The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1899-12-18

what That s.AlliancsI' Amounts TO.
the echoes Of the speech IN which Mr..
Chamberlain alluded to an Alliance. or
at least IN understanding" betwesn
Great Britain. the United states and
Germany. had scarcely died away be-
fore events were ready to put Il to the
test they show that Il was the merest
froth OF diplomacy: the bid Of the
shrewd politician for public favor by
exhibiting imaginary imperial gains IS
an onset to the heavy iosses for which
he was already, or was shout to become.
responsible. There has been nothing re-
snoteiy resembling an alliance between
any two OF the three powers. Az be-
tween Germany and Great Britain there
has been no understanding. but mis-
understanding.
National antipathies are not extirpat.
ed In : day: nor can the smooth phrases
OF the cabinet minister. or even the
courteous admissions OF the sovereign.
turn bitterness into love. While the
emperor Of Germany was at windsor.
while the plans or Mr.. Cecil Rhodes
were found not unacceptable to the in
terests OF Germany IN South Africa,
there was no conflict and nothing to
expose the politicians game in which
Mr.. Chamberlain used these events ~
his pieces. II u but = Few wesks since
this happened, but reverses to the Brit
ish arms have made II possible for the
real feeling Of Germany to show itself.
And ii. is bitterly. violently, insult
ingly hostile.
IN the very laagers OF the Beers there
h scarcely such rejoicing o. fnds free
expression In Berlin. 1t IL not the Wiz
tory Of the Boer 20 much - the de-
feat OF the Englishman that IN accepted
- . national solace. Everywhers, says
the lfnreign news report. the German
people are Offering congratulations to
one another. AZ II It were their arnas
that had been crowned with success.
A powerful newspaper OF Berlin says
that the more the power OF Great Brit
ain is humbled and broken. the better
1t II for Germany. Another Newspaper.
close 10 the German foreign once, de-
clares that Englands difnculty may be
Germans opportunity. Where now is
the alliance" the understanding
with which Mr. Chamherlain sought to
divert the attention of his country from
the mistakes that he had made? It
Is clear. as 1t was 1t the time. that hts
utterances were as unwarranted as they
were diplomatically rash and unconven-
tional.
The matter has an interest for Jus
because Of the effort Of certain OF the
baser sort among the Democrats TO
make 1t appear that the alliance" actu-
ally exists az to the United States and
Great Britain. Not daring to accept the
challenge Of the Republicans to bring
forward the free silver issue again, hav-
ing no longer Filipino rebellion with
which to sympathize. they travel thus
far aiield In hope Of trifing advantage.
Thsy take Mr. chainbsrlain's talk Of
an alliance and translate 1t into a for
NAL compact. II - . feeble and foolish
attempt. The expressions Of Germany.
frank and unconcealed. show how ut
terly without foundation was the as
sumption Of any community Of political
interest between the three powers. Good
friends the United States and Great
Britain are and ought to be. But 1t will
take more than the speech Of q shifty
politician. English or American. to
change the wise policy Of perfect ma
tional independence which the Rpubli-
can party upholds and the administers
ton has explicitly avowed.