New-York tribune., 1911-04-23
Anglo-American Memories
CXvI.
Copyright. 1911. George W. smalley)

iiie IN the arts OF Continental diplomacy.
no such scheme would have heen
Matched, still less proposed to him Ru.
ne was a man who used. as Burke used
no arts but manly arts; nor was il in
MS nature TO suspect others Of conduct
less loyal than his own. Assuming that
his colleagues came to him in good
faith. in good faith he drafted the dis
patch the..s sought from him. II was
upon their initiative and request that
he put upon paper his thoughts on the
situation and his suggestions for
friendly suggestion to the United States
In the interests both OF the United States
and Of peace. There was not a word al
which an American could take offence.
But this did not suit the purpose Of
the Five who on that eventful morning
walked across Connecticut avenue in a
! body from the Austrian TO the British
embassy. When Lord Pauncefote had
read his paper a silence fell upon the
company. Then one after another criti-
cised and proposed alterations. Finally,
NJ. Cambon offered 10 take II and re-
draft it in accordance with the gen
eral opinion OF the Five. He did take it;
left the library where they were assem-
bled. went into the chancery Of the en-
bassy. was gone half an hour and re-
turned with the new draft which he
read aloud. He had done his work with
consummate craft; a craft equal in its
way to Bismarck's with the Ems dis
patch. With the exception OF a single
phrase. the paper was still. so far as
words went, void of offence 10 the gen
eral mind. But TO the diplomatic mind
the new draft now read not as an appeal
but a reronstrance. and rernonstrance
such as no government addresses TO an
other unless prepared to follow II up in
one way or another. But the object OF
IL was cunninglv concealed in plausible
phrases. and the transformation, un-
happily. was not at once evident to
Lord Pauncefote. and the offensive
phrase passed equally unperceived.
There was a further discussion; the
sitting lasted long; some verbal amend
ments were made. Of no significance, and
in the end the British Ambassador ac-
cepted and signed and sent to the For
eign Office in London. as his own. NJ.
Cambons dispatch. But the Foreign
Office. with Lord Sanderson then its per-
manent head and always with a staff Of
men versed in the rules OF diplomacy,
said lGtet dnguis in herbd and coldly
made answer that her majesty's gov
eminent did not think IL desirable to for
ward the dispatch 70 the American gov
ernment. And there. for the time. the
matter dropped. The conspiracy failed.
Four years later Washington was
startled by press dispatch from Berlin,
obviously official or semi-official, ac-
cusing Lord Pauncefote Of having initi-
ated and sought TO carry through
measure Of European Intervention un-
friendly TO the United States and in aid
OF Spain. This charge, we were told,
rested upon the contemporary dispatches
of the German Ambassador, Baron Hol-
leben, who had made full statement OF
the facts TO his government But the
German Emperor, out Of his infinite
kindness and good will 70 America, had
himself interviewed 10 Illustrate that
wicked British plot. He had expressed
upon the margin Of the proposed remon-
STRANGE his imperial disapproval and his
imperial command that no such re-
monstrance should be sent. The dullest
could not but infer that Germany and
not England-Codlin and not Short-was
the true friend of the United States.
Why Germany had waited four years
TO declare its friendship, and why the
declaration was made at a critical mo-
ment in the relations Of the three pow
ers. the Emperor omitted to explain.
But high parsonage in Washington
said:
Il do not believe the Imperial ink on
the margin Of Holleben's four-year-
dispatch was dry when the press tele-
gram was sent from Berlin"
After all, have not been so brief as
meant TO be, and l must defer the sequel
Of this narrative to another letter.
C. W. 5.