Lord Northbrook, speaking at Birmingham on Saturday, made a vigorous
reply to Lord Salisbury. He denied that the Ministry were reticent, for all the world knew their policy, and added that the charge came with peculiar inappropriateness from . a Minister distinguished above others for secret agree- ments. Lord Salisbury had approved the Treaty of Berlin when he brought back " peace with honour," and now he spoke of it as a document not to be enforced, but only intended to patch up peace for a minute. He accused the Government of a wish to serve the interests of Russia, but he himself served her best, for he showed that the Conservative statesman cared nothing for the nationalities of the East, but sneering at Montenegro, sneering at Greece, putting forward nothing but the separate interest of England, he drove the new States, wisely con- stituted by the Treaty of Berlin, to rely on Russia for support. He had done just the same thing in Afghanistan. Professing to fear Russia in that country, he had reduced its Government to a ruin, which if Russia, as Lord Northbrook did not believe, wished to wound us through that quarter, would give her the opportunity of doing so. The present Government had not the interest of any one Power at heart, but was dis- interestedly carrying out what it deemed best for the whole of Europe.
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