Huntsville gazette., 1885-04-25

lies cOuiu- nave Oeen OOJalueu as quick
| ly and cheaply at home. What has
called for the sharpest criticism are the
contracts entered into with an Americ
firm to supply certain powerful duplex
pumps for pumping condensed sea-
water from the Red Sea as far inland
from Suakim as might be necessary, and
with certain other American firms for
supplying large amount OF canned
meats for the army. The trade jour-
nails threaten the Government with all
sorts OF terrible things, and allege that
these contracts couldshave been placed
with English firms who were better able
to supply these commodities, than the
Americans, and at much lower cost to
the Government.
sPECULAToRs AS WAR NEwS-MoNGERs.
LONDON, April 19.-Mr. Gladstone ap-
pears to have his entire case well in
hand, seems to be unembarrassed by the
prospect and undoubtedly has the full
sympathy and cooperation of his entire
Cabinet. AS a. sporting man states it,
"Mr. Gladstone. is playing. waiting
game, and knows all the cards." 1t
would appear from this that the Premier
has another coup de theater prepared for
next weeks vote of credit day. Hence,
although all the surface indications war
rant the statement that the prospect is
one of peace, the only description of the
actual situation which can be given as
literally Tie ststs;Sent is f9etained stua n
ton is practically unchanged" OF
course, such statement is rather oracu
lar, but so is the situation, for no one
outside the Cabinet seems to know just
what it is. 1t may be set down as abso-
lutely true that the rise and fall of war
talk during the ndays past has been
largely due to the speculative money in
terested in making sales or purchases.
Never in the history of' modern times has
such vast amount of money been inter
ested in the change of public opinion OF
a single nation. The enormous sums in
vested out and out by Berlin, Vienna, Par
is and London capitalists in Russian secur-
tiles and British consolS have compelled
a vast and powerful interest to maintain
and spread good news. The owners OF
the millions of idle money! in London and
in the continental bourses, seeking in
yeStment, constitute, on the other hand,
an equally powerful class, whose interest
tits to break values by securing and cir
culating bad news This struggle to re-
tain against this battle to sell has been
| largely responsible for most OF the war
news given to the public during the past
fortnight. Very little news has origL
! mated in any form from eithers the, Rus
sian or English Governments The Rus
sian Generals are good and ambitious for
fame, but no one 'supposes they are mar
! ket spectators. FAe'
England never had "A ministry purer
than the present Cabinet. 1t is not only
above suspicion, but out Of suspicious
reach.
PREPARING IN sEARNEsr.
The gun-works of Sir Vim. Armstrong
have been given a large number of new
war orders. Among these is an orderfor
| seventy small field pieces, and another
! for 400 Nordenfeldt guns. Russia ls
strongly fortifying Sweaborg.
! CIARTERING CRUISERS.
HONG Kong, April 19.-The British
Government is chartering steamers be-
longing to the Peninsula and Oriental
line and Transforming them into armed
cruisers.
AFTER THE sHAH's DoMINIoNs.
LONDON, April l9.-The Spectator says
that, after clutching Herat, Russia will
H.H r
be almost certain to run her attention to
Persia, and attempt to secure control OF
the Shah's dominions by combined at
| tack from Armenia and the Khanates.
The possession of such fertile country
as Persia, situated so favorably, the
Spectator thinks, would be most valuable
to Russia in an aggressive movement
southwark. Tne only disadvantage which
posse ession- would entail. upon Russia
would arise from her subsequent ex-
posure and attack from the sea, her seclu-
from which has hitherto been source OF
great security.
Inc Government has decidedto station
number of armed merchantmen at the
South African Cape, at Bom-
bay, at Sydney and elsewhere as a pro-
visional means of defense for British in
terests in those quarters of the world in
case of an Anglo-Russian war. Aa
k ENGLISH-PREsIAN ALLIANCE. -r
The Stats advocates, the. formation OF
a close alliance between England and
Persia Such an alliance, it is urged,
would. enable England, in the event OF
war with Russia, to cut off Russia's line
of communication. -
~ Russia.
VAN NoUsKI's I'LL HEALTH.
ST. PETERsBUEG, April 19.-General
Van Nouski Russian Minister OF War, it
is stated, is suffering from i'll health, and
desires toretire. General N.iObroutchef
is named as his successor General Van
Nouski belongs to the peace party in st.
Petersburg. 1t is not generally believed
that he is really i'll. 1t is suspected that
if he retlres it will be in Difference 10 the
war party, which seems TO be getting
control of the Russian policy. General
Obroutcheff is thoroughly in sympathy
with the war party, and his assumption
of the control of the war Office would un-
doubtedly be indicative o. the adoption
of warlike policy by the Car.
SOME HOPE YET.
ST. PETERSBURG, April 19.-The Jour
nal de st. Petersbutg regrets that the En-
clish press has not initiated the modera-
ton of the Russian papers, and hopes ina,
a courteous, if not amicaole, tone VIII
govern the press of both countries In the
| J;scnseion of the differences between tne