Daily Kennebec journal., 1902-01-21
SHAKE. JOHN!
Continued from page ID
Regarding the much disputed point

Regarding the much disputed point
as to what powers were prepared to
sign this note had Great Britain ac-
quiesced, the following statement from
a high official of the foreign office,
through whose hands all secret dis
patches passed, had best be given in
his own language. This official said:
I'VE 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 col
lective note to the United States, the
purport of which, however polite the
wording, must naturally have been
that of a threat.
I'VE 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,
to moral certainty.
There are a hundred and one diplo-
matte secrets which, pieced together,
convinced us that our estimate OF the
situation was correct and doubtless
there are documents in the European
chancellories which detail the negotia-
tionS that occurred prior to our being
reports convinced us that not only was
the collective note dropped on account
of our refusal, but that we incurred
not little enmity because our actions
was sufficiently patent to obvlate all
necessity of our actually having pos
session of copies of these diplomatic
| interchanges, which resulted in our be-
| ing asked to sign the second protest to
America"
Opinion in the foreign office is
somewhat divided as to the advisable
| ity of today's announcement in the
House of Commons. several high Off
cials of this Office believing this an
nouncement will only tend to strain
the relations between Great Britain
and the Continental powers.
| Mr.. Norman said to representative
| of The Associated Press: Il am de-
Lighted to get such an Unexpectedly
frank and important answer. My
question was down for the opening day
of the session, but the government
asked me to postpone it until today.
did so, but with little hope of securing
a definite pronouncement, for such
things are usually arranged between
the government leader and one of his
supporters.
while, of course, 1 am one of the
most outspoken critics of our foreign
policy, there was no put up job.
merely wrote the question because
thought there was more hope of get
ting some sort Of answer at this stage
of affairs than at any other. l think
Lord Cranborne's statement reveals
condition of things more serious thar
any one suspected, for it shows thai
practically the whole of Europe was
ready to attempt to coerce the United
States, even at the risk of war.
After the hostilities with Spain had
commenced, the selection of Austria tC
be spokesman for Europe showed eX-
cellent tact, for our relations with thai
country were of the most friendly kind
To point blank refuse her must have
cost us no little prestige.
'sBeyond what Lord CranbOrne said
know little, but that l think sufficient
for it shows the excellent feeling OF
the British government in it's relations
with the United States which l be-
lieve to be the most important rela-
tionS we have"