BLAZING INDISCRETIONS

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LI, Issue 319, 9 January 1909, Page 3

BLAZING INDISCRETIONS

"BLOOMERS" THAT HAVE HADE HISTORY. An American aaw a bull charge a train. "1 admire your pluck," lie. said, " but I despise your judgment." Various telegrams, speeches, and interviews from His Majesty William 11. remind one of the Yankee epitaph upon the too courageous bull. The Kaiser's recent declaration that he actually drew up a plan of campaign whereby our troops should be able 10 beat the Boers has caused a bigger sensation than any act of his since his famous telegram to President Kruger after the Jamieson Raid. The Kaiser's indiscretions, which are, in the main, prompted by a generous, though over-hasty, disposition, have made much history. . LiLtle more than six months ago, his letter to Lord Twcedmouth caused a tremendous sensation. The episode, it is believed, arose out of the refusal oi Lord' Eshcr to join the Council of the Maritime League. In his letter of refusal the, noble lord wrote: "There >8 not a man in Germany, from the Kais'ir*' downwards, who would not welcome the fall of Sir John Fisher."

Evidently this remark hurt the feelings of the Kaiser, and he promptly sat (Down and wrote a personal letter to Lord Tweed-mouth on the subject. How the contents of this private letter crept out is not definitely known. But somehow it came to the knowledge of the military correspondent of the Times, and a letter from his pen in that journal caused a sensation of the first water.

The idea of the monarch of a rival nation writing to a British Lord of the Admiralty on the subject of the British Navy upset everyone's equanimity, and did not help good relations between the two countries. One more indiscretion of the Kaiser is worth recalling. In 1808, Waldeuiar, Prince of Lippe, a small German State, died, and the Kaiser wished his own brother-in-law, Prince Adolphus, to he appointed regent. But Count Ernest of Lippe-Biesterfeld had the better claim, and, by the arbitration of the King of Saxony, was appointed. The Emperor was angry, a-ad the new general of the Principality was apparently directed not to allow the Regent's son to be saluted The Kegent protested. In reply, eame the following telegram from the Kaiser:

" For the Kegent, what is the Regent's due. Nothing further. For the rest, I have to forbid once and for'always the tone in which it seemed good to you to address me." Indiscretion on the part of an ambassador or his entourage may entail the most serious consequences. During the Presidency of the late Mr. Crover Cleveland, Lord Sackville, British representative at Washington, was cunningly trapped into writing a" incautious letter on the subject of the forthcoming Presidential elections. President Cleveland gave hm his marching papers, and great unpleasantness resulted. There are always, a certain number of Anglophobes in the States. Six "fours a'"o, one of them—.Morgan by 'name—who was a member of the U.S. Senate, caused a pretty sensation by getting up and making a sudden and violent attack on England. " Britain will find that she has overtaxed our patience!" lie shrieked, "Sue will iind that the United States can muster millions as fighting-men, aikl that, when the war terminates, the sled bands which binds the throne in London, to India, Australia, and the Colonics will have been rent ill twain!" The biggest of British indiscretions—to use a. mild word-was, of course, the Jameson Raid. Only twelve months ago, another British olliecr committed a".lanicson Raid on a small scale. He invaded Venezuelan territory, and seized 41)0011). of ibalata-i'ubber, alleged to have been collected in British territory. There was much local excitement, but the Imperial authorities soon settled the matter. . • it *4About the same date—in October, 11)1)7—Captain Young, a Canadian officer, sailed over to the Isle Roynlc, in Uike Superior, and calmly planted the Union •lack there. The Americans were furious and well they might be, for, »V the Troalv of Ghent, the island had been long ago declared neutral properly. I The' Dominion Government notified Washington that it declined to associate itself with Captain Young's aetio-ii. We were speaking of Venezuela. Tins swui-avage. Republic, with its ridiculous President, has for years been a centre of international trouble. Bui the worst row between Venezuela and ih'itain was caused, ,by a letter written by a naval officer of the latter country. In the course of this letter, the writer indiscreetly remarked: " I am sorry that the revolution will prevent your making the trip. Why don't someone murder Castro, and thus avoid so much bloodshed!" The text of the letter was published in all the Venezuelan papers, and tiie excitable Spanish-Americans went halt crazy.