Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1893-12-26
THE HEVARSPRITO ON TOP
Vigorous Naval Policy Demanded at
the Hands of Gladstone.
WEAK POINTS IN THE NAVIES.
Lady Mabel Sievier's Love Let
ters, Written to Her Bunny,
Discredit Her Statements in
Court-Right to Kiss in Public.

ment this week have entirely failed to
check the popular war scare. The ef-
feet has been, If anything, to increase
the panic. 1t must be said also that
Gladstone is not supported in his pres
ent position by the solid Liberal party.
Many of his followers are much dis
pleased because ne insists upon making
imperial defense a party question. 1t
is generally admitted in the Liberal
ranks that the Grand Old Man has suf-
fered serious loss in public confidence,
which will have a disastrous conse-
quence unless il is soon Offset by a Wig
orous naval policy.
Public feeling is heightened by the
report that Harcourt withdrew Tues
days sanguine assertion Chat Britain's
naval supremacy would be maintained
and approved by the Naval Lords un-
der present plans) by reason OF pressure
and threatened resignation Of the en-
tire Board OF Sea Lords.
Many believe that Sir Charles Dixie
touched the only real reason justifying
the war scare when he said in Tuesdays
debate: THE most dangerous Illusion
any inhabitant of the United Kingdom
can have is that we are popular pow
er. We are probably the most unpopu-
lar OF the great powers.
1t is the strong and growing anti
English sentiment, especially in France,
which leads many observers. ignorant
OF State secrets, to fear that England
will soon need all her naval powers.
Those seeking clues to the intentions
of the possible enemies of Britain have
their eyes fixed on Constantinople.
This week the most panicky dispatches
from the Turkish capital have been
printed in the principal London papers,
and a usually conservative prominent
military authority is quoted as assert
ing that Constantinople is as COM
pDetely at the mercy of the Russians as
If totally unarmed.
A TENSION TOO GREAT TO LAST LONG.
Private advices received to-day say
the tension is greater than since the
hours just before the conclusion OF the
peace OF San Stefano in 1878. On all
hands it is believed the present posi-
ton is impossible for more than a few
weeks.
1t is rather odd that microbe Of the
naval scare should have crossed the
Channel and attacked Frenchmen,
though not as violently as the English.
The fact is that all the great untried
navies of Europe have serious points OF
weakness, and their strength is quite
problematical. This was proved again
to-day, when one of England's finest bat
tie ships, the ReSolute, assigned to take
the place Of the Victoria in the Mediter-
ranean squadron, put back into Queens
town, unable to face the heavy seas. 1t
was feared she would founder. One man
was washed overheard, several were in
jured, and the damage TO the ship re-
uuires repairs before she sails again.
Interest is added to all these discus
sions of war by the fact that smokeless
powder has been followed by the inven-
tion of fog creator. A German named
Reihm has made a shell which he de-
cares will plunge troops at whom it Is
aimed in almost complete darkness. The
smoke will also make the men cough,
sneeze and cry till they are helpless.
LADY MABEL's RICH LOVE LETTERS.
The comedy OF the week has been
Lady Mabel Sieviers' attempt to COM
pei former lover, Captain Crosbie, to
give back her love letters. She Is
probably sorry she asked for them, at
least in law court. She is sister Of
the Marquis Of Ailesbury.
In September, 1892, Crosbie saw in a
newspaper a notice of the marriage Of
Lady Mabel, TO whom he had been en-
gagged for several months, and the next
day he received letter breaking of the
engagement. The society papers printed
reports OF the match being broken off
because the Captains motives were mer-
cenary, and Lady Mabel told the Judge
the same thing when she asked him to
compel Crosby 10 return the letters.
Then the Captains lawyers read OF ex-
tracts from the letters which, he ex-
plained, were retained because they
contained proof OF the falseness OF
Lady Mabel's charges. A few days
before her marriage TO Sieviers she
wrote to Crosbe: 81 write you tiny
| line about the settlement, and / will
not trouble you about money. In few
DAYS all will be done with, and we
! shall be far from lawyers. We shall
have about 100 people witness our
| marriage. I have written in bed, as
usual. shall have no time to write to-
morrow as IL is a case OF church all
day. Tomorrow is the second time OF
the banns, and that will be only three
weeks, my darling, aud then your
bunny will be really yoursr-and she
longs for the company OF another
| bunny"
Lady Mabel told the Judge she had
no intention OF marrying Crosbie when
she wrote him this letter, which, she
admitted, was tissue OF fssehOods.
Justice Hawkins, OF the most promi-
nent Judges on the bench. was indig-
nant, aud he thus passed judgment upon
both the moral and legal right Of dis
carded lovers TO retain their fair ones
letters, There are some letters that
every honorable, right feeling man
would desire to return, but when
charges are made against him and
when his engagement is broken
of the day before the Ia
dy's marriage, and when after
that there are paragraphs written in
society papers which are utterly dis
creditable, I confess that am not in
any way surprised that the gentleman
should wish TO keep those letters. which
show these statements to be unfounded.
II any authority could be shown that
love letters should be given up. that
might be another matter, but that conid
hardly be when the letters were written
10 a man by one who subsequent n,
cuses him, and the very letters iEl