The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-04-16
THE NEXT WAR SCARE.

War correspondents, whose vocation
it is to foresee the next point of inter
national complication promising blood
shed, and to get all those preliminary
data relative to policies, acknowledgements,
motives and the typographical features
of the campaign, are already studying
the situation in the TransvaaI, confi-
dent that field will next occupy their
talents for mixing facts with lurid de
scription and f1orid rhetoric. The in
cident was not closed with the sur
render Of Jameson at Dornkoop. The
uitlanders at johannesburg still enjoy
their grievances. Cecil Rhodes has Ly
no means abandoned his dreams Of a
South African empire Of cOnfederated
states, absorbing the two Dutch re-
publics as we'll as the east coast pos
sessions of the Portuguese. Dom Paul
Kruger, the stuffy president of the
South African republic has been throw
! ing fat into the kindling fire. He has
made a treaty of some kind with the
1 Orange Free state; he demanded a heavy
war indemnity from the Chartered
Company of South Africa to compen-
safe for the Jameson raid; he has sub
ordinated his supreme court to his par
Lament, and he has set all Europe
guessing what "een kwaje vreouw," by
which he described queen Vic, really
means.
A rebellion of the natives has broken
out in the Portuguese possession, and it
is suspected that Kruger famed the
flame. This holding of the Portuguese
lies between his republic and the ocean
and has in Delagoa bay the only good
| harbor on the eastern coast Paul
wants it, and so does England, or the
Chartered company, rather. which is
equivalent to saying that Mr.. Rhodes
wants it. Part Of the Cape squadron
has gone to the bay. Meanwhile The
investigation into the Jameson raid
drags along in London, taking on the
aspect of a farce more and more, and
| developing the social and governmental
backing the Chartered company has at
| home. Mr.. Chamberlain is assuming
a truculent tone and makes fun of
! Krueger's bill of particulars on which
! his indemnity claim is based. But he
! keeps an eye on Germany. Wilhelm's
telegram to Kruger when Jameson
crossed the border, the very hostile
| tone Of the German press, and the
sympathy Of the Germans for their
relatives from the low countries settled
in Central South Africa, add possible
factor to the situation that cannot be
safely ignored.
To all these features or the situation
there must be added the worldwide
indications of the recurrence of one of
those blood-letting epidemics that come
to aid the visitations of plaques, pes
thence and famine to prevent the
planet from getting prematurely full
of people. The fever has been increas-
! ing for some time, and the customary
period Of peace is about expired. It is
/ twenty years since the Russo-Turkish
war; twenty-six since France and
we had our own "unpleasantness" In
! dications that the fever is reaching the
fighting point are thick as blackberries
in August. Every European power is
straining its resources to increase its
navy, and we are absurdIy patterning
after them without one of the incen-
tives they have. Armies are being in
creased, and, most significant of all,
every monarch is justifying the in
| crease of warships and war men as
necessary to keep the peace. We have
not been immune. The blatant talk Of
our Jingoes is symptomatic. A year ago
we We're bristling up for a fight with
| England over Venezuela. Senators de-
clare war against Spain in behalf of
Cuba. The war spirit infects senators
I and eIaasculates the arbitration treaty.
1t infects the house and it invites a