Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-07-12
ENGLISH NEWSPAPERS
ON CLEVELAND'S CAREER
Special Correspondence Of The Star.

SpeCldl correspondence OF The Star,
LONDON. July 4, 1908.
" NGLISH comments on Grover Cleve-
r. lands Venezuela message in the long
and usually highly complimentary
obituary notices are so significant Of the
great change that has come over public
opinion here regarding the United States
since that day in 1895 when the two
countries were so near to war that it will
be found interesting to read a few OF
the more widely representative views.
In the middle of almost a column and
a half of eulogy the Morning Post refers
thus to the incident:
"In his second term came the Vene-
zuela dispute, and in this matter Cleve-
land formed strong but. as we may
now venture to say, haSty judgment.
He thought the British government was
trying to gain fresh ground in Guiana.
Many Americans thought so, for the gen.
Grafton to which Cleveland belonged
had been brought up in the tradition that
England was the oppressor, a tradition
not yet dead in spite Of the fair-minded-
ness of the best modern American his
torians The me sage sent by Cleveland
to Congress on this subject and the dis
patches of Mr.. Olney. then Secretary Of
State seemed to many Englishmen to
contain a challenge which ought. on the
ground of right and justice. to be taken
its head: so did Lord Salisbury. who was
otherwise and the matter was settled
without a quarrel. and happily settled.
for in the end both Cleveland and the
majority of his countrymen saw that
they had misjudged England"
Calls Message Extraordinary.
The Daily Telegraph says:
His second presidency does not COM
90 with frs
fact which will stand out from it in the
memory of Englishmen is the extraordi
nary message which he sent to Congress
on the question of Venezuela. This was
the message in which he spoke as if
war between the United States and Eng
land we're almost going to break out.
and as If nothing but an appeal to arms
would extort from England a recognition
Of American claims. The matter in dis
pute was strangely disproportionate to
language of such lofty and unprovoked
very important part of not very i'm
portant republic in Southern america
And the feeling produced In England was
something like incredulity, followed by
Stupefaction. However, the country kept
its head: SO did Lord Salisbury. who was
eminently peaceful by temper and by
training; and the end was the reference
of this question. not to battlefelds. but
to a peaceful court of arbitrator seated
in quiet hall in Paris
The Daily News which was founded by
Charles Dickens. says:
1T Is not necessary to recall the cir
cumstances of the Venezuelan conflict;
but the effect Of that conflict was to es-
tablish the Monroe doctrine as the bed
rock of American policy. The doctrine
was at the back of the historic policy of
the United States, but 1t had never been
mr.
Cleveland gave it. The fact that he was
an anti-jingo gave his action increased
force. The effect was historic and final.
1t left no doubt in the mind of tine world
that any aggression on the American
continent. north or south, had to reckon
with the United States. The guardian
ship of the peace of the new world is a
high task, and Mr.. Cleveland. in estab-
fishing 1t finally, wrote his name indelibly
in the history of his country"
Some Unpleasant Remarks.
C. Arthur Pearson's papers. the Stand
ard. Evening Standard and Express. are
not SO pleasant.
1.-The Venezuelan message" says the
Standard, viewed from the perspective
of history. appears a brutal and unneces-
sary insult to supposed friendly power.
and yet historical truth compels the ad-
on one side. 1t was long the misfortune
of Anglo American relations that British
statesmen did not understand the psychol-
Ogy of the American people, and too Of
ten treated the United States as If 1t were
merely a second-rate power, forgetting
that the Americans are very proud and
sensitive people: 1t was the misfortune
of the Americans that they made foot
ball Of international politics to be sued
for the advantage of domestic politics:
and in their diplomacy the shirt sleeve
method appealed to them; 1t was proof
to all the world that they were too hon.
est and too outspoken to resort to the
subtleties of diplomatic finesse. What an
gered Mr.. Cleveland and his Secretary of
State, Mr.. Olney. was the apparent in
difference of the British government. the
long interval that elapsed between the re-
ceipt of an American note and it's reply,
the evident inclination to prolong the con-
A little more tact on both sides
tion."