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to meet.
PUBLIC SPEAKING AND INTER- NATIONAL ROLITICS.
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
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[August 17, 1901. be satisfied: though on its peace footing I am quite confident the Mediterranean "squadron would inflict enormous damage on any force that attacked it. But why should it have to meet a combination on a war footing, being itself on a peace footing ? I Bay with the fullest possible sense of my responsibility that the Medi- terranean fleet on its war footing would be absolutely adequate to any task which "so far as we can foresee can be assigned "to it." Lord SELBORNE went on to scout the idea that the Mediterraneap squadron should be kept permanently on a war foot- ing, and continued: "I have never heard any responsible person yet make such a " suggestion. The question is, What pro- 'portion of the war strength should be maintained in peace? I associate myself with Earl SPENCER, deeply regret. "ting the attempt made to cause a panic.'
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It is of course nothing new for the Navy League to have the word “panic". thrown in its teeth, and as we have previously said the accusation of being unduly alarmist is not altogether unjust. However, on this particular point as to the strength of our squadron in the Mediterranean, some remarks in the last issue to hand of the
tation. Naval and Military Record are worth quo-
given prize of 500 francs was offered for deep meanings can be extracted by the the best essay. On the 1st of May, the critics from utterances prompted merely by limit fixed for the reception of these essays, some special event. We have been reading eleven competitors had entered. This in the home papers of the "great" motor- clearly shows that our Gallic neighbours car race from Paris to Berlin. As the are leaving no stone Lacurned in their eager, aner, a Frenchman, arrived at his des praiseworthy, patriotic endeavours to in- tination, remarkable scenes occurred, French crease the efficiency and striking power of flags waved beside German, and bands their fleet. The function of the submarine, played the "Marseillaise." Certain minor in the rough and tumble of real naval German celebrities then proceeded to warfare, is as yet theoretical. In the hauds improve the occasion by expatiating on the of a desperate, hard-pushed opponent, it friendship between France and Germany might presumably wreak fearful havoc on and apparently got themselves taken the contrary, it may prove a modified seriously. At any rate, the newspapers have failure. As the preeminent naval power, it commenced to discuss the chances of a behoves us to be in the very forefront of Franco-German rapprochement and the experiment, and to gauge exactly the offen- influence which such an event would have sive worth of every type of vessel which our on the politics of Europe. This is, indeed, gallant first line of defence may be called on a curious result from a little gush over a motor-car victory! We do not lose sight of the fact that Count VON WALDERSEE has also paid his tribute to the Great French Nation, or that his sovereign earlier still made one of his remarkable speaches over (Daily Press, 18th August.) the closer union between France and The risk of international complications is Germany owing to their soldiers fighting very much increased by the greater attention side by side in China. But, had not M. which is now apparently paid to public FOURNIER won the motor-race and the speeches, whether they be delivered before Duke of RATIBOR been effusive over his or after dinner. Speech-making, as far as victory, it is certain that we should never we know, is not a habit, which in itself has have had all this discussion about political spread in recent years. Complimentary changes. The German Emperor in his bauquets and public ceremonials have always capacity of orator has been particularly the been attended by oratorical displays, and victiur of the exaggerating critics. In fact the ability or inclination for addressing a 80 much has he suffered at their hands dinner-party or a crowd has marked num- that his printed speeches are now all, it berless men in the past. Unfortunately or would appear, personally edited in the fortunately-as it may be held the practice manner in which certain Hongkong speakers of recording auch speeches has not prevailed would have their speeches brought out. until quite recent times. It is the outcome, Really, in many ways, an extension of this indeed, of journalisın, and to journalism and system would be excellent. The speaker telegraphy together must be ascribed the could then always address to his particular apparent importance attained by the speech-audience the remarks which he wished to maker. Even within the past few years the make at the moment, while his words to the competition of the newspaper trade has led world would be such as he ought to have to the result that many speeches which spoken or as it would have been expedient" might otherwise have been left to the local for him to have spoken. The only other journals, with a bare record elsewhere of way to avoid the complications which may their occurrence, are now known almost all arise out of individual utterances is for the over the world, it may be said, within a public generally not to attach undue im- very short time from their delivery. Thus portance to remarks either after dinner or the orator has widened his appeal and the before, at motor-car races, out of railway after-dinner speaker must remember that carriage windows, or elsewhere. This is his remarks will reach those who have not the simpler solution of the difficulty. There partaken of the same dinner with him and is, however, no likelihood of its adoption. will look the more coldly on what he says. The spoken word, especially when translated into print, has a peculiar potency. He must be a painful speaker who cannot increase his apparent value in the eyes of the world when he stands up to speak.
