St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1889-09-22
Lord Wolseley Sizes Up the
Situation in an Intelli-
gent Way.
London Police the Bone of
Contention Between To-
rieS and Liberals.
Queen Victoria Must Practice
Economy, and Holders Of
Sineeures Quake.

Special Cable to the Clone
LONDON, Sept. PA pesSimiStic
view of the European situation has
again assumed ascendency, owing to
the bellicose speeches Of the German
emperor, the independence movement
of Bulgaria, and the general state of
affairs in Crete and Armenia. That mil
itaTy writers believe Europe is on the
eve of a great war is certainly indicated
by the many articles by leading mill
tary critics published the past week re-
garding important strategic movements
which would be possible for either Ger
many or France to obtain by breaking
the neutrality of Switzerland and Bel
GUM. Gen. Lord WOlSeley, speaking
to-day on the article in the September
number of the Fortmghtly Review re-
speeding the problem of Belgian neu-
trality, said: 1.-The article is no doubt
the work of professional soldier, who,
however, is an amateur in the sense
that he has not at his disposal the labOrs
of staff especially organiZedto deal with
the preparations for campaign. His
contribution is merely SuTmiSe as to
the time within which the Germans
and French respectively could cOncen-
trate a large force for an advance,
either on Namur or Liege. But he has
omitted from his consideration the i'm
portaDt fact that either side might seize
the place desired by the sudden adj
vance of a smaller force. which would
DELAY THE ENEAIY'S MOVEMENTS
in order to cover the collection behind
il OF a large body. He makes one or
two assumptions of considerable i'm
portance which are hardly justified
The straight line from Paris to Berlin
passes through corner of Belgium,
and is shorter than the angular line
from Berlin to Metz and from Metz to
Paris. The arguments deduced from
this evidence all assume that Berlin has
an Importance in military operations
corresponding to that of Paris. But
this is by no means the case. Ber-
lin is a very important railway
center, and the seat of government could
De transferred from Berlin to another
town with comparative ease. Berlin is
not the base of operations OF a German
army. Each army corps derives its sup
plies from its own province, and in
operations against France the German
base would be the fOrtreSSes at Vessel,
Cologne, COblentZ, Mayence and StraS-
burg, winch command the passages of
the Rhine, and thus form the centers of
transit through which all supplies must
pass. This relation of the German army
corps to the several provinces which
form their peace quarters may serve to
illustrate the value of Switzerland as a
base for French operations against Ger
many. In the wars of the revolution
against Austria, Switzerland was good
basis for French operations. because it
enabled the French army, haV-
ing its communications with Switzer-
land in the rear, TO advance without
divergence against the communications
joining the AustrianS in Baden, with
their base in Austria proper. How
ever, there is very little value in all this
amateur strategy, as plan of campaign
involves a multitude of considerations
that can never be presented to the
world through magazine articles"
Preparations are being made for Wig
orous agitation of the question of the
control of the London police, and early
next session an attempt will be made to
ascertain the opinion of the house of
commons on the subject. The tendency
of body like the London county cOun-l
sideratiOnS, to seek for
AN INCREASE OF IT'S POWERS,
and there is no doubt that considera-
Bile number of the Conservative cOun-
cilOrS would favor the proposed change
if it could be conceded by a Conserva-
tive government. However. it must be
confessed that the question has
become rather closely interviewer
with other matters which belong
exclusively to the Radical programme
1t is becoming more and more likely
that not only during the recess of par
lament, but also up to the time of the
general election, London will be the
chosen party battle-ground. This is
certainly the impression in ministerial
quarters, where there is much appre-
henSiOn with regard to the apathy eX-
hibited by some of the London COnSerVa-
tive members and the consequent prog
TeSS made by Liberal principles in their
constituencies. 1t might be easy to
name two, if not three, of these gentle
men who, if a general election took
place next month, would be invited by
the party managers to retire in favor of
Conservative candidates more popular
and willing to spend more time and take
more trouble to retain the favor of the
electors. One thing which IS likely to
cause CONSERVATION in the camp
of the old-faShiOned Tories if
the party struggles should become
acute, is the length TO which the Lon
don Conservatives are prepared to go in
competing with their Radical opponents.
London TOryism is of a distinctly demo-
cratic order, and if current reports are
to be trusted as to the opinions expressed
by London members who sit on the
ministerial benches, especially upon
questions of social legislation, it is plain
that if their seats are endangered they
will not stick at much to outbid their
rivals. Queen NictOria'S household is
to be reorgaDiZed and the non-pOlitical
officials about her majesty's court are
shaking in their shoes. Economy has
been enjOined on the sovereign by the
understanding whereby the Prince of
Wales children's bill was passed at the
last session of parliament. 1t will be
enforced almost at once and nobody is
quite certain
WHERE THE SHEARS WILL NIP.
Nobody can look oYerth enormously
swollen list of the royal household with
out feelings desire 10 exercise economy,
but very few Of the posts can be touched
without interference with life interests,
and though the saving hand will at once
be exercised, mOStOf the reductions will
of necessity be prospective. Its hoped,
however, that in a very short time
enough will be saved to enable the
queen to make that provision for her
grandchildren which Mr.. Gladstone de-
clared her TO be unable to make under
present circumstances. The Chinese
restriction acts which the several Aus
tralian colonies passed in such hurry
last year have at least the merit of hay
ing accomplished the end desired. In
New South Wales during the last year
of the working of the act, which ended
the 1st inst, only twenty-one Chinese
entered the colony by sea, and about
1880 returned TO China in the ordinary
course. OF the twenty-one several were
returned residents were abroad when
the act came into force, and one or two
were naturaliZed and prominent resi-
dents of Sydney. In Victoria only a
single Chinaman landed during the year,
and he PAID the poll tax of 9100, while
just over 1000 left the colony. Mean
while. the negotiations between the
British and the Chinese governments on
the subject are absolutely at q stand