The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-01-24
"LET SLEEPING DOGS LIE"
LIGHT ON THE TRANSVAAL RAID
NOT SOUGHT SERIOUSLY.

Investigation - England in the
ThrOeS of Blizzard - London
Beautided by SnOw-The Coercion
of Turkcy-RefOrms 10 he Forced
| on the SuItan-Other Matters.
Copyright, 1896, by the Sun Printing and
Publishing Association.
London, Jan. 23.-All London is of the
| opinion that the weather is the most inn
portant Of human interests to-day. Since
noon yesterday there has been several
brisk tiurries of snow, with the result
that there is think blanket averaging
an inch in thickness in the parks and
gardens of the metropolis
So extraordinary is this in London that
the papers describe it as a blizzard, and
everybody is talking about the terrific
snow storm. Sensational telegrams are
received from all parts of Great Britain
describing In vivid language the ravages
| of the snow. The most startling dispatch
| of all comes from point in the far north
| of Scotland, where a rash correspondent
AYERS that the snow lies six inches deep
on the level.
Incredulous Londoners accept such
statements only with grain of salt. It
is more than five years since snow has
]
! titles, and its appearance is regarded in
| the nature of a phenomenon. 1t has, in
| deed, worked a wonderful transformation
| of the blacklist, gloomiest city in all the
world.
London architecture, even in the bright
! est weather. wears the universal hue Of
| ashes and charcoal, and it's most famous
buildings are dressed in perpetual mourn
| ing. Now, in spite of lowering skies, the
| city has put on gala attire, and the SOL
| emn old town is almost gay. Even as l
| write, the clouds have suddenly broken
and a flood of rosy light is bathing the
great dome of st. Paul's in wonderful
| splendor 1t is no longer an imposing
| black silhouette against the sky, but a
great, pink glowing dome, which seems
to shine with an incandescence all Its
own.
Turning to a more sordid and presum-
| ably important event, the opening of par
lament l can find nothing to say of even
moderate interest to American readers. 1t
| is expected that the session will prove of
considerable domestic Importance, but the
| only topic in sight which is likely to at
! tract the attention of outside observers is
| the solemn, but inevitably farcical inves-
| tigation of the Jameson raid and South
African affairs generally. The secretary
for the colonies on Wednesday made a
viptuous show of anxiety to obtain the re-
appointment without delay of parliamen-
tary committee of inquiry. He waited In
| the House of Commons Wednesday until
an hour after which opposed business could
not be taken up and then moved the re-
appointment of the committee. Several
members objected, and the minister with a
great show of surprise and irritation then
| postponed his motion. When IL comes on
again, probably at the end of next week,
| there is likely to be a tremendous row, the
liberals being firmly convinced that the
| government is anXiously waiting for a de-
cent excuse to break their solemn pledges
to make a thorough inquiry.
Mr.. Chamberlain may protest as much
as he likes, but it is undeniable that a
majority of her majesty's ministers do not
want this inquiry proceeded with and they
have managed to let their supporters in
the House of Commons know something
Of their feelings. Otherwise, there would
not be the strong movement against an
inquiry which Is now observable in the
government party. The friends of MIR.
Rhodes, too, have not been active and
they are both numerous and influential.
The result of all this is that everywhere
one hears people asking what is the good
of this inquiry. Mr.. Rhodes made mis-
takes, but surely he can condone them by
bravery in the field during the rebellion
in Rhodesia and sagacious diplomacy with
the Matabele, which, as much as any
thing, brought about peace.
Furthermore, the Rhodes party never
tire of urging that committee of the
Cape Colony legislature has already in
vestigated the matter and probed 1t as far
as desirable to British interest to go.
1t is difficult to see how IL Is possible in
decency to avoid some form or pretence
of investigation, but il anybody expects
that the real facts regarding this national
crime against friendly state is at last
to be brought to light they assuredly will
| be disappointed.
MIR. Rhodes, in an interview printed to-
day virtually acknowledges what he de-
! MED year ago on his word of honor,
| namely, completely in the organization of
the force of raiders The only point he
now denies is that he gave Jameson the
final order to march. IL is hardly neces-
sary to repeat what have several times
said in this connection, that Cecil Rhodes
will never be punished by any British tri-
bunal for his now confessed guilt in con-
| nection with this great conspiracy.
The blue books issued this week detail
] ing the progress Of the negotiations be.
tween the powers IN refernce to the
| Turkish question at last brings official
| confirmation of the news first made public
in cable dispatches to the Sun early in
! December that Europe had finally agreed
| to use force IL necessary to secure the
| introduction of reforms in the Ottoman
empire IL is shown to the credit of Lord
| SALISBURY tnaL ne pefslslently urged upOn
! the continental governments the neces-
sity OF resorting TO coercion until sud-
den change In the attitude Of the car
late In November at length brought sue
| cess to his efforts. l have reason TO be-
lieve that the situation has now advanced
| considerably beyond the point indicated in
| the dispatches which Lord Salisbury mas
| made public.
There have also been side issues nvolv-
| ed IN the understanding which has been
| arrived at between certain Of the powers,
to which, OF course, no reference has been
made. For instnce, u Is believed that the
czar, who held the key TO the whole stua-
| ton, did not grant his assent 10 coercion
| until the part which Russia would be al
lowed to play in such operations had been
| clearly conceded by Great Britain. The
| belief expressed In some quarters that
Russia viii stlll manage to prevent an
| actual interference with the sultan Is not
| shared in the best informed circles II is
! fully believed, on the otherhand, that gem
uine reforms will be actually forced upon
| Turkey, and that. too, as speedily as the
slow moving diplomatic machinery will
/ allow
public interest In the plague and famine
| A.. II dia continues unabatad The raflof