The Wichita daily eagle., 1903-08-30

Continued From Twenty Fourth Page.
sessions of Lord Salisbury's third govern
ment, there were stirring debates on i'm
perial policy TO make their Parliament
memorable. They dealt with the eastern
questions near and far at Constantinople
and Pekin. with British policy in Egypt,
the reconquest of the Soudan and Great
Britain's relations with France in Nigeria
and on the Nile ar Fashods. and above all
with the struggle with the TTansvsal.
and finally with the passage of the Aus
tralian Federation act.
It was Lord Salisburys custom in the
House Of Lords-where his opponents
were not really formida ble-to make state
ments as TO the nature and course of his
policy in answer To friendly questions. For
addressing the nation at large ne avaiied
himself year by year of the opportunity
given by the banquet held on Novem-
Der by the incoming Lord Mayor of rhe
city of London. On such OCCASIONS the
Prime Minister is the chief guest in an
assembly of almost state brilliancy- His
utterances are awaited with eager cuii'
osity
Lord Salisbury did not dissppo'nt his
hearers. At one banquet he pronounced
his solemn warning TO the Sultan of Tur-
key OF the fate which must inevitably
overtake the Ottomon Empire il he did
not set his house In or0er. AT another
while he announced what had been eff
fected by the concert of the Powers, he
pointed out in his grave ironical manners
that that diplomatic instrument, with its
cumbrous and slow action was much like
steam roller" His pubic declaration
to the republic of the Transvaal and the
Orange Free State that war would be fol-
lowed by entire readjustment of their
relations with Great Britain was made al
a Lord Mayors banquet. Indeed, n one or
two Of these speeches may be found a
comprehensive survey of the foreign po.ic.
of Britain for the moment and for the
future. Lord Salisbury's labor at the For
eign Office was incessant and as his occu-
patton of the Office was prolonged :
mastery of every question and every Sc
cret locked up in its pigeonholes became
unrivalled This undisputed influence was
Acknowledged at home and abroad.
His Wednesday audiences at the For
eisn Office were as regularly attended By
diplomatists in London as the Pope's al
the Vatican. As one by one the senior
great Chancellors of Europe passed from
the stage. Lord Salisbury came to be re-
warded at the dean of the European
diplomatic circle. He was the last sur
vivo- of the great figures at the Berlin
conference. Queen Victoria and the En-
peror Francis Joseph were the only rulers
whose veteran experience of the secrets
of state could compare with his. With
the younger monarchs his influence was
regarded With considerable respect
How strong the estimation was in which
he was held may be gathered from a rep
re sentative article in the St Petersburg
Herold inspired apparently from an Off
cial source. which appeared in the autumn
of 1909 when Lord Salisbury left England
for a holiday sojourn in the Vosges.
1t Is eminently satisfactory" said this
paper Ito have Authoritative assur-
ance that the British Premier will during
his recuperative retreat in the Vosses.
continue TO conduct the foreign affairs of
Her Majesty's government This as
surance will. we venture TO say. give as
much satisfaction on this s1ie o. the Brit
ish Channel as ii does 10 EngliShmen.
Lord Salisbury enjoys all over the CONT
nent. and in this country more especially.
greater respect and confidence than have
been accorded 10 any British statesman
during the present generation. The Queen
does not command the services OF any
Minister who could. in a general knowl-
edge OF affairs. unriva led experience an1
in soundness of Judgment. be described as
the equal of Lord Salisbury The British
Premier and Foreign Secretary cannot
transfer his functions since he cannot
transfer his personality"
It * Impossible to do more than indicate
the drift Of Lord Salisbury's foreign pol
icy. embracing. as it did. every part OF q
world wilde empire practically for quar-
ter Of a century. Inasmuch, however. as
the "continuitv OF foreign policy" Is no
eu1pt, uhrase in The British Foreign Once
and is is hardly likely that any statesman
for long time to con'e will deviate far
from the lines laid down by Lord Sails
bury. a glance at the broad features Of his
policy may not be out Of place.
Lord Salisbury dealt with foreign qles-
tions as with a tangled skein. only TO b
unravelied with patient assiduiiy. For
bevoic methods Of cutting the GOrdiaa
knot with the sword he had sonnet hing Of
contempt From the time ne set himself
To abstain from a medd1ng diplomacy and
10 uphold Euglard-s honor steadily and
fearIessly. He never undeTTated diffic1l-
ties. on the contrary. he frequently sent
away 6eputations who urged on him for
,,-,rs movements win tho impression that
he was confirmed pessimist- To work
with the means al hand IN spite of their
Disadvantages was his main effort
The Concert Of the Powers was AZ he
best an nnwieldy weapon. but every piere
of successful action on i's part IS in fhe
remarkable instance & Crete might in
crease it, effectiveness.
The rerrovsI of possible differences b.
the ielmi,aticn of frontiers was fhe s-c-
ond cardinal point 4 Lord Ssiisbury's
policy Il l. embodied in the phrase. IRE
Spheres of Influence WITH what vie
foresight il had worked ia his airsrt on
wzs seen wher the war n South Africa
proved tha, each Of the other great Pow
ers remained content with its Afri-an DO
main and declined 70 interfere bsiv-sea
Britain aud the allied republics
In man respects the Ottoman ard Cal
neSe Empires present similar problems 70
The other Powers q the world ~ far a.
diplomacy Is concerned The care % these
Sick Ken * likely 20 engage tre after
ton % Foreign Min s-e-s fe- generations
10 come. IS they I'D in the nia.te@nth
century. In each ca~e thers sesm-d