The times., 1898-12-11
A STUDIED INDIsCRETIoN.
London's Opinion of Monscn'a
Pregnant Words.

/
Pregnant Words.
London, Dec. 10.-rt is q happy indica-
tion of the soundness of the bases of Eng
lish life that imperialism and education
just now go hand in hand. The Prince oi
Wales's check for 100 guineas, announced
today, gives a finishing touch to the re-
markable national outburst awakened by
Gen. Lord Kitcheners scheme for the
Gordon Memorial College at Khartoum.
How earnestly the English. government
and people take their educational mission
in the dark places of this world is evil
denced by Ambassador Monson's out
spoken warning to France this week, that
England must regard NJ. Deioncle's pro-
posals for French colleges at Khartoum
and Fashoda as a new and serious depar-
ture in the policy of pinpricks. Sir Ed
mund Monson seeks this morning by a
semi-official note in the press, to tone
down his warning somewhat to suit
French sensibiiities. but in London mis-
speech is regarded as a studied indiscre-
tlon, calculated to awaken the French
nation 20 a sense of the real dangers in
volved in the neglect of successive French
ministries to assist in removing the causes
of o-French friction wherever France
and England meet in Africa, Asia. OF
North America
The Warming to France.
Indeed, the Monson incident, followed.
as 1t quickly has been, by another re-
markable speech from Mr. Chamberlain
makes 1t more than ever clear that
| though the Fashoda difficulty has been
peacefully negotiated. France and Eng
land are still most uncomfortable in their
attitude towards one another. A minis
| ter of the crown, even when he is Mr.
Chamberlain himself, does not lightly tel
a neighboring power that cordial friend.
! ship is incompatible with a policy of ex-
asperation and twisting the lions tall
and that 1--WE at any rate are not willing
| to purchase that friendship at the price
| of concessions which are never recipro-
Gated.
| Then to make the speech still more
ominous to France, Mr.. Chamberlain pro-
ceeded to offer sort of apology to the
| Czar for his historic devil -with-a-long-
| spoon" speech, and openly proposed q
| friendly Anglo-Russian deal. The expla-
nation which. in welI-informed circles, is
put upon this remarkable turnabout is
| that the French ministry practically is
adopting the policy of sulks, which VI. dc
| Pressense foreshadowed at the time ol
| the Fashoda withdrawal.
France In Africa.
! France will not seriously consider ar
all-round deal in Africa to follow that
which Germany has concluded with Eng
| land. Lord Salisbury feels that she
might be differently inclined were Eng
| land and Russia to make up their differ
ences, and 1t Is no secret that the infiu
ence of the respective royal families ha;
been most earnestly used of late tc
| further this end
In Great Britain Itself educat'ona
questions are occupying a large Place ir
| the public mind. One of the leading
4 Items in the government program fol
next session is bill to organize second
! airy education. while the movement foI
| a Roman Catholic University in ireland
! Is eliciting so much pubic sympathy
| that despite the opposition of the Ulster
| Conservatives. Mr.. Balfour expects to be
| able to carry the proposal next session
Sir Charles Gavan Duffy. writing frcn
| Nice. puts the case thus in the Spectator
| of today: There are two Protestant
| universities in England. two PresbJ-
| terian universities in Scot and. one essen
TALLY Protestant university for the mi
| nority in ireland. In the name of com
mon sense and common justice why moi
| an essentially Roman Catholic university
for the majority"
The Nicaragua Canal.
So far as can be gathered, British min
listers do not share the fears SO freely
expressed in the press here this week
that the United States will adopt policy
in regard to the Nicaragua CaEal out OF
| line with the Anglo-American entente
England. it seems, is quite prepared fol
some revision of the Bulwer-Claytor
treaty, but that revision must be some
thing far short of the entire abrogatior
of British rights which is being urged
upon the Government. From Influential
quarters one hears the word condominior
used In respect of the Nicaragua Canal
as it was used last year in the Anglo
American pourparlers respecting the Fan
East.
Equally happy ministerial circles pro-
fess themselves to be over the latest de-
yelopments of the fiscal part of the new
American policy of expansion. The conf
dence with which they speak of the ulti-
mate settlement of the open door," OF
rather equality of opportunity" prob
lem would suggest that some clear under
standing has been reached between Wash
ington and London.
The Small Americans.
On the other hand, it is very suggestive
TO read the somewhat lachrymose fore
bodings which the Times today draws
from the strong anti-annexationist view
of men like former President Cleveland
and former Secretary Sherman. 1t evil
IDENTIFY fears the stir which the antrim
perialist Democrats may make under a
leadership so much respected here, and
makes the confession, which may not have
yet crossed the Atlantic and derives nc
small Importance from its source: 'For
the moment, annexation is popular. II
may not be as much in favor when the
country is called upon two years hence to
choose q new President and elect new
Congress"
Canon Rawnsley. the well-known poet OF
Wordsworths countryside. has refused
the Archbishop of Canterbury's offer OF
the bishopric of Madagascar.
tn,