The San Francisco call., 1895-12-22


body repeated the rumor for fact that
people were betting that gold would be at
a premium in New York before the new
year, but no one knew of particular in
stance In which the wager was made here
or there. Long-sighted men held the
opinion that the ultimate result would be
to put American finance on a better foot
ing, and so benefit everybody; but the
popular view was that America would be
drained of gold at once, forced into the
hands of the silver crowd and lapse into
financial disorder which, even at BEST 1t
would take years to recover from. On all
sides there was general indignation at
Moreton Frewen's suggestion in the Times
that America would begin hostilities, If the
worst came to the worst, by contiscating
five billions of British capital invested IN
America.
An Armenian organizer whom | met
last night and questioned as to the outlook
from his particular point of view wrung
his hands and turned away with groan.
at is too horrible!'' was all he said 1t
seems certain that England since Wednes-
day has practically pulled out of the whole
Levant business. 1t is nearly as certain
that Germany has fixed up combination
with Russia and France on lines similar TO
the Chinese ASSOCIATION, which will admin
lister the affairs of the Turkish empire, or
at least prevent anybody else from inter-
fering in them. At any rate the hope of
Ensland's doing anything there has per-
ished altogether and the Armenian SYM
pathiZers here who were really earnest are
plunged to depths of despair, but for the
general British public since Wednesday
the very name of Turkey in type offends
the eye. and interest in the Levantine
news is as dead as a door nail.
All news indeed not bearing on this sim
gle vital topic passes unheeded. There is
a most important official movement an
nounced which at any other time would be
eagerly discussed all over England and
now gets scarcely word of comment any
where. The president Of the Board of
Trade is to have a conference in January
with the ehairmen of nine railroads enter
ing London to arrange plan for uni
form sweeping reduction of rates on farm
products. The Great Eastern has already
in operation a new system for assisting
farmers to sell their produce here without
the tremendous tax OF the middlemen,
which, though hardly perfect as yet, is
said to be working well. 1t is understood
that the coming conference will be invited
by Ritchie to extend this scheme to other
railroads and if this is done the results will
be of incalculable benefit to the agricul-
tural interest, but as have said people are
too preoccupied even to give the matter
second thought
A friend who lives at st. Petersburg
and who turned up on visit Yesterday
says that all extraordinary change is al
ready visible under the new reign in Rus
sia, and all in the direction of liberaliza-
ton. The newspapers officially show an
altered spirit and now print news and
comment freely, which had been un-
dreamed of year ago.
Everyb body ascribes to the young Czarina
great political activity. Pobledonostseff's
downfall and a change of projects at st.
Petersburg, by which General Clayhills,
the descendant of Forfarshire Jacobite,
who followed the Stuarts to the Continent,
and very liberal man, comes into con-
troll, are both credited to he- influence.
If she can effect such important reforms
IN the domestic administration, which is
the stronghold of bureaucracy, it is reason
able 10 suppose that she is not powerless
in foreign affairs, where her feelings
would be all for Germany and her favorite
cousin, Kaiser Wilhelm, but as my friend
says, people abroad know more of Rus
sia's foreign policy than they do in Russia.
Another member of the hew Parliament
is unseated by technicality in England's
corrupt practices act, an account of which
makes the whole clumsy law more ridicu-
lous than ever. 1t forbids the employment
on election day of hired carriages, and, as
result, well-to-do men OF both parties
lend vehicles in large numbers on such oc-
casions. One of these on the Liberal side
came to Litchteld from distance, and the
Liberal agent unwittingly fed oats to the
horses at noon on the day of the polling.
This was enough to invalidate the election,
the judges decide, but the whole press
rails at the decision, or rather at the law
permitting it, as idiotic, and there is gen.
eral demand for immediate new legisla-
ton.
Wilson's book on "lronclads in Action"
with Mahan's introduction, appears at
just the moment TO have made hit, even
if it were commonplace work, but the re-
viewers hail it as scarcely inferior in merit
to MahaE's own epoch-making books. and
the demand for it is said to be, considering
the price, almost unprecedented in the
trade
Henry Norman's "The Nearest" which
is to appear in January, bade fair week
ago to be the book of the season, because
it would deal brilliantly with lot of
Balkan and Levantine questions which
England was expected to be absorbed in all
winter. This sudden lapse of the Eastern
question in the British minds may affect
its sales, but it will be an important work
for students of European politics, never
theless.
Beatrice Harradens novel of California
life called "Hilda Stafford has been Sc
cured as a serial by "Blackwood's Maya
zine" to appear next year along with a
romance by Blackmore entitled Daniel"
HAROLD FREDERIC.
ONE PLAN OF RELIEF.