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Tendencies in British Foreign Policy since Disraeli1

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 November 2018

Alfred L. P. Dennis*
Affiliation:
University of Wisconsin
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Extract

In April, 1880, the conservative ministry which had held office for six years resigned. Of that ministry Benjamin Disraeli, Lord Beaconfield, had been the dominating spirit as well as the official head. But at the end Disraeli's government did not leave a clean slate. Indeed for the next thirty years successive British cabinets were compelled to deal with problems and policies unwillingly bequeathed to them by that ardent and imperious mind. What were then, in 1880, the major problems of foreign and colonial policy left unsolved? Secondly, have any of them been solved? And are there now new questions? So, may appear to us who sit and watch some characteristics or tendencies of recent British foreign policy.

Type
Papers
Copyright
Copyright © American Political Science Association 1910

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Footnotes

1

A paper prepared for the joint session of the American Historical and Political Associations at the Waldorf-Astoria on December 29, 1909, in celebration of the Centennial of Mr. Gladstone's birth.

References

2 Parliamentary Papers (hereafter to be cited as P. P.). Cd. 1391. Egypt. No. 1, (1876) p. 7. 177,642 shares were purchased.

3 P. P. Cd. 2549. Egypt No. 1 (1880), p. 138.

4 Cromer: Modern Eygpt. I. p. 161.

5 Hansard. 3d Series, vol. 272, pp. 2094-2103 (July 27, 1882).

6 Annual Register, 1896, pp. 371-72. Cf. Rose, : The Development of the European Nations. II. pp. 224, 227Google Scholar.

7 Annual Register, 1897, p. 378.

8 British and Foreign State Papers (hereafter to be cited as S. P.), vol. 68, p. 140.

9 Convention of August 3, 1881. S. P. vol. 72, p. 900. Convention of February 27, 1884. S. P. vol. 75, p. 5.

10 Morley: Gladstone. III p. 23.

11 Salisbury to Gov.-Gen. of India. Jan. 22, 1875. P.P. Cd. 2190. Afghanistan (1878-79) p. 128.

12 Hansard: 3d Series vol. 252, p. 4.

13 Fitzmaurice: Granville, II. p. 234.

14 Cf. Daily Telegraph, Oct. 28, 1908 (Interview with the kaiser).

15 March 21, 1899, S. P. vol. 91, p. 55.

16 Dec. 8, 1904, P. P. Cd. 2383. Treaty Series, No. 5. (1905).

17 April 8, 1904, P. P. Cd, 2384 and 2385. Treaty Series, Nos. 6 and 7. (1905).

18 April 7, 1906. P.P. Cd.3302. Treaty Series, No.4 (1907).

19 Cf. Rose. II, ch. II and Appendices II and III.

20 Cf. Rose. II, p. 131. Busch: Bismark, II. p. 376.

21 Jan. 30, 1902, P. P. Cd. 914, Treaty Series, No. 3. (1902). Aug. 12, 1905, P. P. Cd. 2735. Treaty Series No. 25. (1905).

22 Aug. 31, 1907, P. P. Cd. 3750. Russia, No. 1 (1907).

23 Fitzmaurice: Granville, II. p. 212, 225. Bismark, the Man and the Statesman, II, p. 240. Busch: Bismark. II. p. 396.

24 Fitzmaurice: II. pp. 202, 208, 225, 233.

25 Busch: Bismark, II, p. 344.

26 P. P. Cd. 4205. South Africa, 1884-85. Derby to Robinson, Dec. 4, 1884. Fitzmaurice: Granville, II. ch. X.

27 P. P., Cd. 4715. Second report of the royal commission on the depression of trade and industry, March 3, 1880, pp. 21, 43-44, 48-50, 54, 57, 64, 67-8, 119-22, 124-5, 128, 130, 140, 193, 221, 265, 283.

28 Berlin conference for African Affairs, Feb. 26, 1885, S. P., vol. 76, p. 4. Also pp. 58, 66 and 772.

29 July 1, 1890, S. P., vol. 82, p. 35.

30 Dec. 2, 1899, S. P., vol. 91, p. 75.

31 Oct. 16, 1900, P. P., Cd. 365. China, No. 5. (1900).

32 Robertson: Bright, p. 529. Childors: Childers, II. p. 222. Reid: Forster, p. 564. Argyle: Autobiography II, pp. 352, 377. Fitzmaurice: Granville, II., pp. 321-22, 380, 404, 421-22, Mallet: Northbrook, p. 194. Morloy: Gladstone, III, pp. 65-66, 83-86, 174-75, 185-89, 200.

33 A brief selection from over 130 illustrations of this policy of elimination will underscore the importance of this tendency and reveal the wide range of British coöperation in endeavoring to settle dispute by treaty rather than by war. Agreements previously referred in this paper are here omitted.

April-June. 1885. Anglo-German arrangement concerning Spheres of Action: Africa (coast of Guinea; Cameroons; Victoria, Ambas Bay; Santa Lucia Bay; Coast between Natal and Delagoa Bay; Customs, etc.) S. P., vol. 76, p. 772.

10 September, 1885. Anglo-Russian Protocol respecting the Afghan Frontier. S. P., vol. 77, p. 303.

6 April, 1886. Anglo-German Declaration for the Demarcation of Spheres of Influence in the Western Pacific. S. P., vol. 77, p. 42.

27 July-2 August, 1886. Agreement with Germany respecting Spheres of Action in the Gulf of Guinea. S. P., vol. 77, p. 1049.

29 October-1 November, 1886. Agreement with Germany respecting Zanzibar and Spheres of Influence in East Africa. S. P., vol. 77, p. 1130.

