Mr. Chamberlain has created another sensation. He has withdrawn the procla~ motion by which in fifteen years' time English was to become the official language of Malta, and he has withdrawn it in a speech so full of compliments to Ttaly tat throughout the whole of that, country our Colonial Secretary has become quite a popular character. Tndeed the Westminster Gazette " ghaifingly suggests that Mr. Chamberlain must, on his own showing, have betrayed his country's interests since, in his famous speech to the Birmingham jewellers he declared that no British Minister who served his country faithfully was ever popular on the Continent. Tt really seems worth while to have made the mistake of issuing the proclamation in order to win the popularity of its withdrawal, Lhave good ground for stating that Mr. Chamberlain took this step on his own responsibility and without consulting his colleagues in the Cabinet. I know that for some time past strong influences hare Leen brought to bear on him to induce him to withdraw the proclamation, and that, until recently he held to the view that while its isstio might, have been a mistake, its ®7hdrawal would do more harm than good. But Lord Onslow, the Under-Seeretary for the Colonies, hias recently been visiting Italy, and it is probably owing to his reports of the state of feeling on the subject there that Mr. Chamberlain resolved on the withdrawal.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.