The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-09-08
Frederic Tells How the Civic
Population Might Be
Better Treated.
ENGLANDs POLITICAL STRIFE.
1t Is Now Thought That Russia
VIII Make the Armenian
Demonstration.
copyright, 1895, by the New York rimes.I

LONDON, Eng, Sept. From force of
habit we still speak of midsummer as
period of supreme Incidence, and the stag
nation of affairs is maintained, but really
it is September that brings the fullest
measure of inaction everywhere IN Europe.
Very possibly il is due in some mysterious
way to the example set by the big Cont
mental States who reserve for this month
those army maneuvers which have grown
to be the most gigantic displacements of
human beings in times of peace ever
known to the race. For the next few
weeks fully half million of armed men
will be in the field playing at warfare
under the eyes of their Kings and great
captains, and the expenditure in war ma
terial and other outlay and the cost to
unarmed millions who go out of their way
to see some portion of the spectacle, if
computed, would rival the bill of the
largest international exposition of pacific
arts and industries ever held.
These colossal musters of hghting men
seem to throw a holiday spell over the civic
as well. A fiat fullness reigns undis-
puted. We read with only languid inter-
est that the moon has been detected Jump
ing up and down apparently. 1t is beyond
doubt that many observers in different
parts of these islands witnessed an extra
ordinary lunar phenomenon just after dark
last Sunday evening. The moon was seen
distinctly to make series of jerks on
vertical line, which nobody thus far has
tried to explain. 1t is certain, however,
that it could not have been the result of
any terrestrial activity. The earth is
plunged just now in far too profound an
apathy for that.
The eternal Armenian deadlock has
reached point at last where the three
intervening powers are understood to have
agreed upon the principle of armed dem
onstration. The question, Who shall
make it?" is not known to have been
decided as yet, but Russia's preparations,
both on the Armenian frontier and in the
Black Sea squadron are reported to be in
active progress, which gives the notion
that perhaps she is to be delegated to IN
dertake the job single handed. Against
this may be offset the persistent suspicious
that the three powers are not actually in
accord, though these are weaker than they
were week ago.
1t would be strange, if in these sleepy
times the Continental politicians did not
seize eagerly upon the visit of the German
Chancellor to the Russian court as topic
of great suggestiveness. What there is
really in it is hard to tell. Russia at this
moment is displaying more friendship for
France than has been witnessed before
during the new Cars reign. On the night
of Sedan day the Russian embassy in Ber-
lin initiated the French by being deserted
and unlighted amid the general glare of IL
Elimination. The chief guest at the French
headquarters during the maneuvers on the
German frontier is the Russian general
Dragomiroff, whose fierce restlessness is
matter of notoriety, and whose selection
for supreme active command, should Russia
60 to war, is taken for granted. But the
Russian foreign policy is Enthusiastically
given to casting anchors to windward, and
it is not at all unlikely that even while the
French are being amused in this fashion.
Lobanoff and Hohenlohe are transactlng
practical business.
Nothing ever brings Emperors' heads
together SO effectually as police reports
about nihiistic dis coveries. 1t is under
stood that there has been an exceptionally
big murder plot unearthed in Russia, with
wholesale seizures of plants and docu-
ments and more arrests than usual The
rumors in Vienna place the latter at 900,
but details of the whole affair are curiously
lacking. This revival of revolutionary
activity east of the Vistula comes at a
time when Emperor William is in heated
frame of mind about his own malcontents.
The advanced wing of the German
Socialists did carry their expressions of
dissent from the general Sedan glorifca-
ton to an extreme point. Not only did
they publicly assure the French of their
sympathy, but they showered a course of
personal abuse on the memory of old
Kaiser William at which the young
Kaiser drew the line. The arrest of the
editor of the Vorwaerts is taken to mean
that there is to be an energetic official
crusade against organized socialism in the
empire.
There has been very noticeable toning
down of the exasperated press relations
between Paris and London, which may
mean no more than that the fre-eaters are
away on their holidays, but more probably
hints at abetted understanding between
the two Foreign offices. The Lord Mayors
visit in state to Paris and Bordeaux comes
OPPORTUNITY to impart a genial spirit of
circus-day to this more amiable attitude,
but it is feared here that he has been in
discreet in talking SO much about inviting
the French President to visit England.
He has no mandate to do this from either
the Queen or even his corporation, and
Faure, knowing this, cannot but decline.
The sweeping triumph of the Irish Par
liamentary committee at the polls in South
Kerry gives to Healy a good setback from
the English politicians point of view, but
carries much less weight in Ireland, where
the circumstances are better understood.
The contest shaped itself into fight be-
tween two powerful priests, who have
been rivals for years, Archdeacon O'Sul-
Ivan of Kenmare and Canon Brosman of
Cahirciven, and more than half of the
electorate being dismayed and confused by
the situation dare not vote at all. O'Sul-
Ivan having the advantage of concen-
trated population about him, won hands
down, assisted, as he was, by dozen par
Iiamentary orators and plenty offunds.
Nothing trustworthy can be learned
about the prospects in West Waterford at