The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1896-05-03
ENGLAND,s TWO WARS.
More Men Under Arms Than since the
sepoy Rebellion.

More Men Under Arms Than since tho
sepoy Rebellion.
Harold Frederic's London Letter In New
York Times.
The most warlike British lingo can no
longer complain that things are dull. Each
London paper has from four to six col
ums daily now from the headquarters OF
the British armies in the field or the
points where British subjects are In hour
ly terror of their lives. and il is practically
admitted by the government at last that
before autumn there will be more OF the
queens soldiers under arms In active SER
vice than since the Sepoy mu-
tiny was put down. nearly forty years ago.
Even without any European ENGAGEMENT
or rupture of peace. England has enough
fighting on her hands for 1895 to make
the year conspicuous in her records.
Now that 1t is known that 10000 British
troops. with three battaiions OF the
Household brigade. and Redvers Butler
In command. are 10 go up the Nile as SOON
as the floods render an ascent In force
practicable. people are naturally angry
at the wauton lies told and persisted In
for weeks by the ministers on this whole
subject. The most charitable explanation
Is that there were sharp divisions in the
cabinet. and that Salisbury, Balfour and
Curzon were hoping against hope. when
they gave pacific assurances that they
could hold their own against Chamber
lafns aggressive jingo.srn. At all events,
no one Ia making Roadway against 1t
today, and, now that blood has begun
to now. the chance OF England's listening
TO arguments of any peace party is hard
ly worth discussing. Only some over
whelming catastrophe in the desert cam
paign could work that miracle now, and
the war office is going 10 try all that
Caution large preparations and uniim-
Tied force can DO to avert this danger
IL Is generally understood that a big
draft OF native Indian troops will be en-
pleyed later on. but the details are I'M
known. The news that the Egyptian SOL
oiers acquitted themselves so well In the
opening skirmishes with Osman Digna's
men is made much OF. but there are stlIl
grave doubts what they viii be like when
the dervishes get really at them. hand
TO hand. Their very appearance In the
field Is regarded as an objectionable In
suit by the dervishes. whose contempt
for the feliahin Is boundless. and they
know that, II they fall into dervish hands.
their fate will be thing to shudder al:
hence they tight with terrible despair. II
there be no way out. but there must be a
powerful pushing force of British behind
them all the while.
The Matabele rising furnishes for the
moment a much more exciting theme, for
there appears to be a genuine danger that
Buluwayo VIII be sacked and put 10 FIRE
and sword before help can reach IL. The
beleaguered garrison could hold the plac.
against indefinite odds. 50 long as proyi-
slons and ammunition lasted but these
poth are pretty short, and, worse stin
hundreds OF natives are inside the lager
whose loyalty is more than suspected Ey-
cry day brings bulletins OF new massa-
ores In the outlying mining territory, OF
prospecting parties, srd among the vie
tins an exceptional proportion is OF young
men OF well-known families.
Exciting as all this is. il Is not nnfa-
iniliar experience 10 the English. and. in
ordinary conditions. they would not dream
or borrowing trouble about It, blu, II hap
pens that something mucn more important
than smashing muiiny OF savages Ia In
volNed. and uncertainty of Just wha, this
Is makes people nervous. The whole
TransVaal problem Is darkly mixed up
with the Matabele difficulty. and all Eng
lands steps towara restoring order in
Rnodessa have TO be picked carefully In or
der not to tread on Kruger's toes. This
makes the Tories impatient here, and they
are beginning TO cry out to Chamberlain
10 60 anead. regardless OF the Beers. and
whip them, too. II they insist on being
nssyreeaoie. This Is all reported at Pre-
tofia. shere pre-existing pre- JUDGE has
been Intensified 10 somber rage by whple-
sale lies cabled TO and from south Africa
by agents. parasites of Johannesburg and
gold neid syriicates. AS a result. Eng
hna IS Permanently Increasing The sarri-
con ei regulars a. Cape Town. and viii
probably md herself sending out stan
other forces. as the summer advances
The Times This morning says this doub-
Sirg OF strength at Cape Town Is done be-
cause in case OF European war the suez
canal would be blocked and all traule
would nave 10 so round the Cape. and the
security OF this splendid British harbor
ana base OF supplies would be an impera-
i've necessity. IL this be an authorized
statement. II may well set Engiishusn
thinking. They can only reconcile them
selves 70 the spectacle OF their country
wadlng waist deep into the African norass
hy taxing II for granted that the peac.
OF Europe has been provided for.