The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-03-03
The New British Governments For
eign Policy.

WV "OlO IN - 'NS
preceding the recent general election
in the United Kingdom that no change
in the foreign policy of that Power need
be a~pprehended from a change OF Gov
eminent. 1t was no doubt reassuring
to many voters that the post of Secretary
for Foreign Affairs should have beer
conided to Sir EDWARD GREY, who is
supposed to approve the treaties con-
cluded by Great. Britain with Japan and
with France. We have no doubt hat
the views and sympathies Of the new
Secretary are correctly construed. 1t
is nevertheless a fact which may have
far reaching consequences that thetra-
ditions and interests Of British Liberals
are by no means identical with those
Of the Conservatives, who have consti-
tuted, and still constitute, the bulk OF
the Unionist party.
The Liberal Government will be bound,
Of course, both by duty and self-interest,
to carry out the treaty by which, in con-
sideration of many concessions on the
part of France, including a recognition
Of British ascendency in Egypt, Great
Britain promised not to contest the as
sertion by France of similar preponder-
ance in Morocco. The text OF the treaty,
however, is n thing; the possible out
come OF the entente cordidle brought
about by Lord LANsDowNE and NJ.
DELCAssE is another. 1t can no longer
be taken for granted that in the event
of an attack by Germany on her French
neighbor the latter could count on the
armed assistance Of England by land
and sea. The Liberals and their prede-
cessors, the Wings, ever since the con-
| quest Of Canada in the administration
OF the elder PITT have been habitually
opposed to war, devoting themselves by
preference to the maintenance of peace,
the furtherance Of political reforms and
| the development of industry and COM
MERGE.
If this was true Of the Wings before
the first Reform bill, when their repre-
| sentatives in the House Of Commons
we're mainly country gentlemen, it Is
far more emphatically true Of the Lib
| eral members of Parliament to-day, a
large majority Of whom have to work
for a living. A government formed by
such men will desire to have its hands
free to deal with pressing internal prob
lens, and will therefore do its utmost
to prevent a collision between France
and Germany. That a change has come
over the spirit of the Foreign Office, in
]consonance with the purposes and the
prepossessions of the party now DOM
inant in the House of Commons, may be
inferred from the announcement that
King EDWARD VII. is about to hold a
conference with his nephew, Emperor
WILLIAM H., although a meeting OF the
two sovereigns was for some time studi-
ously avoided while Lord LANsDowNE
was Foreign Secretary.
1t is further to be borne in mind that
1t is not the Liberals but the Conserva-
tives who for upward Of half a century
have been inimical % Russia. The
Wings entered with reluctance into the
Crimean War, and some twenty years
later the Liberals, headed by Mr.. GLAD
| STONE, made no secret of their sympathy
with Russia's determination to repress
and avenge the atrocities committed by
Turks in Bulgaria. 1t was with derision
that they listened to Lord BEACoNs-
FIELDS boast, when he returned from
Berlin, that he brought peace with
honor" To-day not a few Liberal states
men and influential Liberal newspapers
assert that the attainment of a friendly
understanding between Russia and Great
Britain is entirely practicable, notwith-
standing the recent conclusion of an
offensive and defensive alliance be-
tween the latter Power and Japan.
Such, for instance, has been the position
consistently maintained by the Spec
tdtor, which, as an organ of the Cnionist
Free Traders who rendered invaluable
aid to the Liberals in the recent contest
at the ballot box, must naturally have
great weight with the present admins
tration. There is a good deal of ground
for the belief entertained at st. Peters,
burg that a Liberal Government would
look with complacency on an attempt
by Russia to secure compensation in the
Near East for the announcement OF
projects of expansion in Manchuria or
toward the Indian Ocean. Nor is it
doubtful that, since the accession of Sir
Fl. OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES to the Pre-
miership, the likelihood that a part Of
the next Russian loan will be taken in
Great Britain is much stronger than it
has been at any preceding time since
the outbreak of the rebellion by which
Russia was convulsed in November and
December.
The probability that England will
heartily cooperate with Russia in striv-
ing through the joint personal influence
of their sovereigns to avert a rupture
between France and Germany is the
strongest reason for trusting in the con-
tinuance of peace
Practical Patriotism.
Behind House bill 1913, on which the