The morning call., 1893-10-29
PAYING FOR RHODES GOLD.
Here Is the True Story of the
Matabele War.
USING THE POWER OF BRITAIN.
And the Nation Is on the Verge OF
the Greatest Scandal in
History.

NEW YORK, Oct. 28.-Harold Frederic
cables the Times from London: When
Parliament reassem bes next week it will
not be Ireland which will claim pre-
eminent attention. nor yet any OF the
numerous English and Welsh domestic
reforms which are crowding together and
tugging at the leash just behind home
rule.
These must wait for the moment While
we talk about Lobengula and his Mata-
beles in far-awaY South Africa. This has
truly become the question of the day, and
men are divided as fercely over 1t as they
did about Egypt ten years ago.
It Is worth observation elsewhere, be-
cause it affords, as by some curious geo.
logical survival, very detailed study OF
the materials making up the foundations
of the British colonial empire. That these
were too often laid in treachery, crime and
blood is we'll enough known, but there
exists the palliating excuse that the
English nation in the days of slow COM
munication only learned how its empire
was gained after 1t had come into its pos
session.
The present episode is interesting be-
cause it gives us on the one hand spirited
repro1 uction Of Gives worst methods, and
on the other shows US the English people
informed of the progress Of affairs daily by
cable and by camera, watching it. indeed.
with perfect comprehension Of what 1t all
means.
To do them justice. the English do not
like what they are seeing, aud few things
seem more certain than that there will be
a tremendous public row about the whole
wretched business. The first demand will
be for special Parliamentary committee
of Inquiry into the constitution and per-
sonnel OF the Chartered Company.
All that is known is that Cecil Rhodes
and few others got hold of a mining con-
cession from Lobeng gula and formed COM
pany on the strength of this with capital
of 100000. They then ran charges, sales
and transfers from one TO the other OF
series of straw organizations till they had
swollen it into the so-called Concessions
Company, with capital Of 500, Oo0,0U0.
Then the chartered company was
formed here, with a capital of $1,000. 900,
to lease aud work the concession. bear all
expenses and pay over one-half its profits
to the former company. The shares of
both companies have been dealt in on
the London Stock Exchange. the
chartered at wild premiums going
once above 400 per cent. This in itself is
Soing to involve fin sncial results Of the
most cruel character later on, but there
are other aspects temporarily Of more im-
portanee.
The granting of a royal charter is treated
in England as one of the gTavest and most
delica ely responsible governmental acts.
Among the countless other prerogative
which the possession of this charter con-
fers is that of keeping secret, even from
the income-tax officials, the names of its
shareholders.
The only information obta Unable is that
the charter was granted on condition that
the Dukes of Aberdeen and Fife were
made life directors but, if there is no fur
ther certain knowledge. there is mass Of
suspicious Of the most sinister sort.
Public feeling has already risen 10 a
point where it is impossible that Parlia-
ment should refuse an inquiry, and it is
the common understanding in official cir
eles that the investigation will reveal tine
blackeot politico-fnancial scandal Eng
land has known In our time.
The Chronicle to-day says: 1--WE warn
the public that we are within measurable
distance of a gigantic scandal" and other
radical papers have been more gnardedly
limiting the same thing during the past
week.
l can say no more now than that specific
proofs of corrupt colluson on the part Of
high officials are believed lie so close to the
surface that any parliamentary scratching.
no matter how tender, will bring them TO
light.
There is whole band Of radical men,
bers resOlute that the inquiry shall be