The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-03-10
Lord ROsebsry CdIs ths Whole Affair Ridiculous and a
 Closed Incident
CONTENTS OF LETTER
 NOT ID BE MADE PUBLIC
London Times Is Severely Lectured by Sensational Newspapers of London for Exploiting Such an Un-
 seemy Story.

London, March 9.-The government has decided to keep private the personal let ter written by Emperor William to Lord TweeGmouth, first lord of tic admiralty, in which, il was charged by the London Times his majesty attempted to in Influence legislation in the matter of the naval estimates of Great Britain. How this decision, which was announced in both houses of Parliament this evening, | will please the country remains to be seen. Since A. J. Balfour speaking for the opposition indorsed the policy of the cabinet, 1t may be predicted that the public may consider the incident closed.
 The remark made by Lord Rosebery that the nation was making itself ridic- ulous over this affair finds much SUD- bort. The discussion today was brief and tdry. All the participants proceeded as Tiff they were walking on eggs, for crit licism of the ruler of another nation is la delicate business. The fact that Lord ITweedmouth criticised Sir Edward Grey, lthe foreign secretary before replying to lEmperor Williams letter was the only lnew fact brought out and it goes far Ito diminish the criticism of Lord Tweed mouth because it relieves him of all Isuspicion of anything resembling dis loyalty to the interests of the navy. The lcharacter of Emperor Williams letter is now generally understood. The spiciest passage is believed to be the reference Ito Lord Esher, that he had better oc- Icupy himself with drain pipes and keep lhis hands off the navy Lord Esher was lengaged in improving the drainage sys- tenn of Windsor castle when Emperor William was there recently.
 An amusing feature of the affair is that all the sensational newspapers of Lon don are featuring the Times for it's sen satonalism in exploiting the story.
 Lansdowne's Remarks.
 Lord Lansdowne, leader of the oppo- sition in the House of Lords, twitted Lord Tweedmouth with not being able Ito keep his own secrets. He said that about as much privacy appeared to have been attached to this correspondence as usually was attached to the private view lat the Royal academy that marked the Icommencement of each session, but he said he had no intention of pressing the first lord of the admiralty to depart from his decision not to make the letter public.
 The feature of the session in the House of Lords was a speech by Lord Rosebery who had the Prince of Wales in a seat beside him. The former premier made an attack upon the yellow journalism of England, with special reference to the differences drawn by the London lTimes from the letters.
 We have witnessed" Lord Rosebery said the whole world drawing the abso- lute insane inference that the German Emperor was attempting to influence ;ILord Tweedmouth with the view of cut ling down the naval estimates and check ing the increase of British armaments This country has been placed in an un- \ Eeemly and ridiculous position, and I am ' huite sure the idea mentioned never en. tered the Emperor's head or the head of any educated person entitled to remain outside of lunatic asylum.
 There is a section of the press which seems anxious to create bad feelings between these two countries, and tn ere Is an impression abroad that because Great Britain has arrived at a friend ly feeling for France she should be : hostile to Germany. This section of the press took up this trivial incident 10 excite morbid suspicious between The two countries, suspicious which in ny opinion gradually are developing nto danger for the peace of Europe.
 Must Keep the Peace.
 Continuing, Lord Rosebery reminded he country that it's friends of today night be the enemies of tomorrow, and vice versa. He drew the lesson from he present excitement that neither the English nor the German press should 10 anything that might endanger the peace of Europe. Though thoughtful observers, he said, should not over look the fact that the German army If 4000,000 men represented practical Iy the German nation Before any Ger han government, however, powerful would be able to declare war on any ountry it must have the support of he nation behind it and it could only lave the support of the German na- lion in a war against Great Britain khen the feeling of the nation had Ieen so exasperated as to render a lontinuance of the peaceful condition hApracticable. So far as the British o&ernment is concerned, the state heAts this afternoon in the house of bmMons and in the house of lords are pga4ded as closing the incident of Elm arrr Williams letter to Lord Tweed ' nouth. There is no truth in the re- ort that an exchange of views is go- be on between the two governments oncerning this correspondence or deal- ,g with a possible reduction inf val ,n,aments. The suggestion whf ,as
 en advanced in several quartg mat
 incident has had prejuY I eff
 on the relations betWe1 Great ,t&ain and Germany was " re- ldiafwed at the foreign ofhg uay.
 I'm yiiew of the anti-GerY excite Fnt Brevalent at the presy . amei ntf,cisl ssi nial iinterest attaches oincia.
 'J fince and Princess gales are Ing Ito Germany at t. ,nd or tnis N ID A n