The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-07-01


a cloud in the popular sense.
In troubled times like these he cuts blu
a slender figure at best beside the burly
buccaneering form of his uncle. More
over. he has Just been publicly admonishe,
about his silver foolishness by round
robin of important Tory magnates and
much humbled.
There is, at any rate, no olnetaillc non
sense about the new Cabinet. Cnamoe
lain has been taken away from MS Pc
agricultural post, where he enjoyed
preaching free silver and high tariffs tt
farmers. and placed in charge OF depart
ment regulating municipalities, which be
hates. Goschen's unsoundness on the cur.
rency. too, is far more answerable for his
/ failure to obtain the exchequer again than
any rivalry of Chamberlain.
AS to Chamberlain, the spectacle of him
seated on a high bench in the Tory Cab
| met is slowly soaking itself into the
nubllc mind. When the process is COM
nleted q permanent change will have been
wrought in English politics. A certain
small number of those who followed him
out of the Liberal party now decline to be
yisibly branded as Tories, ana are return
ing to their earlier allegiance: Others ac-
cent the situation humbly, without ex-
| pressing delight even by gestures, and a
| great many old Tories are openly lndlg-
nant at his presence with three Unlonlsts
! in their Cabinet. That this little band OF
Wing renegades, who contribute perhaps
I twentieth of the votes, should get a
ouarter of the Offices seems to be playing it
very low down.
1t is too much to predict Tory absenta-
lions from the poll on this account, but it
would be difficult to exaggerate their sus-
picions and dislike of what they see. They
say frankly that Chamberlain will betray
them as he did Gladstone and talk vehe-
mently of what they will do when he be-
gins playing his tricks. Lord Salisbury S
individuality did not formerly interest
Englishmen much, but familiarity has
altered this He may be what Bismarck
contemptuously called him, ga lath
painted to resemble iron." But his fellow
countrymen have come to accept him for
what he seems to be, perhaps with reser-
walton, and certainly with sort of liking.
When he has fought out his American
duel with Gladstone and the electoral jury
has decided between them, it will be time
enough to discuss his theories of England s
place in European affairs. He is called a
lingo, but he has kept the Foreign Office
in infinitely smoother waters than Glad
stone did. In everything save the
Armenian question the bulk of English
men trust him in foreign affairs. Perhaps
even that question is not an exception to
this rule, but of that we shall soon see
more.
Except some confused reports of risings
in Macedonia and of a sharp friction be-
tween Turkey and Bulgaria England had
no leisure this week or space in her papers
for foreign happenings. 1t is obscurely
understood that Russia has slipped up at
the last moment in her confident effort to
force monopolized loan upon China.
Paris and st. Petersburg editors still in
sist that the delay is only temporary, but
the feeling here and in Berlin is the other
way. The most prevalent explanation is
that Germany and England interviewed
and persuaded China to refuse. | hear
what seems to be more plausible story,
that the japanese Minister, who arrived at
Peking Sunday, put his foot down
promptly on the project and declared that
Japan would resume hostilities at once
rather than permit China to give territorial
grants to the .-ssians foB a mere moiety
of her debt, which would Mot only leave
the rest unsecured but place Russia in a
position on the Pacific in standing menace
and peril to Japan.
1t is even reported from Tientsin that
Japan is hastily fortifying the Lao Tung
Peninsula, defiant protest to China and
Russia. 1t is quite conceivable that Lon
don and Berlin had quiet understanding
with Japan in the matter, but [ believe it
will be found that the latter has taken the
initiative in blocking the Russian game at
Peking.
Again, though the week is ending with
gray skies, there has been no actual break
in the drought, which has now extended
for sixty-three days, with total rainfall
in the London district OF three-quarters OF
an inch. This record only once was ex-
ceeded since meteorology became science,
that is to say, in 1893. Although the
partial drought then ran Ia days, it is said
that in several respects the farmers will
suffer more this year.
After prolonged personal struggle the
French Senator, Berenger, has succeeded
in passing law which will bear his name,
penalizing indecent pictures, advertise
ments and letter press in the newspapers
or other public prints, and it is said that
there is a tacit understanding among re-
sponsible politicians that whoever is in
office an honest and vigorous attempt will
be made to enforce it. Nothing could do
the republic more good in the eyes of
vast majority of provincials than some
such resolute effort to cleanse what is
called journalism in Paris. Already one
hears reports of certain papers changing
hands. and of the prospective abandon
ment of journals now running to avoid
prosecution.
Ofcourse, even the most drastic French
censorship would leave untouched great
deal calculated to lift Saxon eyebrows, but
the latter-day license in Paris has been
really too abominable and public sym
pathy is obviously with the new law.
ALI the students of Paris were en- fete
yesterday in honor of the unwilling of the
bust of Henri Murger If the Luxembourg
Gardens. The celebration received the
picturesque character so desirable in this
particular case by sharp dissension
among the celebrants as to. what Murger
Him self world: have. wished -. The S1ih