The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-10-10

gotations by serious events on the spot, for
1t is known that the British colonial au-
thorities are taking active steps to prevent
the French force from encroaching on
British territory. Further trouble may be
added to the situation by the fact that the
French officials are said to have pressed
natives of Lagos and their canoes into the
service of the expedition. AS Lagos is a
British colony, this action upon the part of
the French is not likely to pass without
strong protests at least. Thus far the
Marquis of Salisbury or Mr.. Chamberlain,
the secretary of state for the colonies, who
is generally credited with being the power
behind the throne at the present moment,
has not shown a sign of yielding an iota of
the British claims in the Hinterland, and
the authorities at Lagos have been prepar-
ing for some time past to circumvent the
French plans. They have already sent num-
erous reinforcements of troops and gunboats
to the front, and on Friday they ordered
Capt. Frederick Lugart, thoroughly ex-
perienced officer of the Royal Niger Com
pany who has served in the Afghan war,
the Soudan campaign and the Burmese eX-
petition III addition to seeing much service
in Africa, to go to the front All the steam
from Liverpool to the west coast of At
RIGA are taking officers, troops and large
quantities of munitions of war.
In addition to this attempt at colonial
expansion on the part of the French in
West Africa, France is apparently prepar-
ing to swallow the kingdom of Siam. The
Temps organ Of the French Foreign Office
Sam in such manner as to lead to
the belief that the French government in
unless Great Britain intervenes.
An American diplomat, who has just ar
rived here from Madrid, says the condition
of Spain is even worse than the CORE
spondents depict. Whoever is sent to Cuba,
he adds, will attempt to buy off the insur-
gent leaders. The diplomat further says
that the Spanish government is so hard
pressed for money that it is attempting to
To-, a. hull hot
can possibly be spared. Not only have the
soldiers been unapid since last March, but
the pension lists are in arrears.
All social intercourse between the Amer
lean minister at Madrid and the Spanish
officials and the diplomatic corps had been
suspended for more than year. This was
partly due to the fact that Hannis Taylor,
the former United States minister to Spain,
was persona non grata to most of the mem
bers of the diplomatic corps. For eighteen
months Mr. Taylor had not been on speak
ing terms with the French and Austrian
ambassadors and with the papal nuncio
The rupture with the French ambassador
was because Mr.. Taylor protested against
being omitted from the list of guests at a
reception given by the ambassador.
There is no indication of an Improvement
in the engineering strike, and the embit-
tered, determined struggle between the
employers and the engineers, of whom TO-
900 are now idle, continues with almost GER
throughout the ship-building establish
ments of the country, involving another
20, 900 men. No one in authority has the
smallest hope of settlement being ar
rived at this side of Christmas, since the
employers federation has declined the me-
diation of the Board of Trade and has re-
fused to confer with the men. The strike
has already entailed the loss of $3,75O,0OO
and is calculated to reach $lOVO0OW Dy
Christmas.
The railroad employees threaten to add to
the chaos. They are to hold great confer
ence at Birmingham in few days and will
formulate demands which the companies
say it is Impossible for them to grant, and
in the event of the latter's refusal a gen.
eral strike of 10000 railroad workers, which
will probably mean the idling of 1,50O,OUO
others, will follow.
The Liberal newspapers, headed by the
Daily Chronicle and the Westminster Ga
have opened subscription lists, urging a
levy upon all unions in support of the Strik-
ing engineers and to befriend trade union
ism, whose very existence they say, is at
stake. In the meanwhile, the entire naval
programme is disjointed. Work on dozen
several others which ought to have been
launched during the past week are still on
indefinite period. The engineers have sent
a manifesto to the public, appealing for
funds and saying they are going to fight
to the finish.
passengers who sailed for the United States
on the American line steamer Paris to-day
The creator of THE King of Zenda' goes
on no new mission, but to follow in the
footsteps of the many English writer's who
have acquired American dollars by platform
readings.
w. S. Gilbert, after so many years of
distinguished success as a comic opera Ii
brettist in collaboration with Sir Arthur
Sullivan, returned to serious play writing
only to score a failure. His new comedy
THE Fortune Hunter" which was tried
on the Birmingham public, has fallen fiat
The critics are unanimous in their verdict
that the play lacks the elements of strength
and popularity, and that no amount of car
pentering tinkering or revising could infuse
life into it. This, after Mr.. Gilbert had an
nounced, seemingly without thought of the
possibility of failure, that he had resolved
to forswear comic opera for more important
work. Now il is being recalled that he
promised his public after the disastrous
'Brantingham Hail. had met an unhappy
fate ten years ago. that he would never re-
peat the offenSe.