Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-08-31
FOR A COLONIAL MEET
Believed Balfour Will Adopt
Chamberlain's Suggestion.
TALKING CONTRABAND
FEELING AT LONDON FOB A DEF
mite UNDERSTANDING.
Speculation Over Successor to Lady
Tweedmouth's Nantle-Countess
Cadogan Congratulated.
TALKING CONTRABAND

LONDON, August 10. 1904
Many Of the governments supporters be-
lieve that Mr.. Balfour will be glad to take
advantage Of Mr.. Chamberlain's sugges-
ton for colonial conference because 1t
would probably arrest the disintegrating
process which Mr.. Chamberlain's enthusi-
asm has caused in the party. The only DIFF
ficulty in Mr.. Balfour.s acceptance OF the
suggestion is, as his supporters believe, that
Mr.. Chamberlain would certainly contrtve
to make 1t appear that that acceptance in
yolved complete agreement with his policy
of taxation on food. On the other hand. a
few Balfourites think that their Leaders
could so constitute the conference as to
| make it exercise the function Of a royal
commission. and so dish Joe" even on that
matter. Fer 1t will be remembered that
when opening his own Commission Mr..
Balfour pooh-poohed the idea that they.
the tariff reformers, would ever consent
to such a tribunal being set up to consider
the fiscal question when they had already
made up their minds about the diagnosis.
prognosis, symptoms and remedy Of the ma
tional ill-health
is believed to have been made rather with
the object of securing a safe retreat from
his position than from any clearer motive.
and 1T certainly indicates a waning conf
d
conference ended in shelving the controver-
sy for time, no one would complain. The
government could say they were still ID
quiring and Mr.. Chamberlain would make
an occasional speech just to keep the idea
simmering. And, of course, If the confer
ence were abOrtive-as it would almost
certainly be-then Mr.. Chamberlain could
escape from the whole affair with injured
lmper1al1st feelings and take his revenge in
predicting that "a time would come" etc.
1t Is freely said among his friends that he
now acknowledges that he has forced the
pace too much. and is resigned to the con-
troversy being again shunted on to the i'm
curry siding. SO long as outward appear
anceS are saved.
1t has generally been assumed that Mr..
Balfour has weathered the fiscal storm more
by skill than luck, and without having any
moments of real despair; but, according to
the statement of such an authority as Mr..
II. w. Lucy, the prime minister last year
found his position so critical that he was
actually compelled to consider the question
of whom he should advise his majesty "to
send for in his place. The critical moment
was when the nicely justed plan of shelly
ing the unionist free trade cabinet minister's
was completely upset by the unexpected de-
cision of the Duke of Devonshire to join
them. That was a staggering blow to Mr..
Balfour, and he regarded it as the final
catastrophe to his ministry opinion
which the duke himself must also have
held. At any rate says Mr.. Lucy, Mr. Bal
four contemplated the breakup of the gov
friend on the front opposition bench, whose
personal position made him stand aloof
from active direction of opposition bust
ness, the imminence of the crisis.
The news conveyed to the leaders Of
the liberal party in the two houses of par
Lament. Lord Spencer and Sir Henry
Campbell Zimmerman. putting their heads
together and preparing for an emergency,
straightway formed ION paper) a ministry.
In some individual cases communications
were actually opened with members whose
,ie-.,-x =
desirable to secure. Then. by sheer luck.
Mr.. Balfour saved. Things muddled
along in the dislocated cabinet. 1t gradual
ly grew possible to carry on, even with
withdrawal of the weighty prop of the
Duke of Devonshire's help. Mr.. Balfour's
first administration survived the shock
still lives. and the Campbell-B annerman
ministry remains a pigeon-hoied document
Understanding With Russia.
There is a growing feeling in the house
of commons and among the shipping
members particularly, that the govern
ment should come to a definite under
standing with Russia on the subject Of
contraband. The government is under
stood to take the view that 1t would be
futile and even dangerous to raise the
question publicly at time when negotia-
tions Of a most delicate nature are pro-
eeding; but, on the other hand, it is held
that these negotiations will be merely
is to secure the admission by Russia that
many OF, the commodities which she has
declared contra band are not contra band
by interrationa agreement. Hence the
action which has been taken by the p
and o. Company, the Holt and Ben lines
in withdrawing their services to Japan
pending proper and indisputable def
milton of what constitutes contraband at
least. SO far as the present war is con-
cerned.
The whole subject will, hear, be taken
into consideration at tomorrow's cabinet
council. The shipping community have
been very active in pressing their views
of the impossibility of Russia maintain
ing u Sapricious and contradictory stand
ard of contraband, and take much the
same view of the matter as that express
ed In Mr.. Hays note of June 10. The sug-
gestfon has been made that the govern
ment should authorize the admiral on the
emma station to secure the renewal of a
reasonable and strictly commercial trade
with Japan by supplying escorts of tor
pedo boats to convoy such British steam
ers In Japanese waters as convince the
BRUSH naval authorities out there that
.ney are not carrying goods which are
contraband in international law
since the death of Lady Tweedmouth So
ciety is asking who will wear the mantle
tnat she wore as the chief hostess OF Iber-
aIsm. The Warehouses of Breadalbane.
wife OF great Scottish noble would seem
pest ntted for the part, but Lady BreadaI
Dane seems TO care less and less for Lon
don and more and more for her Scottish
home The Countess Spencer Is dead: so is
the Marchioness of Northampton while the
Warehouses of Ripon. with advancing
years. cannot be expected to undertake the
exhausting duties of great political hos
tess. There remain the Countesses OF
Aberdeen and Crewe and Countess Car
rington. but Lady Crewe is the only one or
the trio who has house suited to the polit-
1cal salon. Among other peeresses whose
husbands are liberals there are the Coun-
tesses Of Portsmouth, Chesterfield. Buck
inShamshire and Beauchamp, Lady Bat
tersea. Lady Brassey and Lady Robertes
The husbands of some of these ladies' are
possessed of enormous wealth, but unfor-
tunately for the liberal party many of them
are not given to hospitality.
Congratulations are ben poured ,1pon
Countess Cadogan. who completes another
decade of the seven which m Ike the aitot-
ted span II IS thirty-nine years since she
married Earl Cadogan, then the heir TO
one of the greatest estates in London or
children they have had nine and no coupie
perhaps have had more brilliant or longer
sustained reign in English society ireland
has never had such popular vlceroy ana
ycereine as 1t had in Lord and Lady Cado-
gan. and 1t is well known that Lord Cado-
gan. like the Earl of Zetland, could have
had a marquisate when he retired In 1877