The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1902-02-16
AWAY SECRETS
LONDON PAPERS SAY CRANBORNE
TALKED TOO MUCH.
THE CAT OUT OF THE BAG.
LONDON WAS NONE TOO FRIENDLY
WHEN WAR BEGUN.

Lord salisbury MADE Spec1uI He-
quest on Newspapers After Dew
ey's Victory to Desist From Criti-
cism of United NStates-A Lame At
tempt to Explain Lord Pauncc-
fOte's POsitiOn-NOw Said That
POurparlers Concerning Philip
pines Are Being Exchanged in
Europe.
London, Feb. 15.-The dispute over
the attitude of the Powers towards the
United States prior to the Spanish
American War continues to take up
columns of the London dailies. Opinion
is much divided as to the wisdom of
Lord Cranborne's course in making his
first statement on the subject in the
House of Commons, and since the later
developments opposition to further dis
closures by the British government has
been strengthened into a determined
protest again the revealment of secret
documents relating to the negotiations
of that period. Lord Cranborne's
suit of cable dispatches exchanged be-
tween Lord Pauncefote and the foreign
office, is probably the last word
Great Britain will have to say on the
subject 1t would be impossible, how.
ever, to over-rate the irritation ex-
pressed in Downing street at the Ger
man publication of documents relat-
ing to the incident. Privately, the for
eign office officials declare that Lord
Cranborne's two replies, especially his
answer to the first note, effectually
established Great Britains attitude,
even if Lord Pauncefote is charged
with secretly combining against the
United States, which is indignantly de-
clared to be an utterly absurd and
false suggestion.
London Was PrO-Spanish.
Among the Americans resident in
London during the month of May, 1898,
it is recalled, however, that an in
tense pro-Spanish feeling existed on
many sides, especially in society, where
women connected with government Of
ficials appeared wearing the Spanish
colors. In this and many other ways
DGIdliic lull pCliOA iOiiS
too comfortable q dwelling place for
Americans, for the press teemed with
anti American editorials. The cessa-
ton of the latter was due to re-
markable occurrence which the Asso-
ciated Press is able to announce for
the first time. After Dewey's victory
Lord Salisbury took the almost un-
precedented step of communicating
with the editors of the leading con-
servative dailies, urging them to de-
sist from criticism of the United
States, pointing out how vital it was
to Great Britain that the side of the
United States, and not that of Spain,
should be advocated in the English
press. AS a result, public opinion
was reversed and the government
was thoroughly supported in its sub
sequent and undoubtedly genuine ef-
forts to strain it's neutrality to the
point of helping the United States.
A Spanish View of 1t.
Among the diplomats in London the
controversy is generally regarded as
off-setting the benefits which had been
privately termed "Englands coup in
China" An influential member of the
Spanish diplomatic service who is now
here said to a representative of the
Associated Press:
I'VE view the SQuabble with con-
siderable amusement, but have no in
tention OF putting in an oar. We are
naturally pleased, however, that the
affair has brought out the fact that
we practically gave in to all the con-
ditions demanded by the United States,
and that our submission, on which the
ambassadors deliberated April a. 1898,
was suppressed"
This allegation of the suppression OF
Spain's submission is also discussed at
length in English circles, where it is
declared that unless a satisfactory ex-
planation is forthcoming the incident
will be handed down to history as
repetition of Prince Bismarcks action
in regard to the Ems despatch.
POurparIers on Philippines.
There are indications that pourpar-
lers have recently been exchanged be-
tween some of the European powers
regarding the Philippines, exactly for
what purpose or with what prospect of
materializing into definite action it Is
impossible at present to say. However,
the Associated Press is able to state
that there has recently been a keen re-
Crudescence of interest in Downing
street and at other chancelleries in the
conditions prevailing in the Philip
pines and the attitude of the United
this has any connection with the An
glo-Japanese treaty is only a matter
for surmise but that an important in
ternational under-current exists in re-
gard to the probable future status OF