CHANGES FOR THE BETTER. 343 



But I do not, I admit, take the ultra pessimistic 

 view that too often colours the works of writers 

 upon the question, and I do not by any means find 

 it impossible to fall in with the belief expressed 

 by his Majesty's Minister for Foreign Affairs when 

 he said, " If there have been changes of late, those 

 changes have been, on the whole, in the direction 

 of the assertion and the protection of British interests," 

 and I welcome the expression of hope which he at 

 the same time vouchsafed, that as time goes on we 

 may be able to make further progress in the same 

 direction. 



