar
rangements were, with the consent of both
peoples, the better it would be for both
them and for the world (Cheers.)
He would go so tar as to say that terri
bic as war might be, war itself would be
cheaply purchased if, in some great, noble
cause, the stars and stripes and the union
JACK waved together over an. Anglo-Sax-
on alliance.
This declaration evoked an outburst of
enthusiastic and prolonged cheering.
Continuing, Mr.. Chamberlain said that
one of the most satisfactory results of
Lord Salisbury's policy was that the two
Nations now understood each other better
than ever they had since they were sepa-
rated by laundering British government.
(Cheers.)
Turning to the Far Eastern question,
Mr.. Chamberlain said that since the col
lapse of the war with Japan, China had
become absolutely at the mercy of Russia.
Respecting the promises Russia had
made to Great Britain regarding China
and the manner in which she had broken
them fortnight later, Mr.. Chamberlain
declared 1t was better to say nothing, eX-
cept that He who sups with the devil
needs long SPOON
The government has been criticised for
not coming to an understanding with
Russia, for, if it had, who would have
guaranteed that the understanding would
have been kept? The only alternative
policy the government could have pursued
was war, but if Great Britain had forci-
bly, held Port Arthur it would not have
altered the situation or the fact that Rus
STA had a vast military force on the from
tier of China, against which Great Britain
was unable 10 set similar force. He
never advocated war unless there was
fair probability that the object of war
would be attained. One thing was Ger
tain, if the policy of isolation was to be
maintained the fate of China was likely
to be decided without reference to the
wishes of Great Britain and in defiance
of her interests. On the other hand,
Great Britain was determined to enforce
the policy of the 'open door,"
The .jingoes must not be allowed to
drive the country into a war with all the
world at once, and the idea of an alliance
with those powers whose interests nearly
Appropriated Great Britain's own must
not be rejected.
The speech delivered by Joseph Cham
berlain, the secretary of state for the
colonies, at Birmingham last evening has
increased the feeling of uneasiness on the
stock exchange. There was an all-around
weakness and business was poor.