Barre evening telegram. (Barre, Vt.) 1898-19??, 1900-03-06
BR|TAN'S B0GY.

To Americans more Interesting pnaS
comes over the fascinating web of IL
J ternational relations as portraye
through the press. This consists Of SUI
positions regarding the attitude Of tn
American congress- toward Great Brit
ain, the possibility of its recommendin
Intervention, voting sympathy with III
Beers, refusing to ratify the Nicaragu
treaty and, lastly but chiefly, refusing t
consider the Canadian contentious in
spirit Of friendliness.
The great public interest in all this j
mainly the result of many special cabl
dispatches from English correspondent
stating that the administration is beini
severely attacked for alleged friendli
ness toward Great Britain and in view
of the coming election might be forced t.
make some sort of an anti-British dem
onstration in order to offset such accu
sations rs that of forming an alliance.
Wnnt Paunccfote Retained.
TO cap this climax comes strenuous
appeal in The Times that Lord Paunce
fotc, the British ambassador at Wash
ington, should be retained, at any rat,
until the election is over. While an ut
terly incorrect New York special averi
tween London and Washington TOWARD
this end vivid pictures are drawn Of pos
sible complications which might ensut
were the anti-British sentiment to be
come ascendant either in the present
! congress or in the next election.
Both in the cable dispatches and in the
comments made here it is inferred that
Lord Salisbury is or should be taking q
lively interest in these contingencies and
an active part in assisting those persons
in the United States who exhibit friend
illness toward Great Britain.
Inquiries in regard to this situation re-
veal the fact that the governments at
titude, which is the only one worth any
thing at present, must be considered
from two points of view, that of the for
egn office and that Of the colonial office.
Between these there is Il great gulf, daily
widening not SO much personally be-
tween Lord Salisbury and Mr.. Joseph
Chamberlain, the secretary of state for
the colonies, as between their depart
mcnts.
For weeks the friction has been grow
ing until the colonial office is almost at
loggerheads not only with the foreign
Office, but with almost every other de-
partment. To such an extent has this
gone that any minor detail of business
submitted to the colonial office by out
siders, but requiring the sanction, say, of
the war Office is almost certain to fail to
so through owing to Mr.. Chamberlain's
unwillingness to cooperate with other
heads. Even should it be accomplished it
is with a degree of distant formality as
deadly to effective cooperation as I'M
masked hostility. 1t is the foreign Office
and the colonial Office which may be said
to be chiefly concerned in the relations
with the United States. The former
meets all the situations broadly as it
would in dealing with any continental
power The latter looks at all United
States matters through the eye of Cana
da. Hence between the two depart.
ments there are differences of opinion
and sometimes friction.
Regarding Lord Salisbury's point of
view, for some time past he has been
taking little interest in American poll
tics, and he is averse to any form of an
lo-Amcrican alliance, believing that
the constitution of the United States is
words of one who is in the closest conf
United States have such an influence on
foreign policy and render the duration of
supreme power 50 uncertain that any al
lance would kill itself quicker than any
one could kill it,"
Caused by Chamberlain.
lie feels under no obligations to foster
pro English sentiment in the United
States. In fact. for the most part. he
remains in profound ignorance as to the
trend of American public opinion. His
idea, as represented by the speaker Just
quoted, is to trade fairly and s1uarely
without cmbfoiling himself with any ex-
trancons matters, nor does he desire to
sacrifice the good of the whole empire
for the sake of Canada alone.
In the case of Lord Pauncefote. the
tangible instance which has brought I'M
so prominently the question of the rela-
tons with the United States, Lord Sails.
bury has taken no steps and at present
ioes not contemplate doing anything to
prevent Lord Pauncefote from retiring
April in accordance with the age limit
Of the diplomatic service. Already the
has had an extra year. and
his was not solely due, as generally m
lerstood, to diplomatic reasons. but
chiefly on account Of financial considera.
ions which personally affected Lord
Pauncefote.
1t is not understood that Lord Paunce- |
'ote desires to stay in Washington
There are others in the service, where |
is unusually slow, waiting 70
AXE his shoes, and it would be q bad
PRECEDENT to extend the term still longer
That is the official view, yet it is posi-.
DE, though scarcely probable, that ~
-ord Salisbury is convinced that British
interests, which now include so MANY
Unsettled controversies with the Initial
states, would suffer he might within this
month ask Lord Pauncefote to remain.
'ut to say that such step is prompt
Il by the political conditions in tha
Initcd States would be giving Lord
salisbury credit for understanding some.
hing of which he is apparently almost rs
snorant as the average Britisher. Tn
act. it was only through inquiries made
y correspondent at the foreign Office
nat the attention of the officials of thot
apartment was drawn to the many ar
cles dealing with the subject.
But, while Lord Salisbury and the for.
Ign office contine themselves to the brood
'sues at stake and marvel at the NO.
cunts attributing to them desire to
,rm an American alliance when the pri.
ate opinion of the whole department in.
lines to the idea that sentiment has a
cry doubtful value in international 70
tions. the colonial office bushes itself
q c{I ! |