The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1893-12-31


.s,r. say. n 4. Tiss Tor ei.a.toss 20
H,urs-Ths Govsrn-e-t win Coneeds
IN. Popular Demand for = Liberal Naval
Poiiey-sIciiy In Fun Revoiution--Loud
BRITISH Protest.. Copesrri.e the Tr...-
.,i.nt,s Mail serviee-A..reh,st Black
-.Iiers IN rsris-A Bsiioou that May be
stssrea-Mr.. LssE,ry Buys . FAIRS.
LONDON. Dec 3d. and hope
will be the burden OF New Years greetings
throughout England and the greater part OF
Europe. The farswells to 1893. in to-day's
newspapers. ere so many spurnings OF the un-
Welcome guest The pessimist chorus de-
clares that the year has been the eoomiest in
recent history. Attempts to greet the new
conner cheerfully are most Of them, pitlfully
lacking in sincerity. They are based on the
Door philosophy that things cannot be worse.
90 they must be better. The Times. In long.
dreary article. is able to offer its readers no
better eonRratulation than this:
1T has been q year OF menace and danger.
but not year Of catastrophe. The great Eu-
ropean war has not broken out. and Gladstone
has not succeeded In dissolvlnR the United
Kingdom"
For the future. IL points out that there 10 no
slgn Of improvement Industrial. commercial
or political The long. lachrymoss chroni-
elngs spread before the public to-day do not,
however. faithfully reflect the prevailing pub
lie spirit While It IL generally admitted that
1893 has been year OF retroGression in Great
Britain. both in material prosperity and ma
tional prestige. the year 1894 will be welcomed
with strong hope and confidence. Even those
who fear and expect war have this feeling In
large measure. Even war would remove the
curse Of idleness which. an influential dspu-
tation told the Prime Minister this week. 10 the
greatest burden upon the nation.
IL is one Of the significant signs Of the hour
that the present generation. which knows
nothing of war. has no conception OF its
horrors It is not going too far to say that II
It we're not for the prevailing fear Of the In
adequacy OF the British armament q consider
able portion Of the English people would at
heart welcome the war which. nearly all agree.
10 threatened by the present conditions. The
reason for this san euinary sentiment 10 the
fact that the English people are poor. poorer
than ever before in these latter days.
In spite of this stu growing feeling OF
threatened trouble. no fact OF any description
pointing to an International quarrel has como
to light recently. All bellieose talk is still in
the air only. and while the popular dread 10.
perhaps. Q little moro deep and widespread
than in similar crises In recent years. IL will be
well to remember that the expected seldom
happens in such cases 1t 10 remarks able how
undIsguised some war alarms have become
Even Mr.. Astor's able journal has caught the
fever. 1t is only fair to credit the Pal Mall
Gazette with sincerity whom it said In warn
Ing leader yesterday:
What We have to understand 90 nation 10
that for the present We stand almost alone In
Europe. and that the future IL black with un-
certain menacea"
The most significant recent uttsraneo. In the
opinion VI the London press. 10 that Of the
Pope when he said to the Cardinals and pre-
lAtes Offering Christmas greetings: If peace
and charity have disappeared we must not
despair"
The tendency Is. however. to give these
words both Q broader and more specific mean
Ing than his Holiness probably intended to
convey.
The wave Of vague dread which 10 sweeping
over England threatens to have serious con-
sequences TO the party In power. The COM
btnation Of circumstances has been peculiarly
unfortunate for the Gladstone Ministry. They
tried. ct nrst. to argue away an unrsasoninR
popular call to arms. The Chancellor OF the
E1eheauer made q bad blunder In going q step
too far In quoting the Lords OF the Ad-
miralty on the subject OF the national
dsfenesa There IL no longer any doubt
that all the see Lords threatened to
resign: hence o retraction which made
the naval panic worse than ever. Then fol-
lowed the incident OF the battle ship Resou-
ton. driven back to port By . gale after nearly
psrishing In the heavy seas The whole
country. without regard to party. has seen the
terrible Significance Of this event and the
Government has been powerlsss to restore
confidence. Still there Is great deal OF doubt
vhether the Resolution and her Ave or sig
sister ships. which are the chief reliance Of
the nation, are uusesuorthy. It IL q vital
problem for Great Britain. for II the universal
fears are well founded, the British Supremacy
Of the seas Is gone beyond the possibility of
recovery within three or four years. Ihave
the authority Of one Of the Officers Of the Reso-
luton for saying that her officers ere unani-
nous In declaring that the ship must be
sntiTely rebuilt before she again goes to sea-
The escape Of all on board from death was
very narrow.
1t IL Gladstons's failure to respond to the
popular anxiety over naval affairs more than
his Parliamentary policy which has raised =
sort OF revolt against the Grand Old Man In