The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1904-08-16
King Edwards Speech.

L
King Edward yesterday prorogued
parliament, chiefly to give the sports
in the lords and commons a chance
to take hand in the shooting season.
His majesty was optimistically in
clined and took a rather rose-colored
view Of occurrences in and outside
the British empire.
He pointed with pride to his recent
strenuous efforts to get old King
Christian of Denmark, his father-in-
law, to bring about amicable relations
between Nicholas II and the mikado,
and his apparently more successful
arrangements for the maintenance Of
peace between Britain and Germany
and Britain and France. The latter
compact is intended to settle all ques-
tons of spheres of influence" Of
France and England, respectively, on
the continent of Africa, France being
accorded freedom of action with re-
spect to that tumultuary country, Mo-
rocco, which is just now dominated
by banditti, leaving Sultan Mulai Alb
dull Aziz, who styles himself "emper-
or" only captain Of a huckleberry
patch--aHs style and no stock.
King Edward expressed satisfaction
with the arrival Of Colonel Younghus-
band before the sacred city of Lhasa,
and under the shadow of their many
stored Potala, the palace of the dalai
lama, head of the Buddhist faith and
hypothetical reincarnation of Buddha.
The king expects a felicitous ending
of the conference at Lhasa. where it
is intended by the British government
to force upon the Tibetans, thru lib
eral display of modern artillery and
small arms, a disposition to trade
more with India and get larger mar
ket for Indian tea. The Tibetans, in
Guiding the dalai and, the four prin-
cipal lamas, prefer Chinese brick tea,
of which they import much over the
| caravan roads. Viceroy Curzon of In
dia, however, thinks they ought to
drink Indian tea and do more trading
in other British goods, and practical
| ly, Britain intends to follow her tao
tics employed with China when the
emperor forbade the importation of
the deadly drug, opium, from India,
and ordered several warehouses full
| of it to- be DESTROYED. At once the
British dogs of war were let loose
upon him and the trade was forced
upon him at the point Of the bayonet.
In order to get some show of author
! ity other than militarysforce, the Brit
ish will have to get the signature of
| the dalai lama, but he is reported to
| solemn-faced lamas, who sit in the
halls Of Potala steadily looking at the
tips of their noses.
King Edward admits that the war
in the orient is disturbing because of
the rather extraordinary treatment of
neutral commerce by Russia and her
arbitrary amendments to the law OF
contraband. The British cabinet still
| holds that the sinking of the knight
! Commander was an International out
rage, and this view has been stated to
Russia, and as Britain will not re
cede from it, or from her objections
to the amplifcation by Russia of the
/
band of war, the car will have either
to face rupture with. Britain at q
peculiarly unfortunate time, or back
down as gracefully as he can. King
Edward made the following siren
uous declaration: my government
will energetically support my subjects
in the exercise of rights recognized
by International law as belonging tt
Ineutrals' This sounds kinglike and
has the ring Of business intent The
trouble with Russia is that she still
adheres with great tenacity, to medic.
val notions of the rights of belliger
ents and neutrals, altho she signed the
Declaration of Paris, which was de
signed to introduce a new order. o.
i things.
Meantime King Edward ought tt
keep his weather eye upon the move
ments of his nephew of Germany
who is likely at any time to do some
!. thing queer.