The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1902-02-16
LORD P4UNcErorE,s POSITION.


the United States during the Spanish
American war, a stage has now been
reached when the British government
must defend itself more successfully than
it attempted to do through the declara-
lions of Lord Cranborne, If it is not
willing to submit to the withdrawal Of
its representative at Washington. AS
the matter now rests, Lord Pauncefote
has done an act which demands his re-
call quite as clearly as the recall of his
predecessor was demanded through his
offensive conduct during the administra-
ton Of President Cleveland
Stated briefly and with exactness the
record Of the transaction now stands
thus: Lord Pauncefote presented to the
foreign representatives at Washington on
April 49, 1898, a proposed joint note for
their consideration which declared that
Europe did not regard the armed inter-
vention Of the United States in Cuba as
| justifable. The presentation of the note
! by the British ambassador is nowhere
denied. Lord Cranborne, the under for
eign secretary, does not deny it. In an
swer to Mr.. Norman he declared as fol-
| lows:
Tier late majesty's government never
! proposed, through her majesty's ambassa-
| dor or otherwise, any declaration adverse
| to the action Of the United States IN
| Cuba. On the contrary, her late males
| tvs government declined to assent to any
| such proposal"
There is no such denial here. There are
two affirmations embodied in Lord Gran
| borne's statement-one that her late
| majesty's government never proposed
any adverse declaration, and that it de-
clined to assent to any such proposal
The admission is here involved that such
a proposal was made, and, moreover,
made to the British government. BY
whom, and under what circumstances,
Lord Cranborne does not say, and Lord
Pauncefote declines to talk
Now come the German authorities to
the fore with official records. The Ger
man ambassador at Washington cables
to the then German minister Of foreign
affairs the proposed note, prefaced by the
following explanatory statement:
'"The British ambassador today took in
very surprising way the initiative in a
rev collective step on the part of the
ministers. We suppose Queen Regent
Christina must have approached Queen
Victoria to this end. In compliance with
the wish of the English ambassador we
are telegraphing our governments as fol-
lows"
To the proposal the German emperor
appended the curt statement:
Il am against the step" His foreign
minister adds: IT personally look rather
coolly upon the proposal"
What explanation have we of this state
of affairs, made by British authority?
The partial publication by the Germans
of the official record brings out the ex-
PLANTATION. 1t was made by Lord Gran
borne In the house Of commons last Fri
day. 1t is that Lord Pauncefote acted
merely as dean Of the diplomatic corps in
summoning the meeting at which the pro-
posal was made; that he acted at the in
stigation of other diplomatists mot
named, but certainly not German diplom-
atists); that he acted on his own initia-
tive, forwarded the offensive mote to his
government, and was advised by his gov
eminent ''to take absolutely no notice Of
the matter"
Let us see what this later explanation
amounts to. The explanation refers only
to the calling of the meeting at which
the note was offered. It does not say
anything about the offering Of the note,
or whether it was offered by Paunce-
fote or somebody else, and says that
Pauncefote was told by his government
to take no notice of IT. Take no notice of
1t. He had not only introduced it, if the
German ambassador has not misstated
the matter to his government, but he
had requested all the other ambassadors
to telegraph the offensive note to their
respective governments. Did he assume
no official responsibility by such action?
Lord Cranborne says his government de
clined to assent to it. Who sought its
assent? Lord Pauncefote? That diplo-
mat certainly could not have done less
than he according to DR.. Won Holleben,
asked the other ministers to do-viz:
telegraph the offensive note to his gov
eminent.
The British foreign Office is shifty. It
does not meet the situation honestly IN
either of the explanations of Lord Gran
borne.
Three facts stand qyt clearly in the
transactsen without dAnial or explana-
ton by the British government or its am
bassador. They are: % Lord Paunce-
fote called the meeting at which the
note was presented. (2.) He presented
the note. g. 1t was at his wish that
the other foreign ministers telegraphed
the contents Of the note to their respect
i've governments. The first of these facts
is established by the statement of the
British foreign secretary. The other two
rest on the undisputed statements of the
German representative at Washington.
Lord Pauncefotes government says that
he called the meeting at the instigation of
other diplomats 1t does not say that he
offered the note at like instigation. or
otherwise than ''his own initiative" By
ignoring the offering of the note by him
and saying that he acted on his own mi
tiative, that government practically
throws the burden of the responsibility
over on its ambassador to Washington.
Lord Paancefote may or may not be