The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1901-07-28
Mr.. Asquith Is Quite Unexpectedly
Growing Popular With the
Liberal Imperialists.
HIS SPEECH MAKES FRIENDS.
Lord Rosebery Is Still Bitter and
tncompromising-Lord Miners
Complacent View of Himself
and His Work.
BY HERBERT PAUL

BY HERBERT PAUL
SPECIAL BY CABLE
London, July 27.-Echoes OF the Asquth
dinner have almost died away.
The effect of the dinner itself was, in COM
inercial phraseology discounted by the
speech which Lord Rosebery Unexpectedly
delivered at the City Liberal Club on the
same afternoon.
Lord Rosebery. who spoke with unusual
animation. described the reunion of the Lib
eral party at the Reform Club as hollow
and inslncere."
Hollow it may have been; insincere 1t
certainly was not
There are some Liberal imperialists who
have not yet abandoned the hope Of induc-
ing Lord Rosebery to return to lead them.
but the bulk Of them now look to Mr.. AS
Quith, and MIR. Asquith Is man quite IN
capable of personal intrigue.
His manly, straightforward, really elo-
! quent speech ct the Hotel Cecil has met
with warm approval from many of those
who dislike the idea of the dinner. and
would not attend 1t.
Mr.. Asquith IL Popular.
They contrast 1t with Lord Rosebery's
vehement diatribe. which could only make
for further disruption. and find in 1t a gen.
u.ne attempt to provide for a future COM
bination Of all Liberals in promoting social
reform.
Mr.. Asquith is careful to disclaim the title
of "Imperialist.' remarking. as Mr.. Glad
stone remarked long ago, that the name of
| Liberal is good enough and descriptive
! enough for him.
Lord Rosebery. on the other hand. glories
| In imperialism though he is very careful
not to define 1t.
| He long since practically. though never
fnr liz. hor
seems to be no reason why he could not act
! with Mr.. Chamberlain If ever the oppor-
tunity arose. He has broken altogether
with the Liberalism of the past. which he
| seems to regard as narrow. petty and pa
| rochial
| His Change of Opinion.
| Mr.. Asquith who by training and convic-
ton Is a Cobdenite Gladstonian. dwelt with
emphasis upon the part which Liberalism
| had played in connecting and making in
| dissoluble union between the colonies and
mother country.
| On one point Mr.. Asquith has frankly
| given up his own consistency.
| At the beginning Of the war he protested
In very strong language against the idea Of
annexing the South African Republics. He
now regards annexation inevitable, like the
| war
1t is this doctrine Of inevitability which
| separates him from SO many other Lib
erals. but when a man once admits he has
| changed his mind 1t Is useless and often
sive to bring up his former utterances
| against him.
| Mr.. AsQuith dissents from the leader of
| the opposition, holding that war could not
| have been honorably avoided by the Brit
ish Government
On most other subjects. II not on all. they
| appear to be In substantial agreement.
The Dinners Purpose.
| Thirty-five Liberal members of Parlia-
ment dined with Mr.. AsQuith. including
| three or four OF his colleagues in tho late
| administration. A hundred and fifty held
| aloof. not because they failed to admire and
respect the guest Of the evening. but on &C.
count Of loyalty to Sir Henry Campbell
| Zimmerman.
The fact is that Mr.. AsQuith, or, rather
| those who make use of him for their own
| purpose. did not succeed in carrying with
them the center of the party.
The left wing they could not expect to
go. The right wing is theirs already.
II they had captured the center they
would have made Sir Henry's position IN.
tenable.
IT is difficult enough, but 1t is not impos-
sible, for man Of Sir Henry's ability, pop
ularity and tact. The Liberals want q
lead. He Is still powerful enough to give
1t to them.
Lord Rosebery's strained relations with
easier. for they do not wish to lose their
Liberalism. as they would If they followed
the plow behind the now solitary plowman
Lord Miners Confidence.
Lord Miners speech in receiving the
freedom OF the city shows an imperturba
BILE confidence In his own wisdom and ir
the folly Of his critics.
The world is for him divided into loya
sheep, who approve everything he has done
| and disloyal goats, who find fault with hin
because they are enemies Of their country.
| Self-confidence Is virtue in an admins
traitor, though it is not the only one; bu
speeches are not persuasive and do no
make converts.
Lord Miner may be right in denying tina
the war is due to the intrigues of capital
lists II he was their dupe. he is an un
conscious one, but it is not true to say tina
the theory has been given up. Those VIII
| have always held 1t hold 1t still. and re
gard their opinion as confirmed by events.
The freedom Of the city Is great ant
historic honor. but those who conferred
| upon Lord Miner have not since show
themselves good representatives Of publi
opinion.
In the Common Council on Thursday
was proposed by Radical to subscribe f6
for the concentration camps in South Al
RIGA through the Victoria League, whic
does not contain a single pro-Boer.
A Conservative Alderman supported tn
proposal but he was shouted down by an
cry voices, and the motion was rejected o
an overwhelming majority on the aosur
| ground that n would prolonH the war.