The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1900-12-18
BRITONS WILL WAIT TILL
SENATE FINISHES.
NOT REGARDED IMPORTANT
Foreign Office Opines Canal Will
Be Of Little Use to
.. England.

London, Dec. 15-In making &C
acknowledgement of the appreciation in
the foreign Office of the feeling Of the
Americans in reference to building a
canal of which they may not be the
sole controllers, all official III that de-
partment of the government today
said:
"Yet, at the same time, we do not
see why a treaty which we made
with people whom we believe to be
the responsible representatives Of
America should be treated so cav
alierly by the senate. We do not re-
gard the present issues as of any great
Importance, for we doubt if the Mic
aragua canal will ever be a paying
investment, and whoever builds it, it
will be of little use to England, either
in peace or war. What we do regret
is the apparent hopelessness of max
ing treaties with a country whose
senate takes such opposite views to
those it empowers to act in its behalf.
There seems to be an impression in
America that the Clayton-Bulwer
treaty was secured by the acuteness Of
the British representative and gave
England an unfair advantage. That
view has never existed here. In fact,
rather the reverse. We shall not
bother our heads about the affair until
the senate finishes its efforts and we
receive the results through diplo-
matic channels. We are anxious to
know what America really does not
want and until we do know, it is
absurd to surmise what to do.
However, the Clayton-Bulwer
treaty worked satisfactorily for years
and as new treaties seem to cause dis
sensions in America, may be it is
just as we'll if we were obligated to
revert to a former agreement, the
bindingness and equity of which we
have never for a moment doubted, in
spite of our concessions in the Hay
Pauncefote treaty"
The first session of the new parlia-
ment, just closed, will ever be mem
orable. owing to the extent where
personalities were introduced. De-
bates resulted in voting sixteen mil
lion for the war, yet this is almost
forgotten in the flood of personal at
tack and defence which permeated the
proceedings as it eve did before i'll
the history Of Westminster. Briefly
summed up, it may be said that
Chamberlain, the center Of this move
ment, has come out of it little the
worse.
The announcement of nepotism, X
emplified by Lord Salisbury's Cecil
cabinet, has accomplished nothing,
though a vigorous crusade against cab
met ministers holding directorships
has brought about more designations
of such positions than existed. In
dealing with the latter phase, the
Spectator declares that English DEM
ocracy, like the American, threatens to
drive out of politics men best quail
fed to be ministers, adding: "When
we are reduced to the plain men of
France or to the professional politi-
clans of America, democracy will
learn that political genius is worth
money"
Public opinion on both this topic
and the inclusion in the government
of so many of Lord Salisbury's rela-
tives ia much divided without regard
to party lines. though the liberals ap-
pear satisfied with their efforts to i'm
press upon the country the curious
conditions which have plunged even
sedate lords into the vortex of per-
sonalities. The accommodation Of
Timothy M. Healy is the most notice.
able political feature. The Spectator
refers to him as by far the ablest liv-
ing nationalist, while all important
journals agree that a period of unrest
and grave import lies ahead for Ire
land.
When parliament reconvenes in
February, it will face Irish members
more determined than ever to OBJ
struct, while the liberals bid fair to
make a united effort to bring home to
the unionists to considerable degree
the responsibility for encouragement
and terrible losses of the wal in South
africa.