The record-union., 1896-01-14

LONDON, Jan. l0.-Ihere mas Deen
dearth of news regarding the situation
in South Africa and England's relations
elsewhere, but it can be said that the
outlook in general is better now than ii
has been for some time past. The ex-
citement has almost completely died
away, but the naval preparations of the
Government are proceeding apace, and
SO far as is known to the public has al
most been completed.
Nothing has as yet been learned as to
the destination of the flying squadron,
although much conjecture is INDUCED
in as to where its field of duty will be.
The fact that Count Won Hatzfeldt, the
German ambassador, went from Lon
don to-day to make a visit to Brighton,
is pretty strong evidence that there has
been no further tension in the Anglo
German relations. The ebullition of
popular feeling against Germany
caused by Emperor Williams attitude
toward the Transvaal was altogether
too violent to last long, and there is
now very few evidences of great de-
sire to open active hostilities against
Germany.
1t may be stated that the suggestion
made to-day by the Manchester
Guardian" that the preparations now
under way are intended to support a
new British policy anent Armenia, con-
tains some germ of truth, but doubterS
ask why it was necessary to make all
these naval preparations against Tur-
key, when one of the strongest fleets the
world has ever seen was lying at
anchor within easy distance of the Col
den Horn.
So far as the Transvaal is concerned,
all serious trouble in that direction is
undoubtedly ended AS stated in these
dispatches yesterday, the rank and file
of DR.. Jamesons expedition has started
for the Natal boundary and the re-
lease of the officers of the expedition is
expected shortly. Every effort will be
made to protect the members of the
Rand Reform Committee who have
been placed under arrest, including the
Americans. 1t is certain that a bitter
fight will be made against allowing the
Boer Government to confscate their
property as punishment for their al
legged offense.
The statement of ex-Prime Minister
Rhodes at Kimberley, yesterday, that
his political career was just opening
1AiQ l11ttt llG AlOpcu W l1NG lOtlS 6IOQSu II
to do much good for South Africa again,
arouses the idea that the objective point
of his ambition is the establishment of
South African republic that will in
clude all the territory south of the
Zambi River, including the TransvaaI
and the Orange Free State. In or out
of Office, he wields vast influence, and
his doings in the future will be watched
with even greater interest than in the
past.
Little reliance can be placed in any of
the newspaper dispatches published
here purporting to explain the attitude
of the Powers toward Great Britain
The continental nations may not be
friendly to this country, but it is
thought that any one of them would
hesitate for a long time before striking
a blow at England
The representative of the United
Press. collating all the information it
has been possible to obtain, has all along
predicted that the storm clouds would
blow away, leaving the political atmos-
phere clearer than it was before, and
this prediction bids fair to prove true in
very short time unless some hidden
trouble whereof the public knows moth
ing complicates the political situation.