Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1901-11-11
SALISBURY 5 SPEECH
English Premier Deprecates Con-
tinued Expression OF Pessim-
ism Regarding War.
Nothing CT Serious Nature to
Combat Outside OF Trans
vaal Difficulty.
Says Britain Will Meet ALI DIFF.
ficulties and Ultimately
Triumph There.

isbury spoke on the foreign relations of
the British empire al the banquet of the
lord mayor of London. which was held,
according TO annual custom, at Guild
hall Saturday night. Lord Salisbury. in
responding to the toast of His Majes-
ty's Ministers" said:
I'm considering the embarrassment
and difficulties in which 1t may be
thought our country is standing, it is a
matter for congratuiation that the
peace of the world has been on the
whole so little disturbed. and the we
have found such kindly feeling and
such correct attitude on the part of
all the powers with whom we have been
in alliance. / venture to say that fifty
years ago that would not have been the
case. 1t is great Improvement in our
public habits of thought that we have
thru all these difficulties enjoyed as ia
vorable, certainly as neutral, a position
as any of the governments of Europe
could have been able to occupy. That
has been no small advantage, A slight
cloud during the last few weeks has
settled over the eastern end of the Med
itteranean, but 1t has passed away. This
+ is a great achievement. 90 not think
that difficulties so great or opportuni-
ties 20 embarrassing would fifty years
ago have left so light mark upon the
history of our time.
There is really nothing upon which
the eye can dwell of serious nature
except the sad and lamentable war that
I'VE are still pursuing in South Africa
The premier deprecated the pessi-
1nfsm which he noticed expressed by
public men and the newspapers of the
country, for which. he declared, he saw
no cause. He thought that steady and
unvarying progress towards success
full issue was absolutely secured. Un-
doubtedly, the war had not reached a
conclusion as easily us they had ex-
pected, but he thought that much of the
feeling of nervousness and disappoint-
ment was due to the fact that the kind
OF war in which they were engaged had
not been rightly taken into considera
tion.
He recounted that in most of the wars
of the nineteenth century, after the seat
OF government had been captured there
had been really no delay in the arrange
ment of peace.
Seldom had such wars been carried on
further than the conquest of the seat of
government, but when they had been
continued they had always been
lengthy.
He gave notable instances Of guerrilla
warfare in modern history in which
heightened efforts had always been nee
essary before ultimate victory was as
s1red. For that reason it was absurd to
suppose that Great Britain would not
be able to meet. due and expected diff
culties because Of the capture of Preto-
ria guerrilla warfare was not immedi-
ately concluded 1t would be discourage
ing if there We're any grounds for be-
lieying that Great Britain was not now
making sufficient progress.
The prime minister proceeded IN MS
gravest tones:
..Therein lies our difficulty We can
not lay before you the whole circum-
stances of the case. We cannot tell
you publicly all that Is going on. We
should be gravely neglecting our duty
if we did Yet 1t is only by some such
revelation that we can give you full ana
entire satisfaction.
..All I can say Island / am speaking
the judgment of those who have the
best opportunity for determining what
is really going on-that we are making
month by month, and week by week.
sure and substantial progress.
.The belief has been expressed In pub
lie that it is owing to some neglect or
lukewarmness on the part OF the gov
ernment that the war has not been
brought to an earlier conclusion. There
lis no doubt that guerilla warfare has
been considerably diminished. and we
do not admit that any act or neglect on
our part has had anything to do With
the prolongation of the war. 1t IS easy
to gay these things against US, and 1T is
I absolutely impossible to refute them
without betraying our duty.
I'VE maintain that there is no ground
for saying that the government has in
any degree neglected its duty, either IN
4 meeting the demands of the generals on
the spot or in making other prepara-
tions necessary for the conduct Of the
war
Lord Salisbury went on to say that he
hoped that this declaration would in
duce q more confident feeling in the
country Turning to the many critics of
his government he complained that the
indefinite nature of their charges made
it Impossible for the administration to
defend itself. The position of the gov
eminent had not changed 1t desired
nothing better than bringing back these
territories to the blessings of the Brit
ish empire that they should enjoy inn
1nediately peace. freedom, and civil
rights, and, within the earliest cppor-
tunity which commands and time might
permit, that they should enjoy the 9th
-er blessings OF government which
were enjoyed by all the British self
governing colonies.
Continuing, the marquis said:
1--WE are met with the assertion by our
opponents that they will accept moth
ing but independence. We reply to
neighbors who attack on two days no.
tice who have evidently spent more
than as many of their years in accumu-
Iat1ng materials of war for a collos
sal war of independence, which is in
consistent with our security"
II cannot take the public wholly into
the confidence of the government 1t
would be most imprudent publicly to
state all we are doing weekly and
monthly at the front but what ! en-
phatically declare is that whatever de-
lays are encountered they are due reith-
err to lack of earnestness and ability of
our generals in the field nor to neglect
to comply with all Of their demands on
the part of the home government.
I'VE have been subject to much vague
and indefinite criticism, but our bitter
- III 10,