Page:The Annual Register 1899.djvu/234

 226] ENGLISH HISTORY. [nov.

the German Emperor's visit, which, despite many ill-natured protests in the German press, he had insisted on paying to the Queen in accordance with previous arrangement. That fact, although his Majesty carefully declined various public mani- festations of honour that were offered to him, was felt to be not altogether without a favourable political significance. Unfor- tunately, owing to the death of Lady Salisbury, the Prime Minister, who received universal sympathy in his great bereave- ment, was unable to meet the Queen's imperial guest. Both Mr. Balfour and Mr. Chamberlain, however, had long interviews with the Emperor, who was accompanied on his visit by his Foreign Minister, Count Biilow, so that there seemed every reason to suppose that all political questions in which the two countries were mutually interested were fully discussed in a friendly spirit. A gracious act of the Emperor's in contributing 3001. to the widows and children of the Scots Greys, of which regiment he was colonel-in-chief, and which was engaged in South Africa, produced a pleasant impression on the British mind. It was at just about the same time that attention was called in this country to the appearance of a grossly disrespectful carica- ture of the Queen, published in a French comic paper, which was joining in the outpourings of abuse of this country and delight at British misfortunes in South Africa to be found at that time very widely in the press, not only of France but of Europe generally. Whether as a matter of fact the caricature in question was more loathsome than anything which had appeared in the journals of any other continental country may be open to some doubt. If, however, others as bad, or worse, had been published elsewhere they had not been widely seen by, or brought prominently to the attention of, the British public.

At this juncture, speaking at a Unionist luncheon at Leicester on November 30, Mr. Chamberlain rejoiced in the present friendly feeling between Great Britain and America, which he said had been brought about by the British attitude during the war between the Utiited States and Spain. He went on to say : — " the union — the alliance, if you please — the understanding between these two great nations is indeed a guarantee for the peace of the world." Further on, Mr. Chamberlain observed that we had been accustomed for some time to the attacks of the foreign press, to "abuse," said he, " which, in some cases, has not only not spared the private character of statesmen, but has not spared the, to us, almost sacred person of the Queen. These attacks upon her Majesty, whether as ruler of this imperial State or still more as woman, have provoked in this country a natural indignation which will have serious consequences if our neighbours do not mend their manners."

The worst of these excesses had not appeared in German papers, but in any case they wanted to be friends, not with German newspapers, but with the German peopl^Q^^t