The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1899-10-26
CHAMBERLAIN ON DIPLOMACY
RIGOROUS 4NSWER TO CRITICISM
IN THE COMMONS.

| Irish Members with Inconsistency-
Their sympathy With America and
Their Animosity for England.
London, Oct. 25.-The session of the
house of commons to-day was charac-
terized by another outbreak of the
leaders of the opposition to the govern
ment After Michael Davitt had given
notice that he would resign his seat
tomorrow as a protest to the South
African war, Sir William Vernon Har-
court, the former liberal leader in the
house, said he desired again to call at
tention to the provocation of Joseph
Chamberlain the secretary of state for
the colonies, during the negotiations
and in his speech at Highbury.
Mr.. Chamberlain replied repudiating
the intention to be provocative and
saying that he only intended to be plain
and free from all ambiguity. He add
ed that he only followed in the negotia-
tions the principles observed by all
statesmen during the past ten or tWen-
ty years. '"There was a time" he ex-
planned, when diplomacy was regard
ed as given to statesmen to enable them
to conceal their thoughts. That might
fairly be called the old diplomacy,
which / absolutely and entirely repudi-
ate" People, he continued. were en-
titled to demand a clear expression of
views and there never had been the
slightest justification for the statement
that President Kruger had been in
doubt.
Mr.. Chamberlain then said: "Our OBJ
ject, methods and determination were
to carry out these objects. 1t was nee
essary to impress upon President Kru-
ger the seriousness of the step he was
called upon to take and the conse-
quences which would follow any mis-
take on his part. 1t was not desira-
BILE to include in an official dispatch col
latoral suggestions and indications of
opinion, but mi-official warning was
frequently conveyed in speech. A
similar warning was given by Lord Sal
isbury to the Sultan at the Guild hall
banquet and / am still absolutely un-
repentant.
Respecting to-day's speeches they
are simply a massing of old arguments
that they are Englands enemies and
from the radicals, who in principle op-
pose the war Regarding Mr.. Davitt,
Mr., Chamberlain said he recognized
that he had hitherto discussed the mat
ter more radically and sincerely and
he added, Il would pay the greatest at
tention to his arguments If l did not |
know he would use the same argu- |
ments in regard to any British war, |
which are based on his enmity to Eng |
land" Mr.. Chamberlain then said:
What would have been the Irish ar |
gument in the Spanish-American war |
in which Spain showed herself infinite
ly less capable of defending herself |
than the Transvaal - Here Mr.. Red |
mond, Parnellite, shouted: "The
Transvaal did not blow UP your war;
ships!"
Mr.. Chamberlain continued: "The |
great, almost determining contest be-
.Ween the United States and Spain vas
ought without the loss of a single
American. We have never denied that
he Transvaal was a foeman worthy Gf
,ur steel. Not only was the disparity
between the forces in the Spanish
but the contention of the Unit
ID States and their right of interfer-
,nce arose from the fact that at some
distance from their territories there was
not of American citizens,
,ut of another race and people, and
hat justified the intervention of the
United States in the mind of the civil
fed world, or, at any rate in the eyes
# Englishmen and Irishmen. But we
re interfering in behalf of our own
eople. 1t is perfectly certain that Mr..
)avit, but for his hatred of England,
would sympathize with us as he did
With America"
Mr.. Chamberlain then replied to the
riticism of his note accepting the me-
iation of Mr. Hofmeyer the Afrikan-
er leader, pointing out that while he
elieved Mr.. Hofmeyer to be sincere |
ct he could not forget when President S
Kruger made absolutely illusory pro- s
osals for q settlement" Mr.. Hofmey- ]
r was perfectly ready to accept them s
resident Kruger misled Mr.. Hofmeyer /
I promising him proposals which diff {
cred materially from those he really {
resented. 6
IUGI6 mas Cunllllutll MI. CIdtHDeE- !
lin, been on the part of the Transvaal l
rookedness altogether incomprehensible {
they desired a settlement. l believe &
ON first to last, President Kruger nev- 8
intended to give anything approach '
lg equal rights to the white races, or G
ny acknowledged of British suprem- @
cy. War, therefore, was inevitable. e
here has been enormous strain upon c
$ We are called upon to bring the S
ar to a quick conclusion and send c
cross the sea a force nowhere in his +
Try ever sent. This is directly due to +
le preparation which made the Trans I
lal an armed camp and which not only o
cured it defensive position, but ena-
es # to take the offensive against the
rye force now engaged. Such strain 4
,uld not be continued forever We
lould have needed a permanent force
%, 900 men in South Africa. We are d
Id we shall never rule South Africa. O
ur foreign friends are Convinced of it. e
ct they are not happy. Such predic- a
)ns were made before and We're even a
lrrent in the days of Elizabeth. But n
am not alarmed. One great Teutonic C
.ople cannot hold in subsection anoth- a
great Teutonic people, but this has
ver been our course. 1t is impossible