Page:The Annual Register 1899.djvu/9

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ANNUAL REGISTER

FOR THE YEAR

^s RA Ky*X 1899.

UNIVERSITY

^!!2^PAET I. ENGLISH HISTORY.

CHAPTER I.

State of Affairs Abroad and at Home — Foreign Policy — Mr. Morley's Defence of the " little Englander " — Dissensions of the Liberal Leaden — Mr. Morley, Mr. Asquith and Sir E. Grey — Mr. Balfour at Manchester — The Crisis in the Church — The Madagascar Blue Book — The Settlement of the Soudan — Proposals for the Peace Conference.

The position of Great Britain in the councils of Europe had been considerably altered by the events of the preceding year ; but, whilst the new year opened under aspects externally peace- ful, there was in reality httle relaxation of the tension which had lasted so long. The Czar's invitation to induce the statesmen of Europe to make peace the primary aim of their policy was regarded as delusive, or denounced as chimerical. On the other hand, the hope of a better understanding with the United States of America, and the prospect of establishing more cordial relations with their politicians seemed the dawn of a brighter period for Great Britain, of which the isolation in the European Concert was more than ever patent. The Nile campaign with its corol- lary, the Fashoda incident, had stirred the permanent but latent ill-will of France, where a war-cry was anxiously awaited which would unite the contending factions. In Germany the word had been given from high quarters that British policy in South Africa and elsewhere was to be supported, but public sentiment was as hostile as ever, and trade rivalry as keenly pressed. Towards Bussia, which with one hand was signing invitations to a peace congress and with the other was threatening the existence of the Chinese Empire, no cordial co-operation seemed possible so long as the words of her ruler and the deeds of his