MAIL NEWS.

Gisborne Times, Volume VII, Issue 371, 21 March 1902, Page 4

MAIL NEWS.

AMERICA, ENGLAND AND GERMANY. PRINCE HENRY’S TOUR. (Per R.M.S. Sonoma, at Auckland.) SAN FRANCISCO, Feb. 27. Prince Henry of Prussia, a brother of the Emperor of Germany, is at present being royally entertained in America. On February 26 the schooneryacht Meteor, constructed for the Emperor, was launched. The christening ceremony was performed by Miss Roosevelt, daughter of the President, the spectators including the President, the Prince, the German Ambassador, and a brilliant assemblage. As the vessel slid into the water the cannon boomed, and the noise of guns was lost in the noise resulting from the roar of human voices, accompanied by the Royal German band, the Naval Band, and several bands on board the various vessels surrounding the island. Soon after the launching the President and Prince proceeded to a hall, where luncheon had been prepared. The health of the Prince was drunk, and the Prince said :—“ On this occasion I wish to call for three hearty cheers for the President of the United States, Mr Roosevelt. Hip, hip, hurrah.” As the Prince spoke he waved his arms as a signal, and the building shook with the response. The President raised his right hand, and when there was silence said : “ I ask three cheers for the guest who has already W’on our hearts, Henry of Prussia. Now a good one.” 1 The President’s cheers were drowned in the roar of applause that greeted the call for cheers. Someone among the invited called for three cheers for the young lady who had the honor of launching the Meteor. They were heartily given. The Presidential partv, with the Prince and suite, then left for the Emperor’s vaeht Hohenzollern, which was sent over to take part in the ceremony. Prince Henry, in the name of the Emperor, presented to Miss Roosevelt a golden bracelet studded with diamonds and other precious stones, and bearing a small picture of the Emperor. The Prince then addressed the President as follows '“ Mr Roosevelt,— You are here on board as a guest of the Emperor, and I believe it is the first time a President of the United States has been on board one of His Majesty’s ships. Please God that it may not be the last time. I wish to thank you heartily for the reception 1 have had, and it is my sincere and certain impression there is a strong feeling of personal friendship rising between us. May it extend to the benefit of our two great nations,”' The President said in answer d—“ I wish to express my hearty thanks for the kind words Your Royal Highness has expressed on my behalf, and I wish you to understand that it is no empty compliment when I say that Your Royal Highness has already won a place in our affections and goodwill. I highly appreciate the fact that His Majesty the German Emperor has sent you to the American people, and 1 thank you personally that you have taken a step which must knit close together the two great nations whose friendship means so much for the future welfare of the entire world-i’ 1 ’ During the luncheon cablegrams were received from the Kaiser, to which appropriate replies were made. The President, Mrs and Miss Roosevelt returned at once to Washington by a special train. The Prince went to the Battery,' New York, where he was presented with the freedom of the city. He was received by the Mayor and officials with considerable ceremony. , , The London press has been rather actively cynical regarding the visit of Prince Henry. The .Spectator reviewed'the whole story' of diplomatic exchanges preceding the Spanish-Ameri-can war, with a view of controverting what it terms “ the distortion of actual facts by the German press.” The paper disclaims any intention of wishing to mar the reception to be tendered to Prince Henry, but declares that both Englishmen and Americans “ see through Germany’s little game,” and refuse to he misled by an attempt to undermine their mutual friendship and understanding. A 11 fact which will be handed down in history,” says the Spectator, “is the well-recognised day, as it will ever be, that England used her influence, and the Americans know she used it on the side of the United States, and against those wiio wished to take sides with Spain. The lest of attitude toward America displayed by England and Germany during the war is found in the respective attitudes of the English and German squadrons towards Admiral Dewey at Manil.a Bay. The Germans nearly fired on the Americans. Ii they had done so, Great Britain would have acted on the American side.” The Outlook treats tiie matter lightly. It says the Emperor “ now, as in China, uses Prince Henry as a bait

for the German hook. , Neither the Prince nor his astute brother the Emperor will ever succeed in weakening the substantial ground upon which Anglo-American co-operation now rests. In the same connection, the Outlook expresses great satisfaction at Secretary May’s note to Russia, and commends it as a strong document “ which gains additional' force from its disposal of old-fashioned diplomacy.” ~ ~ The Saturday Review, on the other hand, pursued its usual' anti-American course, and roundly abuses the Government for being drawn into a fresh “ humiliating position,” and denominates the whole controversy as ‘an international slanging match.” Ihe Saturday Review declares that the disclosures “ blacken the memory of the late President McKinley, as they showed he followed Bismarck s polic> without Bismarck’s excuse, and wilfully suppressed Spain’s final capitulation in order to precipitate war, when he might manfully have stood against popular clamor and secured peace.”