New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-05-04
H..

one or in all these controversies would
be as nothing compared to the advan-
tages of a permanent good understand
ing with the United States"
Whether Mr.. Balfour borrowed the
words or not. he borrowed the spirit
was so much impressed by Lord
Salisbury's friendly fairness in stating
the British case this afternoon that
l said:
IF YOU had omitted certain passages
from your answer to the July note, it
might not have angered Mr. Cleveland
as it did"
The suggestion surprised him. He
thought moment and said:
You mean, perhaps. my retort OH
Mr.. Olney's unfortunate remark about
the fiat of the United States being aw
all over the North American Cont
nent. But could leave that unnoticed?
Could l admit that the fiat of your
President was a law to Canada? What
would Canada have said?"
Then, after a pause:
But a divided duty is a difficult
duty You must have felt it. You are
an american, but you are representing
The Times | am an Englshman who
wants 10 be friends with America, but
| am trustee for English interests.
could not let such pretension as Mr..
Olney's pass"
And indeed Lord Salisbury had for
the purposes of this Venezuelan ag-
erosion to meet the President on the
ground he had chosen TO take. Now
and then the answer was not OF the
kind which turns away wrath. Lord
Salisbury could not have foreseen. no
man could have foreseen. that the
President would find in that wretched
little boundary dispute a rretcXt for a
menace Of war. by this time the dan
ger Of war had vanished. and both 10y
Mr. Olney and Lord Salisbury the re-
naming points Of controversy were
handled under an overriding sense OF
common interests and clear percep-
ton that the highest interest of each
power was peace and good will on
earth. He said.
you know what took place in JanI-
airy and ebruary You know what
concessions we were ready TO make.
You think ,e might have made others.
But whether we were right or wrong
on particular points, you will agree
that during that period we were &c
sirous, as you were, to find some
means of closing the contest. on cur
side. as well as. at that time, on yours,
the spirit Of Cancellation prevailed
As 1t undoubtedly did.
When you have sat opposite man
for an hour and a half and listened 10
him as he discoursed on a great suD-
ject you cannot but bring away clear
impression. 1t may confirm or modify
other impressions, but it stands by IT.
self Never for a moment could YOU
doubt that the greatness Of the :nan
was equal 10 the subject and TO mis-
position. Ii was the voice of England
to which you listened. For the third
time he was Prime Minister Of Eng
land: ruling over four hundred mill
ions Of many races. Fleets and armies
had done his bidding and were waiting
to do it again. Throughout Europe lie
had an authority TO which no man
since Bsmarck's death had attained.
You felt IL as he talked.
There was nothing military about
him; no kingly splendor or pageantry
for him who possessed greater than
kingly power. He wore no order; no
star or ribbon. No ,Englishman ever
does unless when he must. He was in
black; not in mourning but as If that
were the color which gave him the least
trouble. Like Mr.. Gladstone. he took
apparently no thought about what he
should wear. He took up a great deal
Of room on his sofa the corner of
which he rather more than filled. OF
Bismarcks erect. )ldierly bearing
there was none. l thought Of Bis
marck. thirty years before, as he talked
I'm the Wilhelmstrasse Palace till long
past midnight, he and / alone together,
he in full uniform; sentinel guarding
a kingdom who never laid aside his
sword Lord Salisbury's only weapon
was a pencil, with which he now and
then made a note. The blackness OF
his clothes against the crimson sofa
and the white shirt-front might remind
YOU OF Berlin and the German colors.
In all else the contrasts were more nu-
merous than the resemblances. The
Englishman thought as he spoke; the
German seemed to have done his think
ing long before and his sentences
flowed fast.
Lord Salisbury's speech was delib-
crate: the tones low, smooth, full. The
words arranged themselves in order as
they left his lips; no rhetoric, but clear
ness and strength went together He
never hesitated for a fact or date or
an argument. When ne had mastered
a subject he had mastered it, but the
use TO be made of his facts seemed to
depend on the processes of his mind as
he went on. There was almost no en-
phasis. There was never a gesture.
He was an orator who disdained or
neglected. even in public, most Of the
or,e which most orators use. In pri-