UNITED STATES AND CANADA 19 



Tribune, and other leading organs of the New York 

 press of the next day. It will suffice to quote an 

 extract from the first-named only, as affording some 

 idea of the bombardment of problems to which our 

 right honourable Chief was subjected. 



At six o'clock the reporter was received very 

 courteously at the Brevoort by Mr. Chamberlain. 

 Two detectives were on guard in the vicinity of the 

 rooms. Mr. Chamberlain's accent is decidedly 

 English, and his voice a quiet, pleasant-sounding 

 one. He laughed when told the interview was the 

 custom of the country, and said he was quite willing 

 to submit. 



Diplomacy an Evasion 



The first questions were about the Liberal party, 

 Mr. Gladstone, Lord Randolph Churchill, Republi- 

 canism in England, the House of Lords, and Home 

 Rule— in fact, all those questions which are now very 

 much agitating England, and with which Americans 

 are more or less familiar from the special foreign 

 correspondence of the Herald. Mr. Chamberlain 

 smilingly shook his head. 



" I am unable," he said, " to answer questions on 

 the controversial politics of England. I have come 

 here to assume the duties of a diplomatist, and there- 

 fore I cannot speak on matters of controversy at 

 home." 



" It has been insinuated," said the reporter, " that 



