The daily morning journal and courier., 1904-11-10
FOR INTERVENTION IN
 RUSSO.JAPANESB VAR
BoLD BID IN SPEECH BY BRIT-
 IsH FOREIGN MINISTER.

Carefully Prepared Statement in Which
 America is Writ Large-Impnssioned
 View of the North Sea Incident
 Statement That Arbitration Was the
 Only Way Greeted UnsympathctIcaIIy
 Treaty With United States.
 London, No. 9.-Lord L.ansdowne, in the absence of Premier Balfour at the historic lord mayors banquet held to- night. made strong plea for peace and arbitration in behalf of the British govr ernment. Lord Landsdowne pointed out to large and rather unsympathet- ic audience that arbitration was the only way in which the North sea dis pute with Russia could have been equit- ably settled, and almost in the same breath drew a vivid picture of the hor- TOTS of the struggle now proceeding in the far east. Between the lines of every reference the foreign minister made to the Russo-Japanese war, was an UT gent plea, amounting almost to de- mand, that 1t might be settled by arbi- tration. It was carefully prepared statement made before what is consid- cred the most representative gathering of leading men of Great Britain As such it was generally interpreted as a bolder bid for intervention than has yet emanated from any neutral power. America was writ large in this speech, for which Great Britain has been wait l ing for many days.
 The foreign minister prefaced all his remarks by saying That great states man, John Hay, recently remarked that war was the most futile and fallacious of human follies." Then came an inn passioned review of the North sea af- fair. Although Lord Landsdowne was unable to announce the singing of the leonvention, he emphatically confirmed the statements made in these dispatch es, namely, that Great Britain had found mo difficulty in arriving at a so- l lution in principle of the dispute and only supplemented what is already known by the statement that Russia has guaranteed the punishment of any other officers in addition to those al- ready detached from Admiral Rojest- vensky's squadron, who might be prov ed to have been implicated.
 By most of tiie ffesss efsss, vino tonight had their first opportunity of hearing the foreign officers views, and who hitherto had based their ideas on MT. Balfour's much criticised Southampton speech and belligerent editorial articles lin the newspapers, Lord Lansdowne' s iutterances were regarded almost as a 4 plea for Russia A dead silence greeted him as, after pointing out that the two governments in good faith believed in Icontradictory statements of facts. he asked: Could we have done better than get full apology and compensa- ton and leave the question of facts to Ian international tribunal with guar antee of punishment of any who may be found guilty?"
 Lord Lansdowne, in connection with the question of contraband, seriously reminded the audience that Great Brit lain as the greatest naval power, might Isome day be the greatest sufferer by a restriction of belligerent rights on the lligh seas.
 After referring to the widely prev ] alent desire that arbitration might be lresorted to in the case of the present war in the far east, Lord Lansdowne added: MT. Choate walked into my room yesterday and asked if we would sign an arbitration treaty with the United States. Simultaneously I re. ceived from President Roosevelt whom we all must congratulate (chesrs). 2
 message inviting us to participate in g second international peace conference at The Hague It is needless to say that the invitation has not been re, fused, only we have reserved to our. < selves the right to consider what sub zE jects should be discussed We hesi tated not moment in informing Amer ica that we were ready to participate and in wishing President Roosevelt
 God-speed in this undertaking. "Arbi x tration, concluded Lord Lansdowne after sympathetic reference tt 2 Frances assistance in the North SC; dispute, ''has become the fashion