18th May. Ix estimating the true weight of Mr, Chamberlain's recent speech, it must be remembered that Mr. Chamberlain, while a member of Lord Salisbury's Cabinet, is supposed to be very anxious to outshine his colleagues asa British patriot, and was speaking to his henchmen who like to be stimulated with something hot and strong. Still, Mr. Chamberlain is a Cabinet Minister, and it is not to be wondered at that his speech has been received with alarm and surprise on the Continent of Europe.
We are entirely with Mr. Chamberlain in his aspirations for an alliance between Great Britain and the United States, We are entirely with him in his statement that the situation in China is very unsatisfactory, but we cannot believe that he said that Great Britain was unable to declare war against Russia alone without an ally. Mr. Chamberlain must have had in his mind the probability of Russia's having one or more allies; and we know that for the last three years at least Russia, France, and Germany having been working together to undermine British prestige in the Far East. It must have been against a coalition of this kind that Mr. Chamberlain told his hearers that Great Britain could not fight without an ally. We warned our readers some weeks ago that though everything seemed settled up in the North, the calm was only on the surface. We shall know a little more when Weihaiwei is handed over. The transfer has been postponed to the seventh of next month, and till that is accomplished, we cannot consider matters as settled.
The war between the United States and Spain may have consequences not foreseen at the moment, and it also was no doubt in Mr. Chamberlain's mind when he spoke at Birmingham. Public opinion in Great Britain naturally and properly sides with the United States on the Continent it, no doubt naturally, sides with Spain. 'I'he Philippines fall to the United States, and it is not unlikely that they will be handed over to Great Britain, which once held them. For the Philippines themselves this would be an unmixed blessing; under an enlightened and liberal government the prosperity of the islands would be increased a hundred-fold. But it is quite possible that the transfer of the Philippines to Great Britain would arouse a great deal of jealousy on the Continent of Europe, although, of course, if the Philippines do become again a British colony, its trade will be open on equal terms to all the world. There is undoubtedly a feeling in the air that the. English-speaking peoples may yet have to offer a united front to the Continent of Europe, though we trust that the clouds which threaten to gather will pass away. Meanwhile, it is very satisfactory to see that the American Press generally cordially welcomes the proposition for an alliance between Great Britain and the United States. It will be a defensive alliance, as it should be, for, pace Mr, Chamberlain, we are not anxious to go to war with any one, nor do we ask anywhere, in Asia or in Africa, for anything more than our just rights, If the English-speaking peoples are once allied they will be hard to best.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.