The subject of the fictitious importance which is attached to utterances on convivial and ceremonial occasions is suggested by a discussion which has arisen over a remark made by General Sir ALFRED GASELEE ut
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tiffin given in his honour by the branch of the China Association at Kobe. General GASELEE said that "we should never have effected the relief of the Peking Legations without the help of our allies, the Japanese -a remark which seems harmless enough in itself, but which has called down on the speaker's head some irate comments from non-British residents in Japan. By
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THE NAVY LEAGUE AND THE ADMIRALTY.
(Daily Press, 14th August.)
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Our service contemporary says: The complaint that the so-called scare "about the condition of the Mediterranean fleet is due to a Navy League and news- paper conspiracy is especially unfair, because everyone knows that the defects of the fleet, which form the basis of this agitation, are admitted to have been set forth by the Naval Commander-in-Chief, "and by the Rear Admiral second in com- mand. Since there is no depial of this, the League and the newspapers have simply voiced the opinion of those best qualified to state the case, and have given the country the benefit of information which would otherwise have been kept "from them." "The Becord deplores the fact that the weapons of agitation have to be used before officials can be induced to attend to affairs vital to the Empire's existence, but points out that time and again has it been found necessary for public-spirited men and the newspapers to take up arma against the Admiralty and the War Office. The Record at the same time, commenting on the fact that the Navy League has lately held up to admiration the German Navy League, with its 600,000 subscribers, and an income of £100,000 a year, naks : “Does
the fact that Englishmen, quite as proud " of their navy as the Germans are of theirs, hold aloof from our own Navy League stand for nothing? Is there not
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suspicion that while the German League supplies solid, reliable information, our Navy League is too prone to ghost-stories ? The Navy League is essentially a patriotic body, oppressed with good intentions. We are not un "grateful, however, to the Navy League.
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Let us hope that the League will
The home papers which reached us by Monday's mail have much to say about the question at issue between the Admiralty and the Navy League in the matter of Britain's Mediterranean fleet. In reply, indirectly, to the League's manifesto, and to a direct question from Lord SPENCER,"return to its charter, which was to instruct Lord SELBORNE ou the 5th ult. made a long and important statement before the House of Lords, which attracted at once a great amount of attention both in England and abroad. The real gist of the Navy League's enquiry lay in the question, Is the British Mediterranean squadron strong Renough to do its work in war? Lord e SELBORNE'S reply to this query was an follows: "If I am asked whether I am “satisfied that the Mediterranean squadron
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pesce strength is al'e to meet any possible combination waich could be brought against it, that combination being at war strength, of course, I should not
our," it is argued, General GABELEE must have meant the British, and therefore he was arrogating to Great Britain and Japan the whole credit of relieving the besieged Legations. It is of course, obvious that General GASELEE intended nothing of the kind, but the ambiguity of his expres sion gave his over-sensitive critics the text for their complaints. It is not long since Adiniral Sir EDWARD ST. by his remarks on Britain's rive'i r banquet of the Shanghai branch o China Association caused no small stir yet our late Admiral said nothing which was not recognised as true long before he spoke. In Europe recently we have seen still more absurd exhibitions of the way in which
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the youth of the country, especially in "rural districts, as to what the navy has been, and is, sud not to teach the Admir. “alty how to organise fleets and build ships." We should not have thought, nevertheless, that the Admiralty, even ou, the showing of its own apologists, was above learning from the League on certain points, and that Lord Salworxx should have been at pains to make so careful a statement na he did in the House of Lords last month is in itself a testimony to the truth of this
The comments of the Continental Presa : on the agitation in England with rogand to the feet are interesting reading, and
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