On Wednesday Sir Michael Hicks-Beach made a spirited and effective
plea for free speech in regard to foreign affairs, and asked : " Why were foreigners to say what they liked of us, as they did very freely, without provoking us, and why was a person in a responsible position in this country, even though be was Chancellor of the Exchequer," not to be at liberty to say in inoffensive language what he believed to be our true policy, and the determination of his own country? Sir Michael Hicks-Beach went on to denounce what he called priggish diplomacy,—" the diplomacy which was too polite to say exactly what it meant," and left foreigners under a misapprehension of our position. We entirely agree with the Chancellor of the Exchequer. Far less harm is done by plain speaking in diplomacy than by a diplo- macy which is so anxious not to offend that it leads our rivals on to commit acts which we cannot endure. We must remember that foreigners do not in the least accept our maxim that the more calm and polite a man gets the more dangerous he is. They think increasing calm and politeness means increasing fear of the other side.
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