New-York tribune., 1902-01-22
BRITISH FRIENDSHIP IN 1898.

BRITISH FRIENDSHIP IN 1898.
Lord Cranborne did not on Monday, in answer
to Mr. Norman's inquiry, remove entirely the
veil of diplomatic reserve from the international
doings of 1898 concerning the United States and
Spain. 1t was we'll that he did not; that, indeed,
he could not do He did, however raise the
veil sufficiently to corroborate what has hitherto
been stated on other and quite Independent
authority. That is that, no matter what any
other power may may not have done or
desired TO do, it was Great Britain that made
her friendship for effective in those trying
times, and that stood as a lion IN the path
against any European coalition against the
United States That is a fact which has long
been known to those acquainted with the cir
cumstances of the case and not too prejudced
to be willing TO know the truth. 1t is agree
able to have 1t publicly and officially reaffirmed
by one of the men most completely conversant
with the facts, and one moreover. whose char
acter and position are the strongest guarantees
of sincerity.
What Lord Cranborne said briefly this:
That Just before the outbreak of the Spanish
American War other European powers in sew
eral notes suggested that Great Britain should
join in a united expression-to the United States
of hope that peace might be preserved; that
noted-enly after ascertaining from President
Mckinley that such action would not be dis
pleasing to the United States. and that the
British Government declined to have anything
TO do with subsequent proposals which seemed
to hint at trying to put pressure upon the
United States In behalf OF Spain. Nothing is
better known than that on April Z, 1S9S the
representatives, of the great powers did present
joint note to the President expressing n
benevolent hope that the peace might be kept,
and that the President made a suitable reply
The impression was, and is that that incident
was welcomed by the President and by this
nation. 1t is interesting TO know that Great
Britain took pains to make sure that it would
thus be welcomed before participating in It and
we should be glad to have equal assurance that
all the other powers We're similarly punctilious
In consulting the wishes of this country. In
regard to the later proposals, which appear TO
have been almost tantamount to Intervention,
their execution seems to have been conditioned
upon British acquiescence, and Great Britain's
prompt refusal to countenance them is there
fore to be assumed to have caused their aban-
donment In short, Great Britain would have
nothing to do with the case save in a way
known to be welcome to the United States, and
she unhestatingly set herself against any
scheme which might be suspected Of unfriendli-
ness to this country.
We have said that Lord Cranborne did not
and could not reveal the whole truth. That is
to say, he did not and could not declare the
identity Of the Continental powers which made
the various proposals negatived by the British
Government. The keeping Of such secrets is
essential to the maintenance of amity and conf
dence among the nations. 1t gives some OBJ
streperous folk chance to challenge the truth
by refusing to believe it unless these unreveal-
able facts are revealed, just Smith might say
he would not believe Jones was not a wife
beater unless Mrs. Jones would publicly show
that her shoulders were unscarred. Such con-
tentions will have no weight with judicious
minds. Neither will I'll feeling be aroused be-
tween this country and Europe from the prima
facie inference that most of the great powers
were parties to the proposals in question. The
French Government was pretty hot for inter
vention against US during our Civil War, but
that fact has not caused this country to regard
the French nation with less affection and conf
dence. If, in our quarrel with Spain, Austria
was moved to sympathize with Spain because
the Spanish Queen Regent was an Austrian
archduchess, and France because of racial affin-
ities and financial interests, and Russia because
of her alliance with France, why, what OF that2
Those were respectable and reasonable motives
We cannot expect all European countries TO
side with US against one OF their own number
any more than they can expect US always to
side with them against some American State.
It would be unreasonable for us to cherish
wrath against them for sympathizing with
Spain, Just it would be for them to be angry
with US for standing by Mexico in 1S65-67 and
by Venezuela in 1895.
The question which concerns the United States
is not who was Spain's friend, but who was our
friend. That question has now been answered
to the satisfaction, as 1t seems to US, of every
reasonable mind. Great Britain our friend.
She refused to countenance any act or any word
which might be unacceptable to the United
States, and by such refusal she precluded the
possibility Of any concerted movement against
US. That was practical and effective friendship,
which Will always be gratefully remembered.
THE POPE REBUKES FRENCH ROYALISTS.