Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1901-11-18
sALlsBURY's SPEECH.

Unusual interest was manifested this
year in Lord Salisbury's Guildhall
speech delivered few days ago at the
lord mayors banquet, because II was
expected that the premier would have
something important to say on the
South African war. He did discuss the
subject, but he failed to satisfy public
curiosity by giving any details. On the
contrary, he declared that the gov
eminent must observe silence 80 as
not to defeat its own well considered
plans.
In substance, he congratulated the
country that all the foreign govern
ments had assumed correct attitude
during the embarrassment and diff
culties In which it may be thought that
our country is standing He saw no
cause for the pesslmism expressed by
the public and the press. He admitted
that the war had not been concluded
as early az expected. but he asserted
there was no reason for believing that
Great Britain was not making sufh
cient progress. Then he went ON to say.
I'VE cannot lay before you the whole
circumstances of the case. We can
not tell you publicly all that is going
on. We should be gravely negecting
our duty II We did. Yet IL Is only by
some such revelation that we can give
you full and entire satisfaction. All
can say Is, and am speaking the judy
ment Of those who have the best OPP
portunity for determining what Is real
~ going on, that we are making month
by month and week by week sure and
substantial progress. The belief has
been expressed in public that II is ow-
ing 10 some neglect or lukewarmness
on the part of the government that the
war has not been brought 10 an earlier
conclusion. There Is no doubt that
guerrilla 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. II rs easy TO say these
things against us, and IL Is absolutely
impossible 20 refute them without be-
traying our duty We maintain that
there Is no ground for saying that the
government has in any degree neglect
ed its duty. either In meeting the de-
mands of the generals on the spot or in
making other preparations necessary
for the conduct of the war"
He closed by expressing the belief
that II was the deep resolve Of the Brit
ish people, that the trouble should not
recur again, no matter how much sacri-
fee and labor are required to end IL
now.
Lord Salisbury evidently said all he
could say about an embarrassing
subject He did not refer to the vast
expenditures engendered every week by
the war, nor to the occasional disasters
met with by British commanders, or to
the terrible death rate in the concentra-
ton camps All these things are OF
public record. But he asserted, what
all the world believes. that the war
will be carried TO a successful conclu-
sion, no matter how long time II takes
to do so. And with that explanation.
the public must rest satisfied. The
London Times mildly suggests that 1t
cannot understand why the government
should not give the country a general
view of the situation monthly, so that
the progress made could be seem When
the country is spending S,5OO,OO0 week.
ly, II must be pardoned II 1t sometimes
asks whether there has been slackness
in the discharge OF duty when there
might have been energy and aleriness
and provision. And this, no doubt, ex-
presses the general view Of the British
public But as this, for state reasons,
has been declared impossible, the in
formation will not be forthcoming. The
war. will drag on, and the question.
when will the end come? is asked IN
vain