The San Francisco call., 1896-08-02


cut out for it may easily be spun over a
couple of years or more.
Now thev see that the prosecution of
Rhodes may be plausibly postponed until
the inquiry is concluded, and that re-
vulsion of popular feeling in the casesof
jameson makes it likely that the whole
thing will now blow over.
I 1t is obvious, too, that the native war in
Rhodesia is sNgrowihg steadily in import
ance. There are now no friends who can
be relied on, and the whites in the dis
turbed country cannot even hold their
own much longer, let. alone regain lost
ground. News OF great disaster is daily
feared -
The temptation to gird at Alfred Austin
over the conviction of the raiders, whose
exploit he celebrated, is too strong for
human nature, and he has been mercl-
lessly guyed on all sides. In the per-
yersity of inopportuneness he chose. just
this time to make, a speech on Burns at
Irvine, which, as he delivered 1t, was
mere empty twaddle, but as he wrote it
and published it in the Times contained
an attack on the poets private lie, which
infuriated all Scotland, besides inviting
an imputation of cowardice on himself.
IL is gleeiully reported, L know not on
what authority, that the Prince of Wales
stipulated that the laureate should write
no ode on the marriage of the Princess
Maud. Certainly none has appeared.
1t is also said that the Queen is in very
bitter temper over these public sights to
her laureate. Everything about the Queen
now is so carefully shrouded in mystery
that it is impossible to judge of the value
of any rumors concerning her. 1t only
known in a general way that she is the
victim of increasing melancholia, which
does not take gently pensive forms, and
that since the recent marriage there have
been persistent reports that she has re-
solved never to appear In public again.
Guarded reference to these reports is made
to-day by the way of a semi-official state
ment. 1t is hoped that some means may
be found of celebrating her sixtieth corona
tion anniversary next summer so that she
may be able TO take part in it.
Calamity marked the International So
ciaIist Congress for its own from the very
outset. The opening demonstration of
Sunday, which had promised to be the
biggest thing of it's kind ever seen, was
literally washed out of Hyde Park by a
wild deluge of rain.
For the following three days thesessions
were pandemoniums of shrieking violence,
which the papers described at length as
the frenZies of lunatics. In reality they
were more grotesqQe and savage than
even the most hostile accounts picture
them. Since the anarchists were at last
more peaceful, but the ridiculous overture
quite sickened the public of the whole
affair and no attention is paid now to
what they say or do. a resolution that
the state should support every scholar
while getting an education, ali the way
from the kindergarten to the university, is
the principal new idea thus far asserted.
This was opposed stoutly by Sidney
Webb, who besides being mem Der of the
10 no haa aH rf ha afxy
councils of the Technical Education Board,
and who pleaded that overeducation among
the working classes was q grave danger.
His plan was that the state should sup
port only such children as won scholar
ships, thus showing it to be worth while
TO further educate them. But keir Hardie
retorted that scholarships won by compe-
tition were unsocialistic, and he carried
with him the whole socialist and most of
the trades union vote, making an immense
majority.
The polyglot difficulties of the present
gathering have been so tremendous that
many English members say they will
never take part in such thing again un-
less English is made the sole language of
debate.
The big naval maneuyers just finished
show results which were quite unlocked
for. The slower and weaker fleet, with
merely the slight advantage of mist and
dirty weather, com pleiely outmaneuvered
the large and fast feet. In chasing it got
away and did what it liked along the irish
coast. This practical demonstration
trightens EngIishmen, for the Germans or
hrench might have done 1t as well as Adj
miral Seymour, and the result will be
greater and swifter additions to the navy
" Goodwin Smith, in the Saturday Review
OF to-day, has long article on the Ameri-
can political situation, which he views
with characteristic gloom.
He makes the point that if Canada were
in the Union her vote would turn the
scale in favor of honest money and scolds
England for continuing to sever the north
ern fringe of the continent from its
natural affiliations and to attach it to
Europe, whereas if Canada had voice in
the councils of her own hemisphere she
would be helpful to all concerned.
The late Colonel North was not un-
lucky in dying when he did. at general
meeting Of the nitrate company this week
he was openly denounced as thief, and
at a public sale of his great estate of
Ethan, including his new castle, which
alone cost him 81, SOC, 900 to build, the
highest bid was only $780, 600 and no sale
was made. 1t is understood that the heirs
viii drop altogether his scheme of build.
ing the grand northern Monte Carlo, to
be called Worthwhile, on the Belgian coast
Mrs. Patrick Campbell for some reason
strenuously objects to going to America
and has accordingly withdrawn fl ON her
partial engagement with Beerbohm Tree.
She also has rejected all English offers
with which she has been dallying and
will take prolonged rest in the country.
The dramatic season, now Pickering 70
a close, has been hopelessly undistln-
guished, so lar as the native drama goes.
Such plays as have succeeded have been
almost invariably continual adaptations.
like For the Crown Chill Widow" and
the "Queen's Proctor" Almost all the
money made has been in the line of fatu-
Gus musical comedies, no less than nine of
which are now running at the West End
places.
Possibly because of Mary Anderson's
lead we shall shortly have a food OF
"reminiscences from the queens of the
stage. Ristoris memoirs are to be issned
at Milan next month, and Ellen Terry.
Bernhardt and Duse are already giving
final proofs OF similar works.
HAROLD FREDERIC.
copyright, 1896, by the New YORK Times.