The times., 1898-06-05
AMERICA AND ENGLAND.
The Text of the Famous Speech of
Rt. Hon. Joseph Chamberlain.

=
Rt. Hon. Joseph Chamberlain.
'T want, according to my manner, to sub
nit to you plain statement of the situation as
1t appears to me. Ours is a democratic govern
ment We gain all strength from the conf
dence of the people. l''Hear, hear!'l, and we
cannot gain strength or confidence unless show
confidence in return. and therefore, to my mind
there is no longer any room for the mysteries
and the reticences OF the diplomaty OF fifty years
ago.
.'Now, the first point that I want TO impress
upon you is this. 1t is the cruS OF the situation.
Since the Crimean war nearly fifty years ago, the
policy of this country has been policy OF strict
isolation We have had no allies; | am afraid
we have had no friends. ILaughter.l That is not
due altogether to the envy which is undoubtedly
felt at success: it is due in part to the sus-
picion that we are acting in our own selfish in
terests and were willing that other people should
draw the chestnuts out of the fire for us; that
we would take responsibilities, while we
were glad enough to profit by the work OF others.
but in recent years different complexion
has been placed upon the matter. new fitua-
tion has arisen and it is right that the people of
this country should have it under their consd-
Grafton All the powerful states OF Europe have
made alliances, and as long keep out of these
alliances. long are envied by all, and
suspected by all, and as long as we have inter
ests which at time or another conflict gith
the interests Of all. liable 10 be confronted
at any moment with combination of great pow
ers so powerful that not the most extreme,
the most hot-headed. politician would be able to
contemplate it without u certain sense Of un-
easness. I''Hear. hear!"l
I'VE stand alone. ard may be confronted
with such combination that | have indicated
a
under those circumstances? say, without hesita-
tion. that the first duty is to draw all parts OF
the empire closer together loud and prolonged
Cheersl, to infuse into them u spirit OF united
and of imperial patriotism. lCheers.l We have
not neglected that primary duty [Cheersl We
have pursued it steadfastly, and with results that
are patent TO all the world. Never before in the
history of the British empire have the ties which
connected with great colonies and de
pendencies been stronger; never before has the
sense OF common interests in trade and in de-
fense and in war; never before has the sense Of
these interests been more strongly felt or more
cordially expressed lCheers.l
What is next duty? IL is to establish and
maintain bonds of permanent amity with our
kinsmen across the Atlantic loud cheeIs.I They
are powerful and generous nation. They speak
our language; they bred of race. Loud
cheeTs.l Their laws. their literature their stand
point upon every question, the same as ours;
their feeling, their interest in the cause of hu-
manity and the peaceful development OF the world
are identical with ours. [Cheers. l do not know
what the future has in store for us / do not
know what arrangements may be possible with
us. but this know and feel-that the closer, the
more cordial the fuller. and the more definite
these arrangements are with the consent of both
peoples, the better II viii be ior both and for
the world Loud cheers And / even 90 50 far
as to say that, terrible as war may be, even war
| Itself would be cheaply purchased ii in a great
and noble cause the Stars and Stripes and the
Union Jack should wave together loud and pro-
| longed cheersl over an Anglo-Saxon alliance
Now, it Is one of the most satisfactory results Of
/, Lord Salisburys policy cheersi that at the
present time these two great nations understand
each other better than they have ever done since
more than a century ago. L"Hear, hcar,"l They
! were separated by the blunder OF the British
! government.
! ''As to the East | will only say this-that more
4 active interference on behalf either Of Armenia
or Of Crete would have infaliibly brought about
precisely one of those combinations which have
indicated to you possible I hear, hear!'J. and
! do not believe there is anyone in this country
any reasonable man. who would pretend that it
( would be right for his country to face such a
contingency IN such cause But in the cours.
Of the last four months the interest has shifted
/ further eastward still. 10 China, where rndoubt
! edly, vastly greater interests are at stake; and
! although we are only at the beginning Of great
! events-the result Of which il Is impossible TO
! foresee. although foresee that they viii
/ be OF momentous Importance to every man and
! woman in this cOuntry-although | say. we are
/ only at the beginning of events. already we are
condemned by impatient section OF politicians
! for want of foresight and for want OF success
Now think, il you will be patient with me-
can show that these two charges at any rate are
groundess; but do not wish you to believe that
in my opinion the campaign Is over: that the
| victory has been that there are not in the
! future problems OF the most serious character
with which this country has got 10 deal But
let US take the question OF fort sight do not
really follow the language Of some of our critics
! Do they really believe that the government. Of
all nen. were alone ignorant of what every tyro
/ in politics was perfectly we'll acquainted with?
Everybody has foreseen. everybody has known
not for the last few months, but for many. MANY
/ years--that it was the persistent ambition and
! the continuous policy Of Russia to extend her
eastern dominions southwark 10 have an ice-frce
port for her trade and an ice-frce harbor for her
! safety. Nobody ignorant of that The gov
! eminent knew 1t as well the man in the street
! lLaughter.l
But there is thing that nobody knew
People may have suspected il, but / venture
! TO say that the majority of those who had the
best means OF judging not prepared for the
total collapse of China in the japanese Chinese
| war. We knew that only few years ago China
| or the fear of China, had forced Russia herself to
! give up territory, which she had previously oc-
cupied and | do not believe that before this war
| there was any general satisfactory information
| at all which would have led one to gather that
the absolute corruption. the Grass ignorance and
! the gross misgovernment of the mandarins in
! China had brought the ancient empire to pcsi
tion of practical impotence, in which all effective
| resistance for a time entirely DESTROYED But
that important fact to recognize From
! the moment that you recognized that fact YOU
had to see that China. unless she were assisted
from outside. is absolutely at the mercy of the
| great military empire, with its hundred millions
| of inhabitants and with 1000 miles of land
frontier the boundary OF China
! But when this information complete?
| When was this knowledge certain? Not in our
time, but in the time of the late government
| The matter, | have said, is much too serious
| for anything in the nature of recrimination In
| such case it seems to me that the tn quoo,le