Omaha daily bee., 1895-10-27
RUSSIA A SOLID FACT
England Face to Face with Condition in
Chinese Affairs.
CAR THROWS OFF HIS TRANSPARENT MASK
Ready to Assume the Ruling Station
Among Powers of the East.
ONE VENEZUELAN RUMoRS ANALYzED
Conflicting Reports Cause Much Apprehen-
sion on Both Sides the Atlantic.
LODGES PARIS LETTER A SENSATION
Utterances of the Senator on the APP
plication of the Monroe Doctrine
Entitled to Great Weight
and Consideration.

NEW YORK, Oct 26.-(Specisl Tee-
gram)-The Hongkong dispatch announcing
a new treaty between Russia and China is
no trial balloon, as some of the papers say.
1t comes from too good a source Treaty
there may not yet be, but / see no reason
to doubt that Russia is nearly ready to throw
off her rather transparent mask and show
herself what she is a great power bent on
a great effort for dominion in the East. She
could not announce more direct challenge
than the proposal to anchor her fleet at Port
Arthur. 1t is notice to quit flying in the
face Of Japan The proposal to build both
commercial and strateg gical railways within and
without China is equally notice to all the
world that she means to be mistress in Man
churia. No wonder that England cries out
against all this an act of unparalleled
audacity. No wonder that one English jour
nal asks how soon the Pacific is to become
a Franco Russian lake. No wonder that
other sober-minded journals say at once that
IL this news be true war would be a less
evil than submission. England has vast COM
mercial and political interests at stake. If
she were willing. which she is not, to sur
render her political authority in the East, she
could not sacrifice her trade. We, too, have
interests, though less vast, and many things
are more improbable in the face Of Franco
Russian aggression than an understanding be-
tween the United States, Great Britain, Japan
and perhaps Germany also. But it is too
soon for these large speculations, and for the
moment there is enough to occupy us nearer
home.
THAT SALISBURY STORY.
All through the week in New York we have
breakfasted, lunched, dined and supped full
4lo
diet has prevailed and has produced the same
sort of nightmare in other parts of the coun-
try, / know not. The most awful stories
have reached us from London and from Wash
ington. AS most Of them have melted away
in the heat of publicity, | need not dwell
on them at any length, but the history of
one at least is both amusing and Instructive.
There appeared in the New York World on
Tuesday a cable dispatch from its London
correspondent well calculated to set two ma
tions by the ears According to this story
Mr.. Bayard, when reading Mr.. Olney's dis
patch to Lord Salisbury had been interrupted
midway with the remark that he need not
proceed further, as the British government
could not even entertain the arguments put
forward, and absolutely declined to recognize
such an application of the Monroe doctrine as
Mr.. Olney proposed This fact had been i'm
parted to this correspondent by an official
of high standing intimately acquainted with
the inside facts of the Venezuelan dispute.
1t would be difficult to exaggerate the
gravity Of that incident if looked at from a
European point of view. Here in America
we do not trouble ourselves about the nceties
of diplomatic etiquette, but there is no Euro
pean capital where it would not have been
said at once that Mr. Bayard had been in
suited by Lord Salisbury, or, at the very
least, that Lord Salisbury had intended a
diplomatic affront More slowly, but not less
surely, in the present tension, we should have
taken the same view here, had the story
been confirmed Luckily it was not con-
flrmed, but contradcted. 1t was cabled back
to London and Mr. Bayard promptly and
peremptorily denied it. The correspondent
who first sent II from London very properly
sent Mr.. Bayard's denial, but at the same
time reasserted the authority of his inform
ant, and described him over again as an Of
fetal who was and is in position to speak
with accuracy and knowledge of Lord Sails
bury's version of the incident He added
that the evidence furnished of its being "a
valid statement of Lord Salisbury's official
version seemed absolute to its truth.
EXPLAINS THE EXPLANATION.
before, for now there was not only the
original affront to Mr.. Bayard, but an i'm
piled denial of Mr.. Bayard's denial, and an
apparent issue of veracity between Mr.. Bay
ard and Lord Salisbury. We were asked
TO believe that the original account was
"Lord Salisbury's official version" and to
accept II as absolute truth" Luckily again
this also was contradicted. The Times de-
MED the whole story from beginning to end
In leading article, which the correspondent,
whose laborious edifce was thus demolished.
characterized as having "all the authority Of
an obvious inspiration from Lord Salisbury
himself"
II even this leaves a lingering doubt in
the mind OF any American who cannot exist
without a comfortable grievance against Eng
land, it must be dispelcd by the assurance
of the British foreign office that the story
was altogether Inaccurate The cloud van
ishes utterly of the face of the heavens, and
the World correspondent himself writes to
the Times rejoicing over the INSPIRED de-
nial' OF his own report. He has been at
tackled, but | see no reason for doubling
that he did receive this amazing narrative
from somebody, whom he thought himself
entitled TO believe, and that he cabled it in
good faith, The real point is the mischief
vention--for somebody invented it-and would
have been done had II not been blown into
the air.
POURED OIL ON THE FIRE.
Right upon the heels Of this and through
the same channel comes a cabled letter on the
Venezuela difficulty from Senator Henry
Cabot Lodge Of Massachusetts,. now in Paris
letter which is oil on the fire. Senator
Lodge has great position and high char
acter; whatever he said on any question
where Great Britain was not concerned would
have weight Whenever Great Britain is
mentioned he sees red. l don't mean TO
argue the points he raises. 1t is sufficient
TO ask whether United States senator dis
euSsing pending diplomatic controversy be-
tween England and the United States. Is
well advised to use a threat Of war. lie
tells his countrymen that the policy Lord