16 November, 1886. Anglo-French Convention concerning the New Hebrides. S. P., vol. 78, p. 545.

[2,9] February, 1888. Anglo-French Agreement respecting the Somali Coast. S. P., vol. 83, p. 672.

[12, 20] June, 1888. Exchange of Notes with Russia relative to the Boundary of Afghanistan: Heri-Rud and Oxus. S. P., vol. 78, p. 388.

14 June, 1889. Final Act of the Samoan Conference of Berlin. Concluded with Germany and the United States. S. P., vol. 81, p. 1058.

11 May, 1891. Treaty with Portugal and Exchange of Notes respecting Spheres of Influence in Africa. S. P., vol. 83, pp. 27, 890.

20 June, 1891. Convention with the Netherlands respecting Boundaries in Borneo. S. P., vol. 83, p. 41.

29 February, 1892. Treaty with the United States providing for Arbitration of the Behring Sea Seal Fisheries Dispute. S. P., vol. 84, p. 48.

22 July, 1892 Boundary Convention with the United States respecting Alaska and Pasquamoddy Bay. S. P., vol. 84, p. 70.

8 July, 1893. Treaty with Mexico respecting the Boundary of British Honduras. S. P., vol. 85, p. 58.

25 November, 1893. Protocol and Agreement with France respecting the Intermediary Zone in Upper Mekong. S. P., vol., 85, pp. 35, 36.

1 March, 1894. Convention with China respecting Burmah and Tibet. S. P., vol. 87 p. 1311.

5 May, 1894. Anglo-Italian Protocol for the Demarcation of Spheres of Influence in Eastern Africa. S. P., Vol. 86, p. 55.

11 March, 1895. Agreement with Russia respecting Spheres of Influence in the Pamirs. S. P., Vol. 87., p. 15.

16 June, 1895. Convention with the Netherlands respecting Boundaries in New Guinea. S. P., vol. 87, p. 18.

15 January, 1896. Anglo-French Declaration respecting Siam, the Lower Niger, Tunis, etc. S. P. vol., 88, p. 13.

20 January, 1896. Agreement with Portugal for a Modus Vivendi respecting the Boundaries of Spheres of Influence north of the Zambesi. S. P., vol. 88, p. 5.

8 February, 1896. Convention with the United States for the Arbitration of Claims in the Behring Sea Seal Fishery. S. P., vol. 88, p. 8.

22 February, 1897. Treaty with Venezuela in the matter of the Boundary of British Guiana. S. P., vol. 89, p. 57.

3 October, 1899. Venezuelan Boundary Dispute Arbitration. S. P., vol. 92, p. 160.

14 November, 1899. Anglo-German Convention and Declaration respecting Samoa, West Africa, and Zanzibar. S. P., vol. 91, pp. 70, 74.

16 October, 1900. Anglo-German Agreement respecting China. Parliamentary Papers. Cd. 365. China, No. 5 (1900).

23 February, 1901. Anglo-German Agreement respecting Spheres of Interest between Lakes Nyasa and Tanganyika. P. P. Cd. 1007. Treaty Series, No. 8. (1902).

15 May, 1902. Treaties with Ethiopia, and with Ethiopia and Italy respecting Frontiers between the Soudan, Ethiopia, and Eritrea. P. P. Cd. 1370. Treaty Series, No. 16. (1902).

12 August, 1903. Anglo-Portuguese Declaration respecting Boundaries in Central Africa (Barotseland). P. P. Cd. 3731. Treaty Series, No. 28. (1907).

8 April, 1904. Anglo-French Declaration respecting Siam, Madagascar, New Hebrides (Entente Cordiale). P. P. Cd. 2385. Treaty Series, No. 9. (1906).

12 (25) November, 1904. Anglo-Russian Declaration relative to the North Sea Incident. P. P. Cd. 2328. Treaty Series, No. 13. (1904).

7 April, 1905. Anglo-French Agreement for the Arbitration of Newfoundland Fisheries' Disputes. P. P. Cd. 2737. France, No. 1. (1905).

29 May, 1906. Anglo-French Convention respecting the Niger Frontier. P. P. Cd. 3158. Treaty Series, No. 14 (1906).

16 August, 1906. Convention with the United States respecting the Canadian and Alaskan Boundary. P. P. Cd. 3159. Treaty Series, No. 15 (1906).

20 October, 1906. Anglo-French Convention respecting the New Hebrides. P. P. Cd. 3300. Treaty Series, No. 3 (1907).

16 May, 1907. Exchange of Notes with Spain maintaining the Status Quo in the Mediterranean and East Atlantic Ocean. P. P. Cd. 3576. Spain. No. 1 (1907).

6 December, 1907. Agreement with Ethiopia respecting Frontiers of British East Africa, Uganda, and Ethiopia. P. P. Cd. 4318. Treaty Series, No. 27 (1908).

11 April, 1908. Treaty with the United States for the Demarcation of the Canadian-American Boundary. P. P. Cd. 4139. Treaty Series, No. 18.(1908).

27 January, 1909. Anglo-American Agreement for Arbitration of the Fisheries Question. P. P. Cd. 4815. Treaty Series, No. 21 (1909).

22 February, 1909. 5 March, 1909. Exchange of Notes with Germany defining Boundaries in South Africa. P.P.Cd.4699. Treaty Series, No. 17. (1909)

34 Cf. for significant comment in Nov., 1884, as to German desire that England continue a policy of free trade: Busch: Bismark, II, p. 374.

35 Hansard. 3d series, vol. 112, p. 586 (June 27, 1850).