The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-03-07
British People Are As Mad As
 Hornets This Time
LETTER CONCERNING NAVY
Government Officials Are Placed In An Embarrassing Position By Letter Sent To Lord TWeedmouth
 and Answer To Same.

London, March 6-An outburst of anger against Emperor William on the part of the public equal to that caused by the, German Emperors famous letter to Pre- \ ident Kruger in 1896, after the de2S of the Jameson raiders, has followe0 sS announcement made by the TimeSc S Emperor William had attempted l C n- fluence the British naval policy a secret correspondence with Lord Tt. eed- mouth first lord of the admiralty.
 Tho Germanophobe party, which was never stronger than now, immediately jumped at the conclusion that Emperor William was trying to meddle in the most vital of Great Britain's national interests by underhand methods and the public at first shared that view, while parlia- ment, the newspapers and the diplomats had the greatest sensation they had en- joyed for many a day. The matter was considered so serious that Lord Tweed mouth broke his customary reticencs, hastening to say:
 "The letter from the German Emperor is purely personal communication and there is no reference in 1t to the British navy estimates"
 Asquith Explains.
 Lord Tweedmouth visited the House of Commons this afternoon and conferred with the liberal leaders. The cabinet met afterward. It had been announced at first that Herbert Henry Asquith, chan cellor of the exchequer, would make a statement concerning the matter next Monday but tho public was so excited and sos many members of parliament had even notice that they would ask ques- tions in the lower house about the corre- spondence that the cabinet decided some thing must be done at once. MT. As Luith therefore appeared in the House of Commons at the close of its sitting and made a brief statement to a crowded house, elaborating amid profound silence Lord TWeedmouth's explanation that the correspondence was purely personal.
 Tt Is fact" declared the chancel- Tor, that on February IS Lord Tweed mouth received letter from the German Emperor. It was a purely personal and private communication conceived in an entirely friendly spirit. My noble friends answer was equally private and informal and neither the letter nor it's answer was known or communicated to the cabinet. I may add that in view of certain suggestions which have been made, that before the letter arrived the cabinet had come to its final decision with regard to the naval estimates for this year.
 More Curiosity Aroused.
 These explanations only stimulated the curiosity of the people and instead or appeasing them strong demand is heard everywhere for the publication of both letters. Nothing else will sat- isfy the British public and probably this will be done eventually. The only hints regarding the nature of Emperor Williams letter which have leaked from the inner circle are that it was an attempt to refute assertions in leading English newspapers that the German naval programme was ami mated wholly by hostility to Great Britain. If this proves to be the true version of the incident, the whole sen sation may collapse as quickly as it grew. but if the letter was of the na- ture suggested hy the Times, it will be equally as damaging to the govern meEt to publish or withhold it, unless Lord Tweedlnouth should be repudiate and thrown overheard.
 The present position of the affair embarrasses the government immensely and brings a shower of criticism upon Lord Tweedmouth. It would be a del- icate matter to ask Emperor William s permission to publish a private letter and he may voluntarily authorize that to be done.
 Relations Strained.
 If the relations between Great Brit ain and Germany were not so strained +I, in, O al be considered merely a technical mis- take or an informality; but Germany is a bugbear to a large proportion of the British people, who firmly believe she is deliberately planning war and is trying to sooth British suspicious un- til she is ready. Nothing could be more infiammatory than to charge the Elm peror with trying to undermine the British strength by seducing her na- val minister from the policy for big navy.
 Emperor William has tried hard lately to gain English friendship by paying q visit to England and with other advances but the Germanophobes refuse to believe these overtures were made in good faith. He is a profuse and impulsive letter Wilt CT, and is said to have written other British ministers previous to addressing Lord Tweedmouth, and sober second thought may cOnVlHCe hSiiiiiOh Iiie'e they have done him an injustice In the meantime, the newspapers are saying that he should make any statements re- garding the British navy that he desires to make through the regular diplomatic channels and they are criticisng Lord Tweedmouth because he did not immedi- ately place the letter before the cabinet
 The government is in an awkward po- sition now to handle any critical interns- tional question, because King Edward is on the continent and Sir Henry Campbell Zimmerman, the prime minister, Is too i'll to be consulted on official matters.
 Mares Nest" Found.
 As result of the official explanations already given at Berlin on the Emperor William Tweedmouth correspondence. the opinion Is expressed by the majority of the morning newspapers that the Times has discovered a mares next" or at least has quite unnecessarily magnifed