New-York tribune., 1896-11-29
THE NEWS OF EUROPE.
THE CHRONICLE OF A FoGGY WEEK N
LONDON.
IRsEN AND SCANDAL THE PRINCIPAL TOPICS
MR. CHAMBERLAIN Is STILL WORRIED os
THE SUGAR PLANTERs-THE TOrTERINo
SPANISH MoNARCHY-ADvICE TO
AMERICANS AS TO RETIk-
ING THE GREENBAcKs
fey CABLE TO THE rKrBuNE.l


fey CABLE TO THE rKBuNE.1
copyrighf; 1896 by The Tribune Associdt'om
London. Nov 2s.--An unusually dun weeA
u,,,h potbing astir in foreign affairs and with
domestic politics stagnant as an Indian marsn
in tho rainless season, has exposed LONDON 10
tho mephitic influences Of a social scandai anu
the Ibsen drama Many columns OF every oa'S
.ournal have been filed with details or Loro
Russell's libel suit against his titled motner-'n'
law Editorial comment there mas peeh "o".'
under the excellent practice OF the ,"e"'"
press but summaries Of the evidence nave oee"
bulletined at the clubs from hodr 10 hou' a'.o
large editions OF morning and evening Joorna.s
have been sold for the dissemination VI '.''s
socal sewage Justice Hawkinss bouts WIN
counsel and his acrd and humorous comments
an the case have served to intensity pubic IN
terest in this nauseating scandal, which VIII 'oS'
another week and possibly fortnight
simultaneously the Ibsenites nave re'e"e"
in a series of matinees OF Little Eyoi ut ''''
,venue Theatre. where Mr.. William Archers
svmpathetic translation Of the Nor"es'a"
dramatist's so-called masterpiece has been pro-
duced with exceptional skill under the manages
ment of Miss Elizabeth Robins The dai'y
.oss has fairly groaned under the weight OK
Ioorped dissertations on the symbolism, meta
nhvsics morals and art methods Of lbsen Wnat
was witnessed al the theatre was an intensely
nees,mistic disagreeable and narrowing play
with several fetd incidents. prolonged STUDY
of mentally diseased character and fantasto
cundav-school ending The symbolism OF the
nlav was as obscure that or the great
pvrarid or the Levtical Tabernacle. and the
questions of morals and philosophy rife were
unintelligible except to fanatics Oh 'he "e"
school of dramatic art. The play was we" ac'eo
and was received by the Ibsenites with trans
ports Of delight
Ms Patrick Campbelrs Rat Wife was
weird and picturesque bit OF melodrama' WISE
pobins as Asia acted with grace and sei1-re-
straint. Mr. Courtenay Thorpe ana M'''
Achurch were acrd and intense as pickering
husband and animal wife. The child part wa<
taken with precocious intelligence EVery'h'"~
vas we'll DONE but it was morbid prooie'"'
MAY unwholesome in influence and appearing
mainly to students in physiology and speciaiiSt"
in nervous diseases.
While these have been the chief topics OF
dark foggy week there have been se'era' s'ue
issues in the form of harmless mares "ee'''
Run1ors have been in the air OF the il"penu."e
publication of confidential correspondence pe'
,roo, Lord Rosebery and Sir William Harcourt'
filed with examinations and recrlnihat'oh''
Letters of this kind could not De di'uiseo WIN
out the consent Of both men, ana DIT "hiia''
Harcourt certainly has shown no dispos'''o"
during the last few months TO increase the oe-
rnoralization of the Liberal party py preah'"s
s,ionca Another roorback has been aimed at
Mr. chamberlain; il has been rumored that
J-nionist macontents would oppose the reap
pointment Of the Committee Of investigation tor
South African Affairs and raise an unpleasant
disc,ssion over his policy. 1t has even been sug-
-es,ad that he would be implicated In some
,r,sterious way in the Jameson RAID Mr'
cban,beriain has shown himself so entirely COM
petent 10 cope with everybody except PRESIDENT
Kri,ger that such stories refute themselves. he
has many enemies who would like to roast MN!
over a hot fire OF debate, but they must nrst
catch their hare.
What is more probable than adverse action on
his South African policy is his exposure 10 re-
proachcs over the general failure OF MS Coion'a'
schemes lie entered the Colonial Oihce as
sincere progressive imperialist, VINO was oens
u,or developIng the neglected estates Of tho
t,mpire and repairing the fortunes OF impov-
ershed industries; and not long afterward he
andeayored to lure the Colonies into an I'M
perial Zollyerein, with free trade within ana
tariff without. Unless he possesses the Copoep
Clubs happy faculty OF extracting sunpeanis
from cucumbers he will be constrained 10 con-
fess that nothing has been accomplished ana
his policies have been barren or practlcal re-
sults He may also be harassed by Colonial agi-
tation over the sugar question; the sugar IN
dustrv Of the East and Yves, Indies has steadily
declined under the pressure Of the bounty-stimu-
lated beet industry of Europe Even the
vacuum created by the destruction OF CUBAN
sugar interests has not helped the rival cane
,l,,o nj
for the imperial Government to protect their In
dustrv against this destructive competitions; the
ptessure already is great, and Mr.. Chamberlain
is believed to favor the appointment or COM
mission for investigating the subject.
Negotiations for securing the abolition OF the
Continental system Of bounties are as hopeless
now as they were when Baron Henry de Worms.
now Lord Pirbright. attempted TO convince the
European Powers that they were cutting one
anothers throats The only effectuai method OK
saving the sugar industry in Guiana, Trinidad.
Barbs does and other islands would be TO admit
their product duty free into British ports and
,o ,esv dutes on European beet sugar; but the
salsburv Government is not likely to propose
so radical change. England must have cheap
sugar for marmalade aud jam. though her sugar
islands may perish.
The Cuban question attracts less attention In
England than in France, and cannot be discussed
intelligently anywhere when information from
the island is utterly untrustworthy. The sue
cessful appeal of the Spanish Government TO the
patriotism of investors at home enables It to
continue war preparations. but there are signs
OF impending financial exhaustion, and French
syndicates have no more money to lend. Bond
holders at home and abroad exert a great infiu-
ence. and they are disposed to favor some scheme
Of American purchase by which they would have
security for the repayment Of their investment.
They do not control the situation, however. No
Ministry could remain in power in Madrid after
confessng its inability to conquer the rebels, nor
could the monarchy itself endure the shock OF so