Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-04-19

thc 10 tue lOru pTSSOeuCy Ot
the council Is claimed to be due to the
ciandestine correspondence between the
German emperor and Lord Tweedmouth.
about which there has been a veritable
tempest during the last six weeks.
On March O the London Times published
over the signature of its military CORE
spondent a letter setting forth the fact
thai letters had passed between the kaiser
and Lord Tweedmouth and suggesting
tho need OF explanations.
The shock which followed this publica-
ton may be imagined. The anti-German
press bitterly denounced the proceeding
and demanded the publication Of the let
ter. The prO-German press on the con-
trary. undertook to- defend IL on the
ground that the kaiser's letter was only
proof of his desire to promote friend
ship. Poor little letter." writes Mr.. Max
sc. probably written after dinner, that
1t should be magnified into q matter OF
state! 1t is a bagatelle-an emperors mo-
mentary indiscretion in writing and q
British minister's momentary indiscretion
IN writing and British minister's mo-
mentary fndiscretion in not putting his
majesty's letter In his pocket and saying
nothing about 1t to any one: at least that
Is how 1t occurs to me. But. then. who
would have supposed that such an after
dinner note from former guest would
have been used in this extraordinary man.
ner?"
Now this letter is said to have con-
tanned critical reference to Lord Esher.
deputy constable Of Wind
Drains and sor Castle. on the matter
Navies. of the bad drainage there.
But besides. there was an
elaborate argument against the expansion
of the British navy. which the emperor
described as five times more powerful
than the German navy" Also 1t COM
NIL fv,n1 hot Ia ~ NJ hA nVff Oh,
nation seemed exclusively directed against
the German navy. why not against
the development OF the japanese and
American fleets?''
Lord Tweedmouth. according to Lon
don correspondents, was SO enchanted at
being taken into the imperial confidence
that "he cackled over this letter like a hen
over newly laid egg. and displayed the
prize to a large and miscellaneous ac-
quaintance Of both sexes" with the result
of the publication.
Mr.. Asduith March 6. read a statement
in the house of commons minimizing the
incident.
Lord Tweedmouth. March 10. SO great
was the uproar In the country over the
matter. made a statement in the house of
lords. He was astonished at the extra
ordinary feeling manifested in the press
over his correspondence with the en-
peror. The letter, he stated, was friend
ly and personal. He showed it to Sir Ed
ward Grey. who agreed with him it
should be treated as private. February 20
he replied to his majesty. from which"
Mr.. MaXse ironically declares, I'VE are to
infer he retaliated on his imperial cor
respondent by a graceful allusion to the
drains of Potsdam.''
Lord Lansdowne deemed the subject of
sufficient interest to notice in a brief
speech. but he failed likewise to press for
the publication of the letter. Mr.. Maxse
remarks thereon: There is, however a
certain solidarity among mandarins who
regard the government as gigantic sys-
tenn of outdoor relief for themselves and
their belongings which manifests itself
on all critical occasions. To vary the met
aphor, dog may bark at or even bite dog,
but dog doesn't eat dog"
Lord Roseberry. who is apparently anx-
ious to form center party. OF which he
would be the head center.
Rosebery's seized the occasion to
make a thoroughly mis-
'aeA' chievous outbreak by at
lacking the entente cordiale with France.
Our insular policy he said. ''our great
commercial relations with the entire uni
verse, ought to make our foreign policy
as nearly as possible policy of amity all
around
This" to cite the National Review,
rs quite In the old style. Such sentiments
abundantly explain the deep distrust with
which British craftsmanship was former
ly regarded abroad and fully accounts for
our reputation as 'perfde Albion which.
thanks to King Edward, Lord Lansdowne
and Sir Edward Grey. we have now hap
PLY lost. If by any melancholy mischance
Lord Rosebery ever became responsible
for British foreign policy We should speed
lily relapse into our former splendid iso-
lation' and the continent would relapse
into its former Anglophobia"
The National Review, referring to the
decrease in the naval estimates for this
year, declares that no docking accommo-
dalton is provided for the ships 1t is pro-
posed to build. "A beggarly f35,OOO out
of the threc or rour millions for port re-
Then" adds the Review. there is the
dangerous depletion Of stores What
would be even more extraordinary were
1t to be explained by the three words.
old Age Pensions How. they ask. can
you expect us to vote more ships when
Sir John Fisher is perpetually telling us
that any one British squadron could sink
the whole German ieet?'
Mr.. Asquith discussing the naval esti-
mates in the housed commons said: "Our
naval position is at this
Naval moment. as I believe, as
n.,. the government believes,
one OF unassailable SUI
premacy. and such it must remain. The
command OF the sea. however important
and however desirable it may be to other
powers. is to US a matter Of life and
death"
The National Review maintains the
opinion that one of the greatest strokes of
policy effected by the German emperor
was to inspire Mr. Haldane the minister
of war, with the idea Of intrusting the
defense Of the British islands to amateur
artillery, and writes: 1--WE cannot retain
our surprise that a soldier of the distinc-
ton of Sir John French should give his
countenance to such q perilous proceeding
and such paspable fraud. There seems
to be no escape from the vicious circle in
Pail MALL
The National Review is thoroughly
alarmed over the British situation. and
after citing Lord Roberts note of warn
ing and appeal to garrison sufficiently to
protect from the invader, the editor says:
Lord Roberts speech will be read with
melancholy interest in the years to come
when it is too late and Englishmen will
wonder how they came to turn a deaf ear
to the single-minded advice Of a great
soldier and a great patriot"
What with Lord Cromer's pessimistic
note over Egypt. which is refractory un-
der the British yoke. and Lord Roberts
warning of an impending invasion of Eng
land, the British situation is not cloudleSs