The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-05-31

studously than France; and there is no power with whom we have less reason to be on bad terms The commercial in terests of the two nations do not clash, but are generally identical
 Our present ministers are imperlalist, but they do not appear to have any very clear notions how their creed Is to be carried into effect. At one moment they have revied France, at another Germany and at another the United States, and at another Russia. Having gloried in splendid isolation," later on they boast ed that they had entered into sort of treaty with the United States and Ger many-a statement which was promptly denied by both of these powers. They ap- pear to have acted on the singular doc , Urine that we ought usually to be in hot water with one power and to make up for this by cringing to another. In the latest exhibition of their diplomatic in- telligence, we have only escaped from a war with the United States, with Ger many as our ally, because public opinion was so adverse to Anglo German alli- ance that they were forced to. yield to the storm While 1t has only brought ig- nominy and disaster to us abroad. Im- perialism has been found to mean for us at home not only heavy taxation and de- CTtdolnB put d TeLrORTaQe moves ment in our industrial life. Our colonies are bound to us by loose ties They have no wish to separate from us, provided that we do not meddle with this independ- ence. They are ready to grant preferen- tial treatment to our exports, provided that we do the same in regard to theirs But as we should be losers by the ar engagement, it has no advocates in the United Kingdom, with the exception of Mir Chamberlain. and a few thorough paced Protectionists. An import duty was last year placed on corn: but Mir. Ritchie has now removed it on the ground that 1t is liable to be misrepresented. in other words, that 1t increases the cost of bread. In order that the West Indies shauld be able to make an extra million by selling their sugar to us. we have signed a treaty by which the total sugar used in the United States will cost us an additional eight millions per annum. The treaty is however so strangely drawn up that we have already uuarreled with our co-sig- natories as to the meaning of several of it's clauses. Imperialism has added above thirty millions to our nomal army and navy estimates, and, heavy as they were before. they have still further risen for the present year.
 The sum total of the opinions of best informed men is that England must solve some perplexing problems or yield her place in the list of nations to her eldest daughter, the United States, the greatest of all nations of this century.
 
 The mounting and production of Sar- dou's and Moreaus Dante" at Drury Lane marks triumph in stagecraft, and I fancy that the elaborate staging, added to the commanding personality of Sir Henry, will draw all London for some time Drury Lane Is too large theater for acting, but it is not too large for the spectacular drama, and Dante is a fine spectacle if a poor play.
 The French are great dramatic peo- pie, and we have imported their plays wholesale; but I see no signs of a desire on their part to provide '1ine" in the shoddy plays which will be good enough to sell to England, but would not pass muster in Paris. M. Sardou is shrewd man. His ''Robespierre"-a far better play. by the way. than "Dante''-as far as recollect. was never produced in France. and if one dramatist sets vogue