The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1900-12-09
/ Is IHE NAIIED FIST
PRESENCE OF BRITISH FLEET At
LISBON NOT AN AC-
CIDENT
STR0IG BACK. ,G ROB PORTUGAL
BEST HOLLAND CAN DO is TO
SWALLOW HER
FLUFF
THE TREATY FOR THE CANAL
Probable That the United states SEN
ate Is Wasting Its Time in
Discussing Any Amend
E%ents.
STROIG BACkisG ROB PO2TUG III
THE TREATY FOR THE CANAL

ESentS.
LONDON, Dec S.-The Nicaraguan
canal creates only mild interest in Lon
don. The London cable dispatches deal
with the probable action of the United
States senate and its deliberations are
read by the general public with COM
paratively little interest and less under
standing. The report that the British
government has in any way indicated its
willingness to accept the amended treaty
is utterly false. In fact the indications,
such as they are, point to Great Britain
refusing to accept any amendment be-
You'd what the foreign office already be-
lieves a generous concession.
Said a prominent official: We would
not abrogate the Bulwer-Clayton treaty
for any other nation in the world I'm
less all the traditions of the British for
eign policy are reversed [ fail to see how
we can afford to give away any more
advantages even to America
No representations or inquiries have
yet been made to the foreign ofise,
where it IS pointed out it is impossible
10 form any final judgment until the
senate acts That war, or even Sc
fious misunderstanding, could ever result
from such a cause receives no official
or public credence.
PORTUGUESE-DU EMBROGLIO.
Though the trouble between Holland
and Portugal can scarcely result in war,
it is far more serious and interesting
than generally regarded here. Great
Britain is concerned in the affair more
deeply than appears on the surface, for
the Associated Press learns that 1t Is
due to a British protest to Portugal that
the exeuuatul of Herr POtt. the Dutch
consul at Lourenzo Marques, was with
drawn and the visit of the powerful
British fleet to Portuguese waters Is
something more than a coincidence. The
Lisbon press frankly declares it was IN
tended as a warning demonstration 10
otbe,, nations to keep their hands off
Portugal.
The British officials also do not hest
tate to admit their governments readl-
ness to back up the action which Portu-
gal took al its request, hence Hollan3
car do little more than gracefully make
the best of a bad job, unless she re-
ceivc the support of some of the great
powers. which is a very remote con-
tin2ency. -,
The temporary withdrawal of the Meth
erIands minister at Lisbon and the Fot-
+uauese minister at The Hague, though
officially helittled, is the sequence OF Sc
rious friction, the details of winch were
known to the British secretary OF state
for foreign affairs the Marquis Of Lans-
downe, some weeks ago.
NOT AN ACCIDENT.
The unusual action of sending the whole
British channel squadron to LISBON Is re-
rarded nv those who have the inside III
formation as being one of the bold6st ana
most successful steps of aggressive d pio-
macy in recent history. With Great But
ain showing a strong hand, the absent
ministers are likely to return 70 1neii
nosts shortly. and the incident propaply
will only produce an effective illustrator
of the fact that an alliance exists pe-
tween Portugal and G eat Britain. 1t was
effected when the question of LANDING
South African troops at Befa, FotCu-
euese South Africa, came up, ana WitS au-
nounced at the time in these dispatches.
Tn This connection it is interesting to note
that the French papers regard the whole
affair as a fresh menace towards France,
and the Spanish papers interpret 1t SINH
larly as regards their own country
THE CHINESE PUZZLE.
The Cinese problem is so wrapped up
in contradictory dispatches and so COM
plicated by the multitude Of notes and
amendments thereto that even the Keel
est dinromats frankly cOnfes they scarce
IN know how the situation stands. from
one of them regarding the American
plans for China, it is learned that nego-
tniations going on al the time may be
summed up as cndeavOring 20 get the
Chinese court to return to Pekln. me
movers seem at last to realize that all
the able notes they have formulated are
not worth the paper they are written
upon until the powers are in touch with
the Chinese court. Providing this is &C
compished, which it is now hoped VIII be
the case, the powers are willing to make
the question OF PREPARATION secondary to
the Adjustment of a stable form Of
Chinese government. When this is &C
complished the matter of indemnity will
come up. The method of its eXaction is
not vet known, though it is realized it
cannot be secured territorially.
Secretary Hays suggestion that the
powers confer at Brussels or some other
place" is not likely to met with Great
Britains acceptance. The other Euro
pean powers are inclined to give their
representatives at Pekin a fairly free
hand, and dread the added complications
and delays which they believe a congress
of the powers would entail. Otherwise
Mr.. Hays latest propositions received on
the whole general approval and pr mise to
form the basis for an eventual settlement.
While the activity of the negotiations is
not likely to flag within the next few
weeks, it is the belief of those best in
formed that they viii net, or, rather, can
not, result in anything definite until the
ministers are personally in touch with
the Chinese court. There is no attempt
here to conceal the fact that in the alb
sence of details the iginaI plan has been
departed from in regard to China.
BATTING JOE CHAMBERLAIN
The past weeks debate in the house of
commons affords a prospect that the SEES
sion will be lively next week. With Mr..
Chamberlain at bay from continuous at
lacks the colonial secretary got up On
Friday to explain the governments pol
lev Nevertheless more urbane speech
was never made in the house. IT was
not what had been expected. Monentar-
uv the house waited for the mask of
peace to drop and the mailed hand to
appear, but it never came. In the as
Constituent from which the Liberals have
not vet recovered TIE official amendment
was withdrawn. Business, however was
not facilitated. Mr. Chamberlain has
still to face the ordeal of questions WITH
regard to his personal business connec-
tons, and it remains to be seen when
he will remain so calm, when his own
personality is discussed Nevertheless
the government is likely to obtain sup
plies without any attacks more serious
than that upon Mr.. Chamberlain
Dew In all ~VI,t