Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1902-01-23
BRITAIN OBJECTED.
PLAN rO TtittART AMERICA BE.
FORE SPANISH WAR.

PLAN ro TtitsART AMERICA BE.
FORE SPANISH WAR.
Lord cranbourne Makes Statement
in Parliament Regarding the Pro-
posal of Austria and Other Powers
to Intervene.
London, Jan. 21.-Amid an absolute
silence. that was striking tribute to
the deep interest felt in the matter,
Lord Cranbourne, under secretary for
foreign affairs, in the house of COM
mons, yesterday made the first official
statement which has ever emanated
from the British government regard
ing its private attitude toward the
United States in the war with Spain.
The subject of the proposed Euro
pean intervention in the Spanish
American war was brought up by Hen
ry Norman, liberal, in the form of
question asking whether any commu-
nication proposing or concerning joint
or collective action by the European
states. in view of the outbreak, or ex-
pected outbreak, of the late war be-
tween the United States and Spain
was received from the Austrian or any
other government, and if so what was
the nature of the reply of her majes-
tvs government Mr.. Norman further
invited Lord Cranbourne to lay the
papers in the case on the table.
Lord Cranbourne. replying, said
that before the Spanish American
war the British government agreed to
join in a note to the president of the
United States expressing the hope
that further negotiations would re-
suit in peaceful settlement, but the
government declined to associate
itself with subsequent proposals
which seemed to be open to the obJec-
ton Of putting pressure on the gov.
ernment of the United States.
This statement was received with
burst of ringing cheers, such as sell
dom greets the mere answer of par
liamentary question.
Inquiries made by the Associated
Press concerning the subsequent pro.
posals" mentioned by Lord Gran
bourne ELECTED important information
from the foreign Office. There it was
stated that Great Britain had twice
been formally approached on this mat
ter but only once after the cons
mencement of hostilities between
Spain and the United States.
The occasion upon which Great Brit.
ain deliberately put her foot down
was. according to the foreign office,
when the Austrian ambassador at Lon
don interviewed Lord Salisbury and
asked him if Great Britain would be
willing to join in collective note
from the European powers urging the
United States to desist from war with
Spain. Such note was not to
threaten reprisals or intervention, but
was to be in the nature of strong
protest and plea for arbitration.
Lord Salisbury, so the representative
OF the Associated Press was informed.
regarded this proposition as unwar,
rantable interference in the affairs of
a friendly country and frankly said
so, declaring that Great Britain would
not be a party to any such steps, es-
pecially in view of the late President
Mckinleys attitude toward the ante
bellum efforts of European powers to
avert war
The foreign Office heard nothing
more on this subject, the matter of a
collective note apparently being
dropped
Regarding the much disputed point
as to what powers We're previously pre-
pared to sign this note, had Great Brit
ain acquiesced thereto, the following
statement from /. high official of the
foreign Office, through whose hands
all secret dispatches passed, had best
be given in his own language. This
official said:
1--WE have no documentary evidence
to prove that any power other than
the one which formally approached
us was concerned in this effort to send
a collective note to the United Sta,es.
the purport of which, however polite
the wording. must naturally have been
that of threat. We had at the time
however every reason to believe that
this power was merely put forward as
sort of buffer in order to sound US
and that France, Germany and Russia
were behind her and only awaiting our
assent formally to announce their
own. We have never had reason to
change that belief, which in the case
of France. amounts to moral certain
tvn
Prince henry.s lrinerarx