The San Francisco call., 1897-08-29

sion OF Alsace-Lorraine, which. France
holds, Russia would be glad to assist in
as snub to Germany. Secondly, the
alliance upsets Germany's desire to bring
about united Continental acton against
Great Britain Thirdly, the alliance
largely shifts the control of Europe back
TO France.
The popular opinion of London, which
rejoices at the alliance as being entirely
fixed against Germany, is well voiced by
the Saturday Review. which says: "The
Emperor OF Germany has received re-
buke which he will bitterly resent. There
is no doubt the formal alliance of France
and Russia makes i: hence forth impossi-
bic for him to be that arblter OF the dss-
TIMES of Europe which he aspires to be-
come. the dual alliance Is at least as
powerful as the triple alliance was for
merly. 1t is no longer dream.''
Ihe Indian troubles have let loose a
food of criticism which blames every
body connected with the Government.
Sir Ellis Ashmead Bartlett, in a virulent
letter just published. declares that spirit
of fanaticism has been aroused which it
will be most difficult to quell. adding !:
slaugnt of the northwestern fanatics is a
victim of the reckless vilitcation and
persecution of Turkey, which has been
the British policy since 1898 and which
has ruined the Armenians. prosIrated the
Greeks revolutionized Crete. lowered
British prestige and alienated the Mussul-
mans in India"
Professor Armin. vanbrick, the we'll
known auth ority on Oriental affairs, par
TALLY comedies with this view Of the situ-
alton, though disclaiming that the Sultan
has had a particular hand in the present
troubles, which are Pan -lslamic.
The Saturday Review, while exculpat-
ing the Sultan, declares that Lord Rob-
erIs of Kandahar is believed by many of
the best informed people to be at the bot
tom OF the affair, which is classed as a
legacy of the Lansdcwne-Rober admin
istration, whose motto was military ag-
gression."
The Spectator, touching upon the same
subject, says: "What We are paying for
and deserve to pay for is our unwilling
ness to grasp the Turkish nettle boldly.
Had it been known in India that we alone
had dared to coerce the Sultan, and that
he trem bled at our words, we should have
had no outbreak on the frontier"
In spite Of constant denials it is little
doubted in official circles that the Ameer
of Afghanistan has had a hand in the
present troubles and that his attitude
toward Great Britain is unfriendly.
thas been known for months past that
the Ameer has been ordering enormous
quantities of supplies and ammunition
from agents in London, and this so at
tracted notice of late that his orders were
not executed
In the meanwhile no news is permitted
to leak out of Ca bul, the capital of Afghan
istan. Every nail is closely scrutlnized
and all suspected letters are opened. Sir
Salter Pyne. the Ameer's right hand M an.
has been expected in England on his an
nual visit for weeks past, but no news has
been received regarding his movements
and it is quite possible tnat he is detained
at Cabul by the Ameer.
President Kruger's sensational defiance
of Great Britain Is ccepted coldly by the
British as meaning nothing, and to which
the transfer of the British protectorates
from the Foreign Office to the Colonial
Office is a reply. Joseph Cham berla in,
Secretary OF Stale for the Colonies, has
absolutely affirmed the suzerainty of
Great Britain over the Transvaal and is
determined to assert it In no uncertain
fashion.
The Saturday Review utters a dissent
ing cry, declaring that the convention of
1884 was expressly framed to define the
complete independence OF the Beers.