New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1885-04-23
THE RUSSIAN CRISIS.
HOW THE NEWS WAS RECEIVED IN LON
DON-sIR PETER LUMsDFN


don on Wednesday evening. Mr.. Gladstone ana
Lord Granville. innocently ursuspcious OF evil
were staying at Holmbury, n place belonging 10
Lord Granvile's brother, Mr.. Leveson-uoWer'
Holmbury is eight miles by road from Gomsha'i'
the nearest railway station. which Is Itself on hour
and half bv rail from London 1t is characteristic
of the British Foreign Office that its permanent
clerks in command did not succeed III getting me
news to their chief and to the Prime Minister l'l
the following morning. The last tram haa ieit
London The telegraph Office at Gomshall was
shut To telegraph to the nearest open Office ana
send man on horseback across country seems not
TO have been thought Of If such an eXpedent
were deemed extreme. special train and a messen-
ger would have taken the news to Hoimbury before
midnight. But the Foreign Office people appear 10
have considered time object. Mr.. Gladstone ana
Lord Granville were allowed to 60 comfortably 10
he'd in complete ignorance of news probably the
most ,nomentous that during the life Of either has
startled England from its deep dream of peace.
Having at last been put in possession OF thls
intelligence Mr. Gladstone came to town on lhhls-
day morning with Lord Granville by the first tram
If he supposea he had exclusive information, the
first copy of The Standard he coud buy on the ROAD
undeceived him. That enterprising journal han
clpber dispatch from O correspondent in Russia
which il interpreted, not too cleverly, as the
announcement of Russian defeat on the hushK.
This was not generally credited. Before MANY
honrs were past, the Russian official story hah
arrived. and was known all over London. Inc
crash on the Stock Exchange had begun before
noon. By the time the Cabinet met, London was
ahlaze with excitement. Before it adjourned
Ministers had the grim satisfaction OF knowing that
the prospect of war had sent down Russian stocks
from 81 to ST.
No man doubted that the news meant war. The
excitement rs ! SAID, was general. and yet the eS
element was of a kind which can be nowhere
else in Europe. The English have genius for
taking things coolly. In the Stock Exchange
where fortunes were being made and lost every live
minutes the external signs of agitation were
visible enough. Elsewhere they were hardly
visible at all. Paris on great occasions resolves
itself into mob. Many time have seen the
Bonlevards. from the Madeleine to Montmarire one
surging, shouting. gesticuating multitude OF mad
men. In London, the people i'll the streets stop 10
buy q paper men turn into their climbs TO read the
bulletips exchange o few sentences quietly and
once moro go their way. Nor was yesterday an
exception TO their usual demeanor. whether IL De
Russian aggression in Afghanstan or Irish dyna-
mite in Westminster Hall, the liriton scans the
printed tale with the same unmoved composure.
He mparts his opinion on the event to bis
neighbor. but neither of them would understand
the least exhibition of Mysteries The nearest
approach to violent conduct was n suggestion that
q certain evening PAPER, much devoted 10 Russia,
might probably get its windows broken unless II
presently changed its tone. But even this was SAID
In busness-like way and with view to the moral
effect of such proceeding
1t was known that Mr.. Gladstone would make a
statement in the House OF Commons, yet the House
of Commons was nearly empty. The only parts OF
it well filled were the Ministerial benches ana the
strangers galleries. The explanation Is that few
members come to town for the Thursday and
Friday sittings of the Easter holidays, and there
had not been time to get 10 London since the news
became known None tho less was the scene in the
House impressive. The whole interest centred in
Mr. Gladstone, yet Mr.. Gladstone came near being
too late to answer the question of the Opposition
Leader; such question being the usual way OF
elicting such statements lie hurried III Just as the
Speaker was passing to the next business III any
circumstance had been wanting 10 indicate the
seriousness of the situation il was supplied by the
embarrassment OF Mr.. Gladstone's manner at the
beginning of his short speech. lie more than once
lost his way between the beginning and the end
of what was for him . short sentence. But as lie
came to the essential facts of the business his mind
cleared up his manner was to be seen at its best.
and he found again those vibrating tones OF voice
which belong to him alone. Never the House
more deeply stirred than by the sentence in which
he summed up the situation The House must
not DO surprised when / say, speaking with
measured words, in circumstances OF great gravity
that to u.s. the statements have rected' this
attack bears appearance of unprovoked aggres-
SION" No words could be more solemn never were
words more solemnIy spoken. Not II criticism was
heard from the other side; not one Is hintd III the
papers to-day. Coupled with the statement that
the Ministry had asked for explanations from the
he
point Of honor involved. Sir Peter Lumsden's dis
patches had made the whole case plain. There Is
not an Engshman outside the Peace-at-any-pr
Society who does not feel that nothing short of
complete disavowal of General Komaron by his
Government and q complete restoration OF the
status quo can prevent an almost immediate decara-
ton OF war. That is the feeling today. You Will
have had abundant accounts of it as interpreted
by the press But the press is as much governed by
its sense of the gravity of the Mr. Gladstone
himself and in most its words are measured
with equal care. Not, think because the writers
believe there will be any occasion to modify violent
expressions, but because violent expressions are
nstinctively put aside by the more serious journals
unfit to be used the probable eve OF gigantic
contest.
Bitterly, indeed, must Mr.. Gladstone regret that
ne gave credence to that hollow profession of
Russian faith known as the arrangement" by
which the Russians in Afghanistan were TO stand
fast Everybody quotes the terms of it to-day, and
everybody, including, doubt not Mr. Gladstone
himself! stands amazed that any human being with
the least experience of Russian ideas aud Russian
methods of diplomacy, could have been imposed
upon by piece of craft 80 transparent as this
What Quoted to Won from NJ. Lessar will have
shown you the humorous view which the Russians
themselves took of the matter The climax is
reached in the declaration of the Russian Chief Of
staff OH the Kushk that he knew nothing nl the
strict orders not to advance attack which. as his
Government assured the British Government, had
been sent to General Komarof and would be