The herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1893-1900, 1898-05-18
STEAMER

constant assertions In certain quarters
that Lord Salisbury was "discredited" and
the government weak and vacillating,'
said:
IF foreign countries believe and act
upon those statements they will find them
selves much mistaken, and that courteous
diplomacy and graceful concessions are
not incompatible with firm maintenance
of the country's honor and interests"
Then, declaring that he intended to make
plain statement of facts. unfettered
by the mysteries and reticences of the
diplomacy Of half a century ago, which,
without revealing secret negotiations.
should be understood by the people," Mr.
Chamberlain said he would accept the
judgment of the people as willingly as that
Of the wisest diplomat in the world. Re
ferring to the policy of strict isolation that
England has pursued since the Crimean
war, he remarked that this had been per
fectly justifiable," and added 1.-THE time
has arrived when Great Britain may be
confronted by a 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
permanent unity with our kinsmen across
the Atlantic. loud cheers)
There is a powerful and generous ma
tion," said Mr.. Chamberlain, using our
language. bred of our race and having IN
terests identical with ours. would go so
far as to say that, terrible as war may be.
even war itself would be cheaply pur-
chased If in a great and noble cause the
Stars and Stripes and the Union Jack
should wave together over an Anglo
Saxon alliance. prolonged cheers.)
1T is one Of the most satisfactory re-
suits Of Lord Salisbury's policy that at
the present time these two great nations
understand each other better than they
ever have done since over a century ago,
when they were separated by the blunder
of British government"
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 defensive frontier
in China and cannot, therefore, injure Rus
STA without an ally. The fate of the whole
Chinese empire Is involved, and our in
terests are so enormous that no more vital
question was ever presented for decision
to tn British nation and British govern
ment. Unless the fate of China is to be de-
cided without England's voice, we must
not reject the idea of an alliance with
those powers whose interests are similar
to ours"
The Real Danger
LONDON, May 49, The Times, COM
menting editorially this morning on the
decisions in parliament on the Hispano-
American situation, says:
The United States will regard with equa-
nimity the threat of a general conflagra-
ton in Europe, in which Spain would be
reduced to the role of a subordinate actor
Ia is the danger of any consequence Of
this kind. indeed, that will make CONT
mental powers think twice and thrice be-
fore interfering in the Spanish American
question.
The editorial proceeds to refute the ar
guments offered by Michael Davitt
against an Anglo-American alliance, and
says:
In spite Of Mr.. Davitts protests, we
take leave to express our conviction, as
we'll as our hope, that Mr.. Chamberlain's
plain speaking on a subject which has
long occupied the minds of thoughthhl
men on both sides of the Atlantic, has pro-
duood q pood offoct