The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-06-06


Britain and the Trnnsvaal. Mr.. q. Bernard
Shaw. who contributes the Socialist retrospect,
makes some incipive comments. He points out
that President Kruger has held his own against
both England and Germany Us casily US England
and Germany hold their own against Portugal.
Tho opinion Is expressed that President Krngor's
plan has been the very simplicity Of dupllcity.
when he was bancuetted In Berlin by Kaiser
Wilhelm I. tho victor In tho Franco-Prussian
war. he claimed for his little State tho kinship
and protection OF the German empire. All tho
same. tho Queen o. England remained his suze-
rain, without whose consent he cannot enter
into any foreign. treaty. Now, In order to keep
tho Tronsvaal republic to itself. IL 10 only
necessary to keep Off tho Germans and the
English. And as the Germans and the Eng
fish. like all the great powers, are MORALLY
afraid OF one another. nothing Is easier than to
use each to keep the other out. To England,
President KRUGER has virtually said: Read this
sympathetic telegram from our blood relation,
the Kaiser. and Judge whether he will stand
tamely by and allow you to swallow us up To
Germany lie has said: How willingly would we
not welcome your Intervention were IL not for
our unfortunate complication with England,
which prevents us from making any foreign
treaty, except Mt the cost Of war with her
for both Of u.s. Germany and England, there
fore. glare at one another. and cry on the
one hand. A German fears only God and his
conscience and on the other. Who's afraid Z
President kruger sits down safely between
them. knowing that neither dares fight the
other Mr.. Bernard Shaw adds that tho
moral irony Of the situation Is completed by the
fact that this dread OF war, which is Its one
creditablo and humane factor, has TO be care
fully disguised from the German and English
peoples, the latter especially openly congratu-
lating the Germans on the fact that Mr.. Cham
berlain disavowed the Jameson raid before
tho news of the German Emporor's tole-
gram reached him. Us otherwise honor must
have obliged the Government to obliterate
kaiserdonl from European politics for its pre-
sumption" The writer's final remark upon this
topic is: "Thosc that fatter themselves that
what mainly secured President Krnger's tri-
umph was tho general conviction that he had
right on his side may be referred 10 the case Of
the Sultan OF Turkey. No one can pretend that
the public conscience Of Christendom was on tho
Sultan's side" Nevertheless, 1.-THE Sultan re-
ceived the threats Of the powers with his thumb
to his nose. knowing that they dare not move
for fear, not Of him, but Of one another"
One OF the most noteworthy passages In the
Liberal retrospect sets forth the striking change
effected in the Irish situation by the proof that
Ireland has long been overtaxed. We quote o
b'fN ~ '&A.t $50 Nooh SAssAh hoo W q upOh
this subject: II the Irish question troubles tho
Liberal party. it is far more disturbing to the
Cn;onists. The old Unionism has suddenly been
torn aRUnder. 1t exists to-day in two well-de-
fined camps-the Irish Unionists and the Eng.
glish Cnionists. Tho demand for q sepa.
rate fiscal system which has grown out
Of the Childers Commission has re-
realed the fact that. whom the agrar!an
question Is out OF the way. landlord and
FcniaI, Orangcman and Catholic, National
list and Royalist. can stand together, as they
have stood together before. 1t would not be an
unlikely development to SEQ a new nationalism.
led by n Tory landlord of genius or initiative.
From such n combination democrats like Mr..
Davitt might stand aside. but 1t would have q
decisive bearing on our domestic politics. And.
again. the grouping together of Nil parties
against England on a question OF taxation may
be the first step 10 home rule. Already the
81. Jdmes's Gazette has qualified tho fierce
opposition OF the Times to the proposal to hand
back to Ireland q portion of her taxes, with
n suggestion to .earmark the whiskey duties.
II this plan is followed the only possible and
rational plan would be to initiate Mr.. Goschen.
by giving Ireland County Councils and present.
ing them with a portion OF the whiskoy tax as
a dot. VIII Sir Michael Hicks-Deach consent to
this Almost certainly not. But for Unionism,
tho alternatives are serious-almost vital tho
alienation Of Unionist Ireland, or the equalizing
will II choose I"