Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-02-19
GOSSIP FROM LONDON
English People Want to Break
With the Kaiser.
THE VENEZUELAN MESS
CAN'T RISK QUARREL WITH THE
UNITED STATES.
She is the Baker Which Furnishes
Great Britain Bread-Some Other
Interesting Topics.
Special Correspondence of The Evening Star.

Special Correspondence Of The Evening Star.
LONDON, February 4, 1908.
British newspapers continue to denounce
the Anglo-German alliance over Venezuela
without distinction as to party. The Ger
man action in South America is most OBJ
noxious to English people, and the govern
ment is urged on all sides to break with the
kaiser The London papers are, of course
quoted frequently, but as showing i'll feel
ing in the country 1t will be useful to give
something Of what the provincial press has
to say on the subject.
The Dundee Advertiser, a liberal paper
referring to Lord Cranborne's speech, says:
'1Nhen an under secretary Of state under
takes to defend in public the policy of his
department he not only obtains the con-
currence of his chief, but is instructed as
to the line he should take. Lord Gran
borne's defense of the action of the govern
ment with regard to Venezuela is there
fore, the defense of Lord Lansdowne, but it
is framed with more than the usual NAL
adroitness Of the under secretary for for
eign affairs Lord Lansdowne must have
fumed when he read that his under score
tary has publicly admitted that the action
of the government had led to what was
undoubtedly a mess. Lord Cranborne
blurted out the truth.
1--WE are in mess with regard to Vene-
zuela, mess which seems to grow worse
rather than better. But this is not the sort
of defense which a government usually
offers for its policy. We suspect that the
under secretary for foreign affairs will be
called across the Goals for his frank but
awkward statement of the results Of the
policy of the government with regard to
Venezuela. Lord Cranborne has a peculiar
capacity for committing blunders Of this
kind. 1t will be remembered that he stated
in the house, with reference to the Anglo
Japanese alliance, that this country grant
ed and did not ask for alliances. The re-
mark gave just offense to the japanese
government, and had Immediately to be ex-
planned away by the prime minister"
Can't Quarrel With the United States.
The Liverpool Courier, hard and fast
conservative organ, think 1t unwise to risk
a quarrel with the United States. 1t says:
1.-The sooner the Venezuela quarrel comes
to an end the better for gus. At present it
is Germany which is the object of Ameri-
cas- resentment, but the slightest mistake
may give us share of that feeling. We
cannot afford to break with the United
States. She is our corn warehouse, our corn
chambers shop, our bread basket, our flour
barrel. without which we should die from
starvation, as millions do in India when the
crops fail. That is one of the blessings
which we derive from free trade, and that
Is the mighty weapon which free trade has
put into the hands of America.
'It is believed that England has arranged
with the United States government to CO.
cree Venezuela into the semblance of hon
esty, and that when Germany heard of the
arrangement she asked, not his majesty S
government, but that of the United States,
to be allowed to join in the coercion. Presi-
dent Roosevelt could hardly refuse, and
that is the real reason why we are acting
conformity with Germany in the matter.
Everybody wants the temporary alliance
terminated as soon as possible, so that there
may be no time for complications to germi-
nate and develop. We cannot afford to
quarrel with the only baker in the village,
for We have large family of children, and
they are always hungry
The Birmingham Post, the strong sup
porter of Mr.. Chamberlain, says:
A marked uneasness of feeling continues
to prevail on all hands concerning the An
gio-German cooperation in the matter, and
the hope Is generally expressed that this
particular relationship will soon cease. 1t
would seem that the semi-official press of
Germany-as illustrated in the case of the
Berlin POSTS trying to persuade itself
that only section Of English public opin-
ion is against this cooperation, and that
particular journal has sought to induce it's
readers to believe that 1.-The expressions
which Lord Cranborne directed against the
criticism in which some English journals
are pleased to indulge regarding the action
taken by Germany in Venezuela show that
the English government had not expected
this attitude on the part of the press and
disapproved of it. Germans can only record
their entire appreciation of Lord Gram
borne's speech, as it proves that the official
world in England adheres to the policy of
common action with Germany, and declines
to yield to the influence of Trades against