The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1903-02-22
EngIishmen Think Government
Acted Very Foolish
BOWEN OUTWlTTED THEM
They Think the Diplomats INDUCED in
Petty Play in Settlement of Vene-
zueIan Question - General
Gossip from London.
BY HENRY DEVEREAUX.

London, February HI learn on ex-
cellent authority that the Venezuelan af-
fair is a thing of the past. Good. Much sat
isfaction is expressed Now that we real
lie for what a small sum of money all
this blow and buster was about, the
comments made at the club are not conf
plimentary to the government. "A matter
of principle" Fiddlesticks. The only
principle at stake was the Monroe Doc
trine. The Monroe Doctrine was sleep
ing; Lord Salisbury awoke 1t some years
ago when he prepared to attack Venezu-
tia. AS if the lesson had been already
forgotten, Mr.. Arthur Balfour has re-
turned to Venezuela again-ths time In
company with Germany! 1t was a gross
error, and If nothing more Immediately
occurs, it will drive the United States to
provide a large fleet for itself much soon
er than it would have done otherwise.
1t has an enormous seaboard to guard,
and some of her statesmen suspect Ger
many of wishing to obtain a foothold
In South America. To guard the one and
against the other the United States must
have at once a powerful fleet; and ii will
be a powerful feet when they have it.
Where, then, viii be our supremacy Of
the seas?
Once the Americans take to the water,
they will not only build Warships, but
will compete actively with Us in the sea
industry That would soon relieve us OF
much of cur carrying trade.
This second attack en- Venezuela is the
biggest blunder the British government
has perpetrated in modern times. Now
we must suffer the consequences.
German Alliance Foolish.
Any Englishman who has travelled
enough to be rot wholly insular in his
ideas will tell you that the German ALL
ance was the most foolish move that
could have been made. German innu-
ence in American affairs has BEEN the
Zane of the nation. Had an English and
not a German king been ON the throne
Of England in 1775 the map of the British
empire would have been different today
America was lest to England through
German not English influences, and now
Ftter century of experience German
influence once more threatened our nat
ural alliance. England and the United
States should be supreme On the seas.
Feelings run strong beneath the surface
END the question is asked in clubs ana
commercial circles: Is it the king or the
kaiser who rults? The memorable tele-
braphlc message from the Inter to 1\ru-
ger brought on the late War; that cost
heavily In mel and in money, but We
'muddled through all right. At the sng-
gestion-it is said-of the kaiser the
Queen Victoria memorial is to be estab-
ished in ST. Js mes Park, designed on
the lines of the memorial at Berlins This
rark is on the most historical ground in
England, for during several centuries It
was the centre CT the political and social
and literary life of the country. Thanks
10 the wisdom Of those VIII were before
lis, the park has as yet undergone but
little change-it is to be completely
hanged now! The uniforms of our SOL
siers-the Guards caps for instance
have recently been remodeled to make
mem similar to those worn in the Ger
man armyl What was wrong with the
former caps? Now the kaiser has in