Delaware gazette and state journal., 1899-11-02
Tne plpiomacy OF William Sitl>inIey.

There was a lively discussion in the
British Parliament, several days ago,
over what the Earl of Kimberley called
the "new Diplomacy" Of tho Salisbury
ministry in the matter Of the Transvaal
war. He complained that all the details
of the intercourse between the repre-
seutatives Of the two governments in
volved were promptly made public by
Secretary Chamberlain, instead of being
kept a profound secret.
Lord Salisbury replied by defending
the "new diplomacy" while he ex-
pressed his personal preference for the
old policy of secretiveness. An Eng
lish minister is bound, he said, ito
seek in their (the people'sl feelings,
and by placing before them full ex-
position of the case on behalf of which
he invokes their aid he is bound to
give them such Information as will
place at his disposal and range behind
him all the power, all the physical force
of those who are devoted 10 his cause.
If that is necessary-and he could not
afford to allow British interests in the
CAPE by apathy or by Ignorance to fall
away from the Crown--how is it
possible that he should proceed with
the carefully secret methods Of the
older diplomacy? | am not doubling
the merits of the Older system, but il
you have to appeal for popular support
the old diplomacy will not give it you.
That seems to me to sum up the essence
of the policy which has been un-
doubtedly pursued. "
This new departure in England, this
open diplomacy is made the basis Of a
contrast with President McKlnley's
policy in an interesting editorial in the
New York Evening Post. Compared
with the unreserve Of Mr.. Chamber
lain's diplomacy, President Mckinley S
is the furled wings of the Sphinx her.
self A simple enumeration of the
things we should like to know about
his diplomatic decisions and communi-
cations would make an appalling list.
We will not go back to the correspond
ence with Spain; that there is
humiliating reading in store for us
when those dispatches come to be
published, is clear to any one who has
seen the fragments given out at Madrid.
AS far as the President is concerned,
he has double locked the whole Of
them. But all that is not strictly part
Of the Philippine diplomacy. Purely
in that province, however, think of all
the important documents winch Mr..
Mckinley has kept from the knowledge
of Congress and the country. What
were his instructions to Gen. Otis9
They have never seen the light. What
wrre his instructions to the Philippine
Commissionf The people do not know.
What were the terms proposed by
Aeuinaldo before the war? We are left
in ignorance. What were the offers
made to the Filipinos by our army
officers before the fighting began? We
can only guess. What is the arrange
ment made with the Sultan of Sulu?
The President refuses to toll. What
was the information received from Gen.
Otis before the war? Mr.. Mckinley
has locked it up. What were the con
tents of the dispatch sent by Admiral
Dewey last December, or thereabouts?
The President has suppressed it, So
we might go on. Never have we had a
President SO considerate Of the dear
people, yet never one SO reluctant to
give them material upon which to base
Judgment. Compared with the light
which Englishmen had upon all phases
of the Transyaal question, we are left,
as regards our Philippine question,
cropping in the dark.