Omaha daily bee., 1908-06-12

AS a rule Americans will have but
little interest in the i~nterchanges,
diplomatic or social, between foreign
rulers, but the opposition and protest
offered to the visit of King Edward
to the car Of Russia have made prom
inent some questions that were raised
in this country several years ago, when
cans besieged President Roosevelt to
take some steps looking to interior
ence, in the name of humanity, with
the cars treatment, or m-istreatment,
of some of his subjects. Something
of this feeling evidently moved the ma
tionalists and laborites in Parliament
to offer a resolution protesting against
the visit of King Edward on the
ground that the British sovereign
should not even appear to sanction
governmental methods in Russia by
holding personal intercourse with the
Russian ruler. The rejection Of the
resolution by Parliament is an indica-
tion of the general opinion of the Brit
ish public.
The incident serves to demonstrate
the change that has taken place in the
last decade or two in the public opin-
ion as to the significance, or lack of
it, in ceremonial exchanges of visits
between rulers and high officials of
different nations. In the memory of
men who are still in their vigorous
years It would have meant political
death for a candidate for a high office
ton to meet the crowned heads Of
Europe. The s~pellbinders in campaigns
as late as 1880 aroused the greatest
enthusiasm by twisting the British
lions TAIL" and there yet remains
some orators of the old school who
make rather dismal attempts to arouse
enthusiasm by hurting defiance at
everything across the big pond. For
tunately, the spirit of tolerance and
intelligence has ~broadened rapidly
amicable relations that exist between
all the greater nations and have been
profoundly Influenced by these visits
and interchanges between rulers and
nations. Mr.. Bryan and Mr.. Taft
have been the guests Of kings and
potentates, and the fact is to their
personal and political advantage,
whereas it would have formerly made
their political advancement impossi-
BILE. France and England have for
gotten most of their old grudges in
the welcome offered to Loubet and
Fallieres in London and the honors
showered upon King Edward in Paris.
The German kaiser has been royalty
received in London and the British
public accepted him as their guest and
delighted to honor him. Every visit
of this kind serves to remove misun-
derstandings, prejudices and have a
beneficial effect upon the public opin-
ion.
Politically, the kings visit to the
car is not without significance. The
relations between Russia and Great
BrlIam nave lOI gSdib bOSh Ioih'
The antagonism between the nations
have not been without cause, as they
are not without remedy. The GEAR is
the nephew of the king and queen and
the czarina is a niece Of King Edward.
The empress dowager of Russia is a
sister of the queen of England, SO the
visit will at first take the form of a
family affair. After that 1t is possible
that the rulers may come to some I'M
derstanding as to their imperial in
terests in Afghanistan and India.
Each interchange of such visits will
doubtless show material progress to-
ward the elimination of differences be-
tween the nations and, for that rea-
son. should be welcomed and encour-
aged. The p~retense that King Ed
wards visit to the czar will apply an
endorsement Of or acquiescence in
the cruelties and tyrannies Of Rus
sian administrators is too silly for
consideration, except for the political
effect for which it was probably raised
in England.