New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-05-04
Lord Salisbury
,-urzueLA CONVERSATION N: coNCLUDED-AN IMPRESSION
The 'I" LORD SALISBURY.
Copyright. 1918. by C. w. smalley1
wv 7" ~
London, March 26.

~to submit. in part an I'M
:, title to unlimited arbitration
o'' government could do that Your
" -, wanted to reopen a settle
:, old date. II Spain should sud
''I >. make a claim on you for Florida
'" ,r Government submit a de-
that sort to arbitration? Ours
paDu s,roneer case. for you were IN
'..,,osrs in Venezuela. on accepted
'', .,,0,ss Of International law you hao
FI' s,oudi Not to rest our de-
20 w." technical point, we nego-
ia~e 4 was on our part an act o.
D'''' Win We even supplied docu-
sNa 20 YOUR American Commission
n'"' -se without prejudice and again
q .OD friendly motives. We could not
l'"naon British subjects or admit 'hat
S'a- .;rb,s whether Of property or
u l',n.,.bip. were to be determined by
ei' '."ar cot Nd. motu prOprio. by a
m a 80 arbitration, the difficulty is
loss than it seemed at first me
' NV Of British subjects affected Is
10 The Colonial Office was misin-
"S ubother few or many, the
.,"snle is the same, but an agree
Y.n, on the term OF years which shaH
L. .,,,u,e a prescriptvc title will prac-
''..rv dispose Of the question. There
an he an arbitration, and we nave
:. ,ssson to fear the result
>, Tho last sentence was in the nature
rronhecy: a kind Of intellectual
" - for which Lord Salisbury had
=. nrsdilection. But it proved a true
s,onbecv The decision Of the arbitra-
,,n tribunal was against us on every
~.,srial or vital point. II swept away
n. last pretext for President CleVe-
bDd's intervention. 1t left not rest
IN, Mace for the sole Of his foot
n,ring all this conversation, lasting
=, hour and half. Lord Salisbury
,sowed no trace of resentment. Ihere
eos No inactive: no expression OF feel
W. He was sparing even Of epigrams'
There was nothing personal except
r,sn he said. Mr.. Olney was very
,rds to me-" and the connection in
which that phrase was used showed
~, n was not meant to be personal.
W Olney's rudeness was diplomatic
he used language which a trained
,i,,omatist would not have used; 1t
VAS not the language of diplomacy
The same thing may be said OF MI
Brvap's recent amazing declarations in
New York and Chicago about the
House of Lords and the Irish. a For
s,u Minister or Secretary OF state
familiar with diplomatic usages wouId
not have made such declarations. lie
s like a mn not acquainted with the
vsages Of polite society who finds nm
ss,f in a drawing room and violates the
unwritten laws Of the drawing room
because he knows no better. l am far
from meaning TO /. en- Mr.. Olney TO MI
Bryan. Mr.. Olney would be incapaDle
Of Nh. Bryan's offence. Mr.. Olney useu
to Lord Salisbury the language Which
a lawyer in court might use TO his OPP
ponent Mr.. Bryan, in a position when
calls for the most scrupulous delicacy
and reserve. takes a hand in Brush
party politics. takes sides on great
constitutional question, pronounces
sentence on a great legislative BODY
which. in one shape or another mas
been an Estate Of the Realm for nlgh
a thousand years. with a great history
d great service TO the English people.
For a far less offence President
Cleveland gave a British Minister MS
passports. will ask Mr.. Bryan what
he would say or think II Sir Edward
Grey should express an opinion on the
constitutional issues which divide the
Democratic party from the majority Oh
he American people: or criticise the
policy Of the Bryan wing Of the party
Does Mr. Bryan want 10 make trouble
with England? l presume not but ne
has shocked the public sentiment or a
friendly people. lie compromises the
President whose Minister he is. lie
compromises the country. since his Is
the voice through which the country
speaks.
Not less interesting than Lord SANS
bury's handling Of details was his at
utude Of mind 10 the whole Venezuela
question. First Of all, IL was an atu-
'ude Of friendship TO the United states.
he did not allow Mr.. Cleveland's TN
friendly and indefensible adventure to
'Hect his friendship 10 us;-no, nor our
uhreasoning, historical response to our
residents wild appeal. He looked
Vpon that as transient. He continued
70 believe IN the good sense Of the
american people and in their good will
" The English; cUriously as it was ex-
pressed at that tBae and at some other
unes He held then as he had al
'"ys neld, the s,atesman's conviction
u1' The only wise policy for either
'Vsnry was friendship with the other.
ne could make, and did make, allow
.''e Tor Irish influences; for the in
~'snce OF Mr.. Patrick Ford and Of Mr.
San and Of the Clan-na-Gael. and Of
"s irish dynamiters generally. He
.'u'hed On this subject lightly but Sc
rOEy; finding in Irish-American
Neo OF England one predisposirg