New-York tribune., 1896-01-19

about a revolution in the Transvaal.
Whatever may be the value Of the documentary
evidence in Kruger's hands, the manner In which
the directors Of the company have used their
powers will render necessary parliamentary
inquiry. While Mr.. Rhodes is too shrewd man
to have been guilty of the folly OF leaving IN
eliminating correspondence where anybody can
find It, he has been dictator for seven years IN
the territory acquired by the company and II is
hardly credible that so important step as the
invasion of the Transvaal could have been un-
dertaken without his knowledge. The Parma
mentary inquiry will show how much of ,he
great capital raised by the company has Teen
used in developing the country and now much
has gone to middlemen and promoters. The in
qury will be so interesting that it may be choked
off. With two Dukes on the Board great social
pressure may be brought to bear upon Mr. cham
berlain to that end. That astute official has not
vet made mistake in South Africa. and he Is
not likely to be entrapped easily. His popularity
has been disclosed at several theatres where he
has shown himself and also in Birmingham.
where ne has been received like returning con-
Queror.
Great care will have to be taken with the COM
position Of the Parliamentary Commission since
1t is known that members of the House OF COM
mons, as well as prominent Peers. are nhah-
cially interested in the Chartered Company ana
consequently incapable of conducting the in
Quiry and ineligible to join in the debate on the
subject. There is no reason to believe that the
good name of Parliament will be compromised
by the pressure of social and political influence
70 shield the directors and shareholders or the
company from exposure.
The prisoners awaiting trial at Pretoria In
clude directors managers and consulting en-
o,,inc Of tha
Rand Nearly all the chief men of the Consoli-
dated Gold Fields Company are under arrest
and there is hardly a single large Kaffir COM
bination In the London stock market which
does not have representative in jail Among
them are six Americans. President Kruger GER
tainy has hostages for whom high ransom
will be paid Mr.. Chamberlain has the destiny
of the Kafir Circus in his keeping.
With all the uncertainties of the situation.
Rand gold shares looking up and marked
reaction has set in against the depression caused
by Jamesons raid. Barnato has recovered MS
spirits sufficiently to arrange burlesque snow
in which he professed to take the shareholders
of the Bank Mining and Estate Corporation into
his confidence. He talked to them seventy min
utes and gave fine example of the utility or
language for concealng thought
Current reports that Coomasse has been capt
ured and Chief Prempeh compelled TO sue for
peace are not fully confirmed, but they are prob
ably only premature. The conquest OF Ashantee
is an easy task compared with the permanent
settlement of the questions at issue. Apparently
Prempeh will be reduced 10 the position OF an
Indian prince under allegiance TO the Queen, but
a regiment will have to be stationed in Ashantee
TO protect the British resident, and it is an un-
healthy country Prince Henry Of Battenberg
has learned by bitter experience. Mr.. Chamber
lain Is reported to have taken the first steps tow
ard the transfer Of the business OF the Niger
Coast protectorate into the hands OF Crown
agents This will substitute colonial rule for the
trading operations of the Royal Niger Company
1t is natural sequel to the recent experience
with the Chartered Company. of South Africa.
The Queens letter to the Sultan. of which con-
Trajectory accounts given serves to direct at
tention once more to the collapse OF European
diplomacy in Cons.antinople. The Sultan has
triumphed all along the line during the last year.
and can afford to snap his fingers at pathetic Hp-
peals or veiled threats from Osborne The Ger
man Emperor has diverted attention from the
breakdown Of Lord Salisbury's policy in the East
and enabled him to meet Parliament with light
heart but there has been no more discreditable
chapter Of European diplomacy than the last six
months work In Constantinople, and English
prestige has suffered heavily from It, With the
greatest Navy a1oat. with eight 15,0O0-ton battle
ships building and orders about to be given for
five new cruisers. England has lacked either the
power or the will to intervene effectively for
preventing massacre and barbarity on a stupen
dous scale.
The recall Of Marshal Campos and the appoint
ment Of a successor who will adopt more drastic
measures In Cuba for the suppression Of the re-
beion are regarded here as indications that
the struggle for the retention of the last Spanish
stronghold in the New World has reached Its
final stage Marshal Campos has favored the
concession OF home rule to Cuba because. prob
ably. he has found that he did not have the sup
port OF the Spanish element in the island he
had during the previous civil war. His retire
ment implies the adoption by his successor Of
harsher measures which may bring about an
other Virginius massacre and a reign Of terror.
Meanwhile Spanish credit is at low ebb and the
Cuban insurgents are lowering about Havana.
The principal dramatic incident Of the week
has been the production of Mr. Henry Arthur
Jones's play Michael and His Lost Angel" at
the Lyceum Theatre. Fine acting saved II from
merited failure Mr. Forbes Robertsons study
OF the ritualistic priest remarkable; it lent
dignity to what would have been in other hands
an offensive part. Miss Marion Terry also was
brilliant and effective as the woman who tempt
ed the priest and brought about his confession
and downfall. She was alternately fascinating
and cynical whimsical and sincere. and ap-
peared in a series of lovely costumes, which were
greatly admired The play was well acted
throughout and superbly mounted. the setting
for the minister service being one of the finest
ecclesiastical effects produced on the stage.
Other recent experiments In providing sub
stitute for the problem play are prospering from
a box-office point Of view. 1.-THE Prisoner OF
Zenda" at the ST. Jamess. rivals "Trilby' In
popularity, and Wilson Barretts Sign Of the
Cross" is drawing crowded houses at the Lyric
heRips next week an