Evening star., 1899-03-16
q. s. Ambassador Entertained by
Commercial Organizations.
TALKS ON QUESTION OF ALLIANCE
His Idea is: Friendly Rivalry Backed
by Arbitration.
QUOTES PRESIDENTS WORDS

! Joseph H.. Choate the United States am
bassador to the court of St. James, mad,
| his first public appearance in England a
the banquet of itheo Association of Cham
bers of Commerce of the, United Kingdom
which was held at thet Metrepoe Hote
this evening. There was a brilliant anc
distinguished gathering, about go person!
having been invitedf to meet the ambassa
dor, including the lord chief justice o.
England, Baron Russellt Of Killewen, thu
Hon. Sir Henry Saffond Northcote, the
president Of the associat ton; the primt
minister, the Marquis Of, Salisbury: the
Earl OF Jersey, the Earl of Dartmouth
Lord Reay, Rear Admiral Lord Charles
Beresford, the Right Hon. c. T. Ritchie
president of the board of trade; James r
Garter, second secretary of the United
States embassy, and many members o.
parliament.
Mr.. Choate. who on arriving was heartily
welcomed by the chairman and officials OF
the association, sat in the place of honor
on the right of the chairman.
Tribute From Beresford.
Rear Admiral Lord Charles Beresford
who replied to the toast to the navy, con
cluded his speech by saying:
The company is waiting to hear dis
tingushed guest, the new ambassador OF
the United States. whom every man of the
fore and aft in this country is delighted tC
see, but L cannot be ted without saying
that took every opportunity to see The
fleet OF America in both the Pacific and At
lantic. l saw very excellent fleet, MOI
only in the way the ships are built. but il
respect to general organization and pre-
paredness.
Il need not extol its officers and men
They are of the same blood as ourselves
and have proved what they could do wher
called upon. l hope the time will very
shortly come when there will be such al
understanding between the two countrie:
that If anything occurs disagreeable to Us
or affecting our honor and safety these t"'c
fleets will be together. That will make
for peace"
Mr.. ChOatc's Response.
Mr.. Choate, on rising to respond to the
toast Our Guests" received an ovation.
He began jokingly, protesting that he was
overwhelmed with embarrassment at being
called upon to respond in priority to the
lord chief justice. He felt that when the
British lion was about to roar even the
American eagle should hold his peace. He
was delighted, he said, to receive and ac-
cept the invitation to the banquet, although
he was not at liberty to discuss British
commerce. His general instructions from
his government were not to discuss politics
or only at extraordinarily festal occasions
Uaughter)
Il have felt, however" he said, that
might properly avail myself of this first
public occasion to express the Appreciation
of my cOuntrymen for the forbearance
good will and friendship manifested to then
so freely by the British people. 1t is true
gentlemen, that peace between the United
States and Great Britain is the first i'll
terest. not only of these two nations, but
of the whole world
In expressing his gratitude for the cor
dial greeting he had received from all sorts
and conditions of men since his arrival in
England, Mr.. Choate said:
Net Cordial Reception
Everywhere 1 have been treated as a
friend and as the representative of your
friends and brothers In fact | have
actually discovered the open door, open tc
such an extent as would satisfy even the
warnings of the near admiral who has
made the circle of the globe in search of it.
[ think ] may say as a testimony to the
good feeling sought to be encouraged On
cur side of the water that the President
gave the best illustration of it when he
said, in my letter of credence, that he re-
lied with confidence upon my constant en-
deavor during my stay in Grelt Britain to
promote the interest and prosperity of both
nations" Cheers and cries of 'Bravo.D
Il beg that you will not mistake my
meaning l do not believe that although
friends We shall ever cease to be rivals
In the future, as in the past, we on our side
and you on yours, will still press every ad-
vantage that can fairly be taken; but il
shall be generous and loyal rivalry, and all
questions, disputes and controversies aris-
ing shall be settled by peaceful means, by
negotiations, by arbitration, by any and
every possible means except war.
Reviews Past Differences.
After pointing out that this was no new
sentiment Mr.. Choate remarked:
while the last conflict between Great
Britain and America failed to settle any
of the great questions upon which either
side took up arms-showing that between
brethren war Is the worst possible means
of settling any contrOVery-yet, in the
eighty-four years that have since elapsed
tremendous questions, heated words, threa t.
ening demonstrations which would inevita-
bly, have brought any other two nations
into open and frequent conflict, have oc-
Cured on either side, and all been arranged
and adjusted without resort to arms
Referring to the Venezuela imbroglo, he
observed:
You know that on our side of the water
We love occasionally TO twist the lioa's tail
for the mere sport of hearing him roar
U-aughter) Well, that time he disappoint-
ed He would not roar at all. He sat
silent as the sphinx; and, by dint of mutual
forbearance our sober second thought aid
ing your sober first thought, We avoided
every thing but a mere war of words"
Abiding to the satisfactory dispeling
of the cloud between Russia and England
over the Niu Chwang railway extension
loan by means Of peaceful diplomacy" Mr.
ChOate said:
THAT kind of diplomacy which T. lust en-.
tering upon diplomatic career. desire very
much to understand, for l am fresh enough
to believe that If these two countries, la.
boring together for peace, unite their voices
in demanding it, 1t ts almost sure In every
case (Cheers) l would like to quote nv
President again; for the last words 1 heard
him say were that the United States TODAY
was on better terms with every nation or
the face of the earth than it had ever beer
before. (Cheers)
Expansion of the Republic.
Now, I have little more to say of my
own country. (Cries Of Go on.')
"Our young republic had hard work dur.
ing the past century to subdue the conti-
nent and turn a wilderness into a smiling
and wealthy garden. But that business is
now pretty well finished. and so last year
your Brother Jonathan started out to see
the world. He. donned seven-league nay
ven-hundred-leag que boots and planted his
footsteps on the isles of the sea. And what
gigantic strides he made-Hawaii, then Ma.
Mia and another step, my Lord Charles
| would have brought him to Hong Kong.
We'll, our interest and commerce differ
only in degree: and 1T isl won't saw. as
Lord Charles Beresford did, by putting