The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1902-02-15
PAUNCEFOTE UNDER FIRE.
Statement from Berlin That He
Sought Concerted Action to In
tcrferc In Late War,

LoHuOn, rep. l2.-1ne unQer-Secfe-
tary for the foreign office. Lord Gram
borne, replying IN the house of COM
mons Tuesday to a question of Henry
Norman QiberaD, who asked whether
the governments attention had been
called to the statement in the German
press. and alleged to have received Of
| fetal confirmation at Berlin, to the
effect that Grca, Britain April II, 1898,
through her ambassador at Washing
ton, Lord Faumccfote, proposed a
fresh note in which the powers should
declare tina, Europe did not regard
the armed Intervention of the United
States in Cube as ,justifiable. and that
in consequence of Germany's refusal
to accept this proposal the step was
abandoned. said:
| mo, sir. Her late maiestys government
never proposed through her maiesty's am
baSsador or otherwise any declaration adj
| verse to the action of the United States in
cuba On the contrary, her late majesty's
| government declined to assent to any such
proposal"
| Lord Cranbornc'S answer to Mr..
Norman WAS received with rounds of
applause.
| Mr.. Norman later said to a repre-
sentative OF the press:
| II am perfectly satisfied. and. of course,
| implicitly believe that statement of the
| British minister's"
John Redmond, the Irish leader,
commented on Lord Cranborne's
| statement as follows:
''That the feeling which existed In Amer
| t..-
States at the time of the war is all hum
| bug To my personal knowledge the ma
| lority of the members OF the house of COM
mons were strongly anti-American in those
days. ] have no doubt Germany has evil
dencr to prove ncr assertions"
Washington, Feb. H.. When inquiry
was made AT the British embassy
Tuesday relative to the recent dis
patches pnrporting to give the ac-
ton of Lord l'auncrfotc lust prior to
the outbreak of the Spanish war; the
ambassador scnt word that there was
absolutely nutlin" to he said by him
for publication. II is nndcrst God that
if there is amy occasion for Lord
| Paunccfotc'S taking cognizancc of the
controversy he will communicate d.
rectly with the London foreign office,
which will determine upon amy pub
lie uttcrnncrS to be made. Moreover
there is reason TO believe that the for
cign office is already in possession Of
all the papers hearing ON the inter-
change ON the Spanish war and that
nothing which could now he submit
ted would alter the situation as here
t0fore laid before the British authors
ties
Washington. Feb. 12.--In view of the
statements and contradictions. more
or less official in character. coming
from the principal European capitals
respecting the attitude of the powers
individually toward the United States
just preceding the Spanish war, the
officials here feel Il natural reluctance
10 being drawn into the controversy,
and ii is with difficulty that even I'M
official statements can be had on this
subject.
One fact remains uncontrovcrted,
namely, that the European amba ssa-
doris and ministers here called upon
President Mckinley, April Z, 1898. in
the effort to prevent war.
The matter now in controversy is
what happened after that call and the
question al issue is, as presented in
he latest phase in the European dis
patches. did Lord Paunccfote under
take to secure the support of the other
European powers in an'attempt at
forcihle restraint upon the United
States. Sitting all the facts the con-
c,usion reached here is that Lord
Paunccfote's activities in the dircc-
ton of intcrventioN have been gener-
ally misunderstood. 1t is known that
the Austrian minister was untirng in
his efforts in behalf of Spain. The
United States government has never
cherished The least ill-fecling on that
score. realizing that The blood ties be-
tween the Austrian and Spanish reign
ing houses sufficiently excused such an
attitude. in the course of these eff
forts Mr.. 1Icngclmullcr turned to
Lord Paunccfote, as dean Of the corps,
and sought TO have him, as such dean,
see what measure of support could be
secured for another and more forcibe
representation TO the United States
as tothe undcsirability of war. Lord
Pauncefotc was confident that no such
proposition would carry but he yield
ed SO far to thc application of the Aus
trian minister as to submit his propo-
sition to the other representatives Of
the European powers. The result
justified Lord Panncefote's Judgment
of the outcome and it proba bly, was the
inquiries he made in this proceeding,
and not any proposition originating
with himself that led to reports from
the ministers and ambassadors here to
the European chancellorics.