The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1896-09-06

scented by England and is now under con-
sideration by the powers with a consider
able chance of its adoption. If the Ar
menians were not such a scattered race
with hostages planted all over the en-
pire, this would be simpler task, but
even as it is it is hoped that something
may be done.
AS for Crete, it seems on the surface to
have gained all Its points, but it is so i'm
possible to rely on the good faith of the
Sultan that every step toward carrying
out settlement will be surrounded with
suspicion till it has been actually accom-
plished.
Although DR.. Schweinfurth, who ought
to be an authority, says it is physi-
cally impossible that a Belgian force from
the Congo State can form a junction with
sthe British column in Equatorial Africa,
or can influence by its operations anything
the English may try to do, it seems GER
tain that the expedition of Baron Dhanis
has some such end deliberately in view.
German explorers report that he is mus
tering at Kilongalonga a force of over
5000 troops, with both Maxim and Krupp
guns, and he is going first to the Albert
Edward Nyanza, thence to Lado by way
against DR.. Schweinfurth, other special
lists say that this not impracticable. 1t is
understood that the French Government
has asked that of Belgium for explana-
| tions.
To Judge from the speeches of the an
nual meeting of the French Central Afri-
can Company in Paris yesterday, we are
on the threshold of another series OF
Franco British wranglcs over the many
sided Niger question. The presidential
address of M. TharoI was one sustained
denunciation of England and the Niger
Company, with vehement demand for
an active policy on the part of the French
Government. Experience shows that the
colonial group IN Paris rarely bursts forth
in these demonstrations unless the French
Foreign Office sees some profit in the
| thing. It is fair, therefore, to regard M.
TharoPs unexpected violence as a sign
that NJ. Hanotaux wishes to revive the
NIXON squabble which was supposed here
to be dead and buried, in order to use it
as a makeweight in some new set of nego-
tiations with England.
No one in England can believe that the
two nations will ever seriously fall out
over the Niger question or any other Afri-
can issue, but it is recognized as part of
NJ. Hanotaux's policy to keep alive and
well nourished as many of these griev-
apces as possible.
1t is reported here that grave parlia-
mentary trouble is imminent in Spain.
Both the Carlist and Republican Deputies
have withdrawn from the Cortes as pro-
test against the passage of the railway
subsidy bill, which they denounce as the
blacklist kind of corruption. The charges
of villainy which they prefer cover almost
every branch Of the Spanish Government,
and range from talk about wholesale
thefts in the departments and a parlia-
ment packed with members not really
elected, down to assertions that the NUM-
cipal administrations are rotten to the
core. That of Madrid is described as spe-
cially infamous, and it is said that it
would be very easy matter 10 excite in
the capital popular rising, which would
tax the resources of the Government to
the utmost. The Marquis de Cabrinana,
who leads the reform party in Madrid,
processes to believe that revolution can
not be STAYED off much longer.
! Naturally enough the delegates from
abroad who finally attended the Dublin
convention feel disposed to describe it
publicly as a great and important affair,
but they really return home dismayed at
the state in which they found Irish poll
tics. 1t can only be said that they left this
state worse than they found it. From the
outset they were used as tools by the ring
of incompetent cyclists who, through mis-
use of party funds, have obtained control
of the party organization. Privately
| loc
this, but pu blicly they let themselves be
driven round like flock of sheep by Dill
Ions sheeIers, On the strength of this
docile subservience to the Dillonite ma
chine the bosses of the federation of Great
Britain proceeded yesterday to throw out
of their organization every independent
Irishman, beginning with the honored and
venerable figure of T. D. Sullivan, and it is
officially declared that at the next election
the seat OF every Healyite will be con.
tested. With the single exception of a
young man. who impresses one as sincere
but devoured by vanity, every Bishop in
Ireland held aloof from the convention,
and Cardinal Logue even condemned it in
a speech which the Freeman's Journal
suppressed.
Not single priest OF any influence be-
yond his own parish attended the conven-
ton and its pretensions 10 authority are
divided by four Nationalist papers out of
five throughout Ireland. The English
Liberal press lauds the convention to the
skies, of course, because Dillon is regarded
as an invaluable annex to the Liberal
party and because his lieutenants can be
squared" when the Liberals are in power
by offices for their relatives and depend
ents, but in Ireland all sensible men are
grieved and depressed by the whole bust
ness.
Another great strike in the ship-build-
ing industry will begin the end of next
week, unless miracle intervenes. This
time it will be a straight-out fight, trade
union labor versus free labor, with no con-
fusion side issue whatever. One Clyde
yard employed non-union workman and
the union men left. The federated ship
builders, under last years agreement,
called on the Amalgamated Society of En-
gineers to fill up vacancies. The society
replied that it could not force its memb ers