Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1888-05-12
A BRITISH SENSATION.
PREMIER SALISBURY GIVES GEN..
VOL SELEY A GOING OVER

For Eliminating That the Tight Little Isle
Is Unprepnred for the Coming European
Fight-to-a- Finish - Archbishop Walsh
Takes "a Rosy View of the Pope's Pro-
nunciamento-A self Sacrificing SiIesian.
LONDON May l2.-In the house of lords
last night Viscount Harding asked the gov
erment as to the truth of the reports that
England is defenceesS, that her guns are the
worst in the world and that many of her
ships and ports are unarmed. The duke of
Cambridge denied that the country was in
imminent danger. The sensational articles
in the press purTorting to have emanated
from the highest authority had not emanated
from him.
Salisbury said the government must OBJ
serve the utmost reticence in such matters.
Nothing could be more insane than to explain
to the world Englands strength, and the
nature of the precautions she was taking
The fact was that there had been n consider
able increase of preparations in recent years.
Since 1884 the army had been increased from
lSl,2lI men Of all arms To 2l2,470. Lord
Salisbury strongly condemned Lord VOL
seley's recent speech at n banquet. Lord
Wolseley ought to have spoken in parliament
where his statements could have been
answered and refuted The tone of panic
which peryaded the language used outside of
parliament was not shared by the govern
ment which was fully conscious that to dis
regard the defences Of England in the present
state of the world would lie n very grave
dereliction of duty, In the house of com
snons Lord George Hamilton in reply to a
question said that the Russian squadron III
the Pacific consisted of one ironclad and four
cruisers, aud was not equal either in num-
bers or strength to the British China station
alone.
Salisbury's speech has created great sem
sation in political and military circles. The
premiers attack upon Gen. WolSeley was
wholly unexpected, and the opinion that the
latter will resign his position in the army,
after replying to Salisbury, is hourly grow
ing The Liberals are inclined to support
WolSeley's position, which as a matter of
fnct is supported by all the military members
Of the house of commons, of whatever party.
At the sitting of the select committee of the
house of commons on army estimates yester-
day, Lord Randolph Churchill presiding,
Gen Nicholson, who prepared the estimates,
admitted that it would require 100000 to
place the barracks establishment on proper
footing, but knowing that sum would not he
granted, he asked for nearly E3OO,OOO. This
sum, however, Stanhope, secretary of war,
had cut down to El30,5O0.
1t is asserted by the Tories that during the
queens recent trip to Italy and Germany the
friendly ties of England, Germany and
Austria became very much strengthened
Prince Bismarck, it is alleged, feared that
Gladstone might return to power, and there
fore hestated about cementing an alliance
with England until the queen assured him
that such an event was altogether beyond the
range of possibility. If it is true that the
queen made such n statement it is quite
evident that Tory defeat would mean some
thing more than a mere parliamentary crisis