Evening star., 1896-01-25
TOPICS IN LONDON
Expectation Of a New Political Deal
in Europe.
GERMANY MAY BECOME The ARBITER
What is Being Said About the Late
Prince Henry.
QUEEN WAS FRUSTRATED
Copyright, 1896, by the Associated Press,

Copyright, 1885, by the Associated Press)
LONDON, January 25.-It is difficult to
imagine a more complicated and uncertain
political situation than the one which is now
being studied by the statesmen of Europe.
Even If the reported alliance between Rus
sia and Turkey is the myth it is said to be,
north and south, east and west, everywhere,
the state Of uncertainty to the future
prevails. and the general public, it would
seem, must for some time to come be con-
tent with being allowed to await develop
ments.
Rumors of alliances and counter alliances
fill the air and crowd the newspapers, but,
until the shuffling of cards has been COM
pleted and the hands rearranged for the
new game Of bluff and grab believed to be
arranged between the powers, it will be diff
cult to definitely decide who are partners
and who are their opponents. But one point
seems to CLEAN out clearly from the fog of
diplomacy. and that is that a rearrange-
ment OF the European entanglements is be-
ing engineered, even If it is not in progress
! or even an accomplished fact, and there are
people here who intimate that when the
deal Is completed Germany, and not Great
Britain, will be the Isolated power of
Europe.
This is said to be borne out by the CON
cessions" Great Britain has made to France
and may have made to Russia. But, of
course this is simply one way of looking at
| 1t, and 1t Is by no means certain that 1t is
the right way.
Death of Prince Henry.
The social world is also laboring under a
cloud almost as dark as the one overshadow-
| Ing the world Of politics. This is caused by
| the sudden death of Prince Henry of Bat
| tenberg, husband of Princess Beatrice and
son-in-law of Queen Victoria, while on his
H. T-l-,
| British cruiser Blonde, from Cape Coast
| Castle, West Africa, in an effort to recover
| from an attack of African fever. The news
| caused great shock to everybody in court
circles, and to society in general, and has
| resulted in a complete upheaval of social
fixtures. No drawing room will be held this
| season. and there will be no entertainments
OF Importance in high society so long as the
| court is In mourning, which will be for six
| weeks to come.
| The death of Prince Henry, it is pointed
| out has shown him to be an extremely
popular man among those who knew him
| and even those who did not have that pleas
| ure have nothing but kind words for the
| soldier who died for Great Britain, even If
his death was from sickness instead of on
| the field of battle. as he would undoubtedly
| have preferred His sad end likened to that
| Of the prince imperial of France, has re-
! called the old story that Princess Beatrice
| might have been welded to the son Of eX-
| Empress Eugene had he not met his death
| wfile fighting with the British against the
Zulus, and SO there is much romantic SYM
pathy expressed for the widowed princess,
| VINO seems to have twice had her heart
| wrung with sorrow as result of Britain S
| wars in Africa.
But, although Prince Henry was popular
among his friends and acuuaintances. he
undoubtedly shared the antipathy felt by
| the nation generally against so-called Ger
man prncelipgs," a feeling which has con-
s.derably increased since Emperor William
| sent the message to President Kruger
| which, at one time, was looked upon as like
ly to plunge Great Britain and Germany in
| to war.
From all sides expressions Of sympathy
for the two widows are to be heard, and
| the messages Of coincidence which have
| reached Osborne House almost countless
and included the kindly expressed senti-
| ments Of sorrow of President Cleveland and
| Emperor William.
Many of the messages sent to Osborne
| bear testimony Of the esteem Prince Henry
| of Battenberg won as a man and of his
considerable ability as a soldier, musician,
sportsman, cyclist and yachtsman. He was
| never naughty, and conversed famiiiarly
on any topic with his Interiors in rank.
There is no doubt, however, that he chafed
Il under the insipid monotony of court life.
il He was hardly ever allowed to be absent
from Princess Beatrice, and it is now evil
dent that 1t was his desire to escape from
this state of domestic thraldom which
made the prince so eager to Join the Brit
ish expedition to Ashanti The queen and
Princess Beatrice were at first opposed to
| L
but they finally yielded and it is whispered
| that their consent was given with the view
Of alternating him from certain strong at
traction in London.
Queen and Princess Frustrated.
The kilograms received from Osborne
since the news Of the death of Prince
Henry was made known there show that
both the queen and Princess Beatrice were
terribly overwhelmed by the evil tidings
from Sierra Leone The princess was pros
trated throughout Wednesday, did not dine
with the royal family. and remained in hel
bed room until IL o'clock on Thursday
morning. When she reappeared it was no
ticed that the princess bore deep traces OF
a night spent in weeping for the dead, and
she seemed almost heart-broken when hel
children were taken to greet her. Princess
Beatrice spent the afternoon with the
queen, who did everything possible to- to con con
greatly herself. Bulletins, which, from
time to time, were posted outside the gate;
Of Osborne House, stated that the queer
but that her majesty's health was not men
| aced. These announcements were made
necessary by the alarming reports circu
4 lated on the stock exchange.
Absence of Crime.
The police authorities of Scotland Yart
!, are congratulatinS themselves on the re
markable absence Of crime which has pre-
vailed in the me tropolis during the pas
year. The annual police report, which viii
shortly be issued shows that London, il
its freedom from the effects of law break
ers, has made a record which may we'll b.
, envied by the governments Of all larg
cities One of the chief officials at Scotland
Yard stated to representative Of the AS
] sociated Press:
1.-The absence of any startling epidemic O
| crime in London is due to the fact that tn,
police authorities adopt the maxim al
ounce Of prevention is worth pound o
cure In fact. since Jack the Ripper
scare, there has been nothing of a natur
which has caused the department any grea
| anxiety. True, in so large a place as Lon