The Montgomery advertiser., 1903-11-10
NEW MAYOR OF LONDON
STR JAMES RITCHIE ENTER
 TAINS ON KINGS BIRTHDAY.
Ambassador Choate Replies to the Toast "The Foreign Ministers"- Premier Balfour is Among
 the Speakers.

London. Nov. 9.-The new Lord Mayor, Sir James Ritchie, gave a banquet to 1,200 persons in the historic Guild Hall tonight in honor of the Kings birthday. Premier Balfour was the guest of honor. Many notabilities were present. including Ann bassador Choate, the foreign ministers and several past and present Cabinet members. t
 Prior to the banquet, the Lord and Lady Mayoress held a reception at which MT. Choate. the first prominent parsonage to arrive. was enthusiastically cheered.
 After the banquet the Lord Mayor toast- ed his guests. Mir. Balfour replied to the toast of His Majesty's Ministers" and MT. Choate replied to The Foreign Min isters."
 In proposing the toast of His Majes- tvs Ministers" the Lord Mayor paid graceful tribute to the late Lord Sails bury. Premier Balfour during his reply to the toast said concerning the situation in the Far East, that there was every reason to feel sanguine that 1t would have no serious outcome. He based this as- surance on the passionate desire of the Czar of Russia to promote the general peace and on the fact that Japan. as the ally of Great Britain, would be certain to display moderation, discretion and judgment in its demands as well as firm ness in enforcing them.
 Mir. Balfour said that the Macedonian question raised issues more difficult and more complicated than even those of the Far East, because it touched the almost perennial difficulty of the problem of the Government of its European subjects by the Sublime Porte. He was convinced that the question must ultimately be set tied by the concert of Europe, which could not more effectively carry out it's designs than through the medium of Russia and Austria which had undertaken to deal with the situation.
 Referring to Alaska, Premier Balfour said: The danger arising from the un- certain and disputed frontiers in the case between the British Empire and the United States has been decided for all time. T regret that the decisions has not been favorable to the claims of this country, but the two small islands" the Premier said, "the loss of which to Can ada has aroused such great feeling, are really valueless from a strategic and mill itary point of view. We regret the exact tenor of the decision, but however the balance of advantage went the gain to the United States or the loss to Canada is nothing compared with the final re- moval of this subject of dispute between the two great countries"
 Ambassador Choate responding to the toast of ''The Foreign Ministers" invited the Lord Mayor to go to the United States to visit the St. Louis Exposition during his term of office.
 After speaking felicitiously on the sub ject of King Edwards birthday, the Am bassador passed to the Alaskan boundary decision.
 While he believed that ample justice had been done, the result. MT. Choate said was due more than anything else to the good sense, justice. courage and devotion to duty of Lord Chief Justice Alverstone. The speaker paid a tribute tc the magnanimity of the Canadians, and said that the termination of the contro- versity had made both countries better friends.
 MT. Choate then paid a graceful and feeling tribute to the memory of the late British Ambassador at Washington, Sil Michael Herbert.
 He suggested that the United States and Great Britian unite in honoring Sir Michael Herbert by selecting some mag nificent mountain peak on the line of de- marcation of the Alaska nboundary and "affixinK thereto the name of Herbert so that for all time to come it may stand as a monument to his splendid service. noble character and great achievements"
 ''The Bench and Bar" was responded to by Lord Chief Justice Alverstone, who referred briefly to the Alaskan boundary question, saying he declined to justify or to explain his conduct because such a course would be a death. blow to the con- fdence reposed in the R-itish bench.