The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1890-07-05
EDITORIAL NOTES.

In 1873 when Marquis ISen5, on the eve
of his departure for England as Minister,
had his last interview with Ii Hung Chang,
the latter intimated among other things
that greater care should be exercised in the
purchase of foreign weapons and machinery.
In Ii Hung Chang's opinion the Chinese
Government had up to that time been dis
gracefully swndled. Recent advices from
Asia show that Ii Hung Chang's advice
must have been followed, for they declare
that not only is the Monaghan feet COM
posed of modern armor- clads and cruisers,
but that it is stronger than any two other
fleets in those waters taken together. The
two most powerful armor-clads are the
Ting Yuen and Chen Yuen of 1850 tons dis
placement, 6000 horsepower and 14A knots
speed. Their armor, steel faced, is II
inches thick, and they each carry four 70
inch Krupp breech-loading guns in two
barbette towers, zen echelon,'' protected
by 12-ineh armor and two 6-inch guns.
While it has some good vessels and
some of Krupp's guns of large caliber, the
navy is very weak in an important factor,
the native officers have no ability to COM
pei the respect of their men and no faculty
of enforcing discipline.
The new cruiser for the naval cadets,
which will be const ructed by New Jersey
firm for a quarter of a million. promises to
be little floating arsenal. Tue vessel will
be $50 feet long, 80 feet wide and of $50 tons
displacement. Her engines will be of the
vertical, inverted cylinder, direct-acting,
triple-eXpansion type, and will be located
in a Nater-tight compartment, separate
from the tubular boilers. The main bat
terry will be composed of four 4inch rapid
firing rifles. on central pivot carriages, pro-
tected by 2-inch shields. The secondary
battery will consist of two 6-pounder, rapid
firing, two 3-pounder, rapid firing, and one
1-pounder rapid firing gun, one 37-mm.
revolving cannon and Gatling. Among
other formidable devices will be an above
water training pedo-launching tube and
a bow torpedo-launchiDg tube worked on
the berth deck. Quarters VIII be provided
for the captain, eight officers and 100 ca
diets.
France, who viewed with much concern
the Anglo German agreement, particularly
the proposed protectorate over Zanzibar,
and objects to the continued occupation of
Egypt by English troops and the molesta-
ton Of French fishermen on the shores of
Newfoundland, is likely to be placated
with concessions in other quarters. She
was credited with desire to extend pro-
tectorates over Siam and Madagascar. 1t
was next announced that Lord Salisbury
had informed NJ. Waddington, the French
ambassador to Eng land, that England
would not oppose the annexation of Syria
to France. This has been followed by the
reported announcement Of Ribot, the
French Foreign Minister, that England
gives to France an island in the Caribbean
Sea and recognizes French protectorate over
Madagascar. No details have been given
and it remains to be seen to what extent
France has been conciiated.
Rain-in the-Face, the Sioux warrior, who
killed Custer at the battle of Little Big
Horn. is said to be dying from the effects of
the frightful wounds inflicted by his squaw,
who recently, while blinded by jealousy.
plunged knife into his side and chest.
Curley, the Crow scout the only one to es-
cape the massacre, reported that Custer,
vino was one of the last to fall, was shot
down while valiantly fighting with his
saber and that after he had thus disposed
Of three of the hostile Sioux, Rain-in-the-
Face pressed forward and shot him. Brave
Clusters slayer, the self-confessed murderer
of two members OF the Yellowstone Scien-
tlnc Expedition OIL 1870, at last receives MS
deserts from the hands of sauaw, whom
he deserted for the c0mpani0nship of
rival.
The enforcement of the HabituaI Crimi-
nal Act of Missouri at st. Louis is bound to
work wonders in clearing the city of
chronic bad characters who have made that
place the headquarters for their nefarious
operations As a conviction may be fol-
lowed by life sentence in the penitentiary
the recent return of eight indictments
against noted bad characters naturally ere
ated CONSERVATION among their friends and
associates in crime.
The Anglo-German treaty, it is officially
announced, was signed on Tuesday. 1t is
the talk of clubdom in London that Sails
bury declined a dukedom for his services
in bringing about this agreement.