The Portland daily press., 1896-01-06

Life Was Spared.
New York, January 5.-Julian Raef
cables today to the Journal:
Great news never came more rapidly or
shifted more strangely from bad to
worse than in England the past week.
? The climax came with a slap In the face
by Emperor William yesterday.
A week ago England was busy pacify-
ing America, a day Or two later she was
ohuckling over the audacious scheme to
add tine Transvaal to her African colo
nies; next she was alarmed over the pre-
cipitate action Of Jameson. Transvaal's
picturesque buocaneer, and quickly re-
pudiated him. Then came the dreadful
rumors of the slaughter of Jameson and
the aristocratic younger sons under his
command, and finally Emperor William
way that shocked her more than Cieve-
lands message fortnight ago.
England lodged the responsibility for
Jameson's actionsin Africa at the cost of
popular support at home, and tonight
Joseph Chamberlain bids for public favor
again with reply to Germany which is
too calm and guarded to win applause
England Is very unluoky, and misfor-
tunes crowd upon her. Snubbed and set
aside in Japan and China, disappointed
in her efforts at an Anglo-A merican al
lance, checkmated by the Dutch in Afri-
cal and dared and defed by Ger many,
England looks all over the world only to
find foes everywhere with the exception
OF Italy, her only friend ON EARTH
This Transvaal business injuries her
status in the Venezuelan boundary dis
pute, being moral proof of the truth of
the charges OF her land-grabping propen-
sities.
Jameson's exploit is in direct line
with Cecil Rhodes's Napoleonic dream
Greater Britain in Africa.
All England believes that Rhodes's
finger was in this affair throughout, us
ing the South Africa Company as a tool,
} and playing on the grievances of the
Nitlanders or foreigners under Dutch
rule
John Willoughby, marching down from
Mataheland, proves that Africa is COW
cred with a net work Of conspiracy from
the middle to the bottom OF the conti-
nent.
According to the plot, if the Utelanders
should have risen ingJ Johannesburg, it
would provide an excuse for Jameson's
invasion, but the scheme was rushed too
fast and botched. Jameson's life was
! spared because he is President Krueger's
friend, and as Kruegers s doctor once
savedhim but the ruler Ct theBoers insists
that he must be dismissed at once from
the employ of the South Africa Compa-
ny.
1t is most probable that the charter of
the company will be revoked.
No other explanation OF the silence of
Africa for nearly 4S hours is advanced,
except that one of the cables is disabled
and that the other is crowded by govern
menu business. The truth is, that the
English in Africa are not eager to spread
details of the Jameson incident.
The English met more than their match
!, when they tackled the Beers, who are
slow to anger, but fearful when reused.
They are accounted the best fighting
men on earth. They have reason to be
proud of their engagement with Jane
son, in which tney exhibited wonderful
marksmanship They killed 80 of the
in battles there are 10, wounded to one
killed, but the Ducthmen fight from
ambush and are born rifle shooters.
LONDON BREATHES EASIER.
Now that sufficient details ere known
London feels a.sort of relief and the
masses turn. to generating Chamberlain
for deserting Jameson. Had Rosebery
done as much, people would have mobbed
She ministry. However, in a weeks time
the strength of the Tory governne mt has
dribbled out of its heels, and as the Free
mans journal truly hints, it is buying
perennial peace by perennial retreat
Sinue England's humiliation, her dis
pute with the United States is suddenly
subjected to more serious treatment.
see IN the Mirror newspaper today several
references to England's need of bold
front on the Venezuelan question. The
Globe this afternoon says there is a war
party in this Kingdom, but the entire
nation, nay tie entire Empire, would
become q war party were the words of
the American President and Of the Ger
man Emperor attempted to be followed
! by deeds.
Up to this time since the first shock of
Cleveland's message there has been moth
ing but the most pacific, friendly tone
tuward America, but Emperor Williams s
defiance exposes to English minds the
: fact that she has not been PLAYING a very
J brave part in the worlds history of late.
Emperor William g telegram to the Trans
vaal is treated by scare lines in every
daily and weekly paper and without ex-
ception all the papers devote long lead
, ers to the subject. They all declare that
Britain is not to be frightened OF wheedl-
ed out of her suzerainty over the Trans
vaal They all quote the treaty of London
OF 1884 to show that the Transvaal
: pledged to have no relations with foreign
powers except through England. Cham
berlain, who is proving himself the livli-
: est diplomat in history, was quick to back
this popular sentiment in his talk to the
South African mercantile deputation
this afternoon. He revised his remarks,
knowing that they were to be given to
the press. He does not talk war, but re-
turns Germany a lefthander in the clos
ing sentence of his speech, wherein he
says: 'From this position nothing has
occurred to induce the government TO
! recede.''
n He discreetly makes no reference to the
. = fact that Co many is drifting faster and
l faster into partnership with Francs and
Russia, a fact we in the United States
should ponder over, if it is true that we
have secret alliance with Russia. The
T upshot Of the whole situation in Europs
: is that England must build more ships,
: though she cannot man those she has got,
p and II war is prscipitated by this blum
8 der and botoh in the TraDsvaal, she must
p lend money freely to support the coun
y trv's formidable but slowly rusting