The San Francisco call., 1896-01-12

an OtiICeI WHO IeLuTneU from
China fortnight ago tells me that it is
well known there that the Russians are
busily at work on railroad which is to
run from Nermschinsk across the Siberian
frontier to the Manchurian town of Tsltso-
kar, thence in two branches TO Viadivo-
stok and the Pechili Gull He says, more
over, that of his own knowledge the Lon
don officials are perfectly aware of what is
being done.
1t will be remem bered that when the
rumor of this intention came from Hong
kong last summer, and the English
showed that they would resist by force any
such attempt, the Russian diplomats dis
avowed the design in most formal and
explicit fashion. The Duke of Westmin-
ster IS so close to Lord Salisbury that his
pubic denunciation of Russia as respon-
slble Tor the failure to do anything further
Tor the Armenians becomes almost an
official utteranCe. This consciousness that
Russia was the real STUN bling block has
been slowly forming in the British mind,
but the Duke is the first one in semi-au-
thorlty who has said so. 1t may be
doubted, too, if he would have been so
frank had Lord Salisbury not become con-
vinced that Russia was definitely hostile
to England elsewhere than on the Levant.
Under these circumstances there is some
loose talk here about trying to make a
Russian alliance.
English sentiment, however, is over
whelmingly against such an attempt.
The English would rather have the Rus
slams take Germany's side than their own,
for they lnstinctively feel that they would
have to fight Russia afterward, anyway,
and that to fight two empires at once
would give to them the sympathy of
Western Europe and of the world i'll gen.
eral
As to the strictly British aspects of the
South African maelstrom strange rumors
are current in the city and filtering
through clubland. 1t is said that Cecil
Rhodes has commanded that $500 ,0OO, 600
be put up by a syndicate here for the pur-
pose of rushing the Transvaal, overwheim-
ing the Orange Free State, declaring a
federation Of all South Africa and if Eng
land refused recognition cutting the
painter Off hand. He resigned the premier
ship before the news of Jameson's RAID was
published in Cape Town, solely to be free
for this enterprise. Four days ago friends
of his here were quietly giving out word
that he would be President of the South
African republic by midsummer. Whether
the seizure of his brother with Leonard,
Phillips, Dunbar and the rest has quite
knocked the bottom out of this project is
uncertain, but that it existed Is, ] am told,
beyond question.
Ii the German complication blows over
there are likely to be revelations of finan-
cial and political corruption underlying
this whole affair which will dwarf any,
thing of the kind in history.
Chamberlain meanwh lie has made the
greatest personal score of generation. He
carries himself like second Oliver Crom-
well and the whole nation gapes at him in
dumb admiration. To-day Cabinet coun-
ell, which was the first since autumn,
briefly recalled to the public the existence
of other Ministers, but by tomorrow it
will be again Chamberlain first and the
rest nowhere. Save for list of official
denials that the situation in the Transvaal
is worse, which may mean anything, it Is
useless to expect that any news will leak
out about the Cabinet meeting or its de-
cisions until they are exhibited III action,
Discussion about Venezuela in the pa
pers IS still of great bulk, but it manifestly
proceeds under the disadvantage that the
public is thinking of something else Such
few expressions of racial sympathy for
England and her Continental trouble as
have been perm tilted to get across the wire
from America have been eagerly seized