The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1897-08-31
FOUR SERIOUS TOPICS
GIVEN THE BRITISHERS FOR
THEIR CONSIDERATIONS

Prospect of Return Of AlsSce. Lorraine.
A Snubt to G~er,nany-The Indian Troubles
Cause = Flood Of Criticisms Against the
Observation-Disclosures Kruger's Def
ance of England.
Copyright by the Associated Press.)
London, August 2s.-In political Lon
don at present there is plenty Of talk
about France, India and President
Kruger, each contributing a sensation
through the week.. while the rise in
| wheat has set loose an oratorical dis
play regarding the agriculture Of Eng
land. All four topics promise album
dant sequences, both material n po-
litical.
The accomplishment of the Franco
Russian alliance which some of the con-
sentative newspapers are inclined to
deny, e~xpostulating that the a
words could be applied to any friend
ly nation, is, however, accepted by the
majority as an undoubted fact. This
is recognized deliriously in France,
sneeringly in Austria, uncomfortably
in Germany, and here in London, they
are slowly awakening to the underlying
meaning of the alliance as it is under
stood on the continent.
France is delighted for three rea-
sons. Reasonably or unreasonably, the
alliance is accepted as foreshadowing
the retrocession Of Alsace-Lorraine,
which France holds, Russia would be
glad to assist in, as a snub to Ger
many. Secondly, the alliance, largely
shifts the control of Europe back to
France.
The popular opinion of London, which
r~ejoices at the alliance as being direct
ed against Germany, is we'll voiced by
the Saturday Review which says:
The emperor Of Germany has received
a rebuff which he will bitterly resent.
There is no doubt the formal alliance
of France and Russia makes it hence
forth impossible for him to be the arbi-
ter Of the disturbances of Europe which
he aspires to become. The dual alli-
ance is at least as powerful as the
triple alliance was formerly. 1t is no
longer a dream"
In rance one curious result of
President Faure's visit to Russia has
been the creation of Prince Louis Ma
poleon as a new pretender. The
French newspapers are all convinced
! that there was a political motive in
his refusal to accept the Legion of
Honor decoration at the hands of
President Faure. although h presi-
dent distinctly stated that his refusal
was based on the fact that he had re-
eived from Napoleon III, while still
in his cradle, the grand Gordon Of that
order.
The Indian troubles have let loose a
flood of criticism which blames every
body connected with the government.
Sir Ellis Ashmead Bartlett, in a viru-
lent letter just published, declares that
a spirit of fanaticism has been aroused
which will be m os difficult to quell,
adding: Every gallant life now lost
in the onslaught Of the northwestern
fanatics is a victim of the eckless viii
LITIGATION n persecution Of Turkey,
which has been the British policy since
1893, and which has ruined the Armen
ians, Frustrated the Greeks, revolution
lied Crete, lowered British prestige and
alineated the Mussulmans in India.
Professor Arminus Vambery, the
we'll known authority on all of oriental
questions, partly comedies with this
view of the situation, though diSclaim-
ing that the sultan has had any par
ticular han in the present troubles
which are pan-islamic.
The Saturday Review, while excul-
pating the sultan, declares that Lord
Roberts, of Kandahar, is believed by
many of the best informed people to
be at the bottom of the affair, which
is classed as a legacy of the Lands
down-Roberts administration, whose
motto was Military Aggression"
In spite of constant denials, it is
little doubted in official circles hat the
ameer of Afghanistan has had a hand
in the present trouble and that his
| attitude %or-orI Croof D~sfoSr Sc ~
friendly. It has been known for
months past that the ameer has been
ordering enormous quantities of arms
and ammunition from agent in Eng
land, n this so attracted notice of
late that his orders were not executed.
In the meanwhile no news is permitted
to lea out of Cabul, the capital of At
ghanistan. Every man is closely scru-
tiniZed and all suspected letters are
opened. Sir Saltar Pyne, the ameer's
English right hand man, has been ex-
pected in England on his annual visit
for weeks past, but no news has been
received regarding his movements and
it is quite possible that he is detained
at Cabul by the ameer.
President kruger's sensational def
ance of Great Britain is accepted cold
ly by the British as amounting to MOTH
ing sand to which the ransfer Of the
British protectorate from the foreign
office to the colonial office is a reply.
Joseph Chamberlain, secretary of state
for the colonies, has absolutely affirm
ed the suzarainty of Great Britain over
the Transvaal, being determined to as
sert it in no uncertain fashion.
The international congress of Catho-
lie student scholars, the fourth of a Sc
ries organized in 1888 by Mgr. Hula, of
Paris, has been in session during the
week at Friburg. Switzerland. Seven
hundred delegates. representing all ma
tons, have been present. Among them
vas a notable band of Anglo-Ameri-
ans and Irish-Americans, including
DR.. Zahn, the Catholic evolutionist of
India; Mgr. O'Connell, president of the
American college at Rome and five
prof essors of the Catholic university at
Wa shington, Baron Won Huertling, of
Michigan. Scores Of papers were read
and they were all conspicuous for their
frankly modern and advanced tone. AT
the same time the delegates were abso-