The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-04-01

LONDON March 31.-To the Englishman
who knows no more than be reads in the
newspapers the Delagoa Bay award is a
keen disappointment. All through this war
he has imagined battalions of German and
other Europeans soldiers of fortune and
large quantities of guns and ammunition
being smuggled into the Transvaal through
this South African keyhole.
Many have been the signs for a Pitt or
a Palmerston to plant few British battle
ships in front of that keyhOle and block
it up. let Portugal and the world protest
as they please. But Lord Salisbury is a
cautious man. Instead of battleships he
sent a diplomatic agent TO Lisbon to see
what could be done in friendly way. The
man in the street said to himself Just
wait till that award is out. Portugal will
need money to pay humping damages
She knows where she can get that money,
and then under the Portuguese clause of
the Anglo German agreement Delagoa Bay
will come under lease to England. Then
the Transyaal will indeed be in a wise"
So said the man in the street and the
average politician as well. Judge his
chsgrin when the arbitrator calmly award
not five millions sterling-as one big
South African railway contractor sug
gested-not even three millions but a
paltry e600, 900. which Portugal at once
announces that she will pay without the
kind help of England or anyone else.
1t is all so dull and so fiat instead of SEN
sational-the unfolding of that great Eu-
nf he ha
Anglo German agreement.
Instead of the massing of the worlds
fleets around this South African doorway
instead of stern British cry of Hands
off," to all the nations. shouted from
hundred grim battleships, there is nothing
more than another silly arbitration in
which, as usual, England gets the worst of
it. OF course, there is now nothing for it
but to assert that much stands behind this
paltry award; that England and Portugal
must have another drama to enact in con-
cord; that not for nothing did Major La
cerda and nearly thousand artillery. cav
airy. and infantry leave Lisbon arsenal for
South Africa on Monday last under the
eyes of the King of Portugal himself and
his brother. the Duke of 0porto. and so on
with I whisper of Beira thrown in upon
all of which it is enough now to remark
that when Englands option over Delagoa
Bay does become effective, the least return
Portugal can make will be TO accept price
on the basis OF this award-that is to say
on what the financial papers today call an
old-irop valuation.
In home politics the one momentous
event Of the week has been a cold in the
head. Because of that cold. Sir Henry
Bannerman could not attend the |
annual meeting of the National Liberal |
Federation at Nottingham. to which in 1
view of the expected general election. Lib |
eral delegates focked from all parts of the /
country to learn the platform on which 1
their leaders intend to appeal TO the cleo |
torate. Here was Sir Henry's chance to |
give the Liberals a battle cry. No man (
could guess what it would be, for in his de-
sire TO be all things to all Liberals the /
Liberal leader in the House OF Commons |
has left everyone wondering whether his |
views on the South African problem are
or Morleyite, imperial or anti
imperial a la Daily News or a la Man
chester Guardian"
cold in the head has banished these
questions. Into Sir Henry Bannerman's
place stepped that young Northumbrian
knight. Sir Edward Grey, of noble lineage |
and unbending manners and convictions
who when Lord Rosebery was Premier
buried away in the House of Lords. and he
was Under Secretary for Foreign Affairs in
the House of Commons. kept the Rosebery
imperial flag flying in the popular chamber /
let his leader in that chamber. Sir William
HarcOurt do or say what he pleased.
And in his lead TO the National Liberals
at Nottingham this week Sir Edward
seemed to carry all before him. Preceding
his utterance as the great gun of the
gathering. Dr. Spence Watson. President
Of the National Liberal Federation. and
other leading Liberals had spoken strong
ly against the war. in favor of its imme-
date cessation, and in favor of the re-
tention of the status of the Republics. Sir
Edward Grey. on the other hand without
stopping 10 argue about the past, declared
hat the war must be finished; that Great
Britain must secure the military occupa-
lion of both the Republics, and that the
imperial paramountcy of the past must !
become the imperial control OF the future.
Next day Mr.. Herbert Gladstone now
the chief Liberal whip declared that
whether England likes il or don't like il
he British flag must wave over the whole
II South Africa. A majority of Liberals
present at the meeting seemed to be OF
he same mind. This, then. may now be
aiken as the national will The hope of
Lord Rosebery, Sir Edward Grey. and
others is that on this basis Liberalism
will be able to guide British policy along
Liberal lines in solving such problems as
he reconstruction of South Africa on full
principles OF self government. and espe-
Tally in securing justice for the Dutch as
well as the British in the Encouragement
IF boundaries and the treatment of the
lisafIected
In home politics their programme in
'ludes temperance reform. extended edu-
alton under popular control, and greater
quality of taxation. Here are the
main planks upon which Liberalism will
90 to the country if, as seems now to lie
expected. Lord Roberts shall enter Pre-
oria in the early summer and the Gov
.rnment shall call on general election.
What part, if any, Sir William Harcourt.
ord Rosebery. and Mr.. John Morley will
axe in the conflict no man can say. Prob
bly, they themselves do not yet know
Quiet satisfaction is the best term 10 de-
cribe the British reception of the open
oor in China correspondence as pub
ished In New York. The Spectator"
ucks it away in note. renarkiag sageiy
enough, that while in the case of any
'ther power, the correspondence would be
'urely academic, the Government at Wash
ugton has way of considering such let
eTs as contracts, and with the support Of
Great Britain would probably not hesitate
o enforce them. The Saturday Review
ioubts this. and asks if there is a clause
binding signatories to enforce Observance
ipon any power violating or rencuncing
he agreement II not. the document. il
iays is NOS worth the paper It is written
N. Moreover, 1t is startling to find the
agreement based on the ASSUMPTION that
,hiEa has ceased TO exist as an indepen-
lent power.
Digested food