The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1898-10-09
THE YEAR 1898.
Furnishes Another Wonder
full Chapter to History.

1t is for the sake of these far-reach-
ing movements begun in it that we
would claim for 1898 so sounding a title
as "the wonderful year" but in q
smaller sense of the word it has also
been mirabllis-the year of sensations.
January opened with rumors of trouble
from China, and with all the sudden
jealousies aroused by Germanys poGnce
upon a fragment of the prey. Within
the first week of the month Kiao-Chow
was definitely coded; Russia and
France were known to be stirring; and
a fortnight later Sir Michael Hicks
Beach inhamed public feeling in this
country by a discourse in which he
spoke Of British interests that must pc
defended, eff necessary, at the cost OF
war;
! Early in the same month began the
! first act in the French drama Whlcn
has been ever since progressing, anu
has nbt yet reached it's last scene M
lola was prosecuted for his savage at
tack upon the headquarters STAFF, whom
he accused of a conspiracy to fix guilt
upon an innocent man, Dreyfus.
Europe listened intent for some reVela-
| ton which might endanger the peace
between nations, but only saw court
resolute, in defiance of common JUS
! tice, to enforce the irreVocable charac-
1 er of a single decision; and 1t saw the
driving force in French affairs revealed
when whole posse of generals trooped
into court-as we know now, at the
suggestion of Col. Henry-to denounce
Dreyfus, and declare that the honor or
| the army was bound up with the MAIN
tenance of the chose jugee
Meanwhile, it was known to all IN
terested in the matter that France ana
England were playing a dangerous
game Of bluff in West Africa; yet 1t
came with a surprise to the nation
when Mr.. Chamberlain announced IN
the house of commons that French
troops had endeavored to eXpel Brltlsh
from two stations-Wa and <Borea-ln
our Hinterland, and had ordered the
Union Jack to be hauled down. rms
was published in a Saturdays paper,
and the insult to the nag instantly
aroused the fighting spirit: On the Iol-
lowing Monday, February q, came tur-
Their news that the French had crossed
the Niger into the territories of Soko-
to- War seemed inevitable, and even
when NJ Hanotaux disaVowed the pro-
ceedings there was little assurance of
peace The best pacificator was the
Chinese imbroglio, which diverted
mems minds from the West African
business.
Among all these excitements an at
tempt to assassinate the king OF
Greece, which in any other year would
have filled the papers for week, was
merely a secondary item OF intelligence.
March was even more purturbed than
February; the Times correspondent at
Pekin continued to fire bombs in the
shape Of kilograms announcing the de-
-fo nd
British policy. Russia's demand for
Port Arthur and Talienwan was pub
lished on March 70; the West African
affair was no nearer settlement; Amer
lea was arming fast, though ting world
still doubted of her willingness TO apan-
don the old policy till the explosion
which sank the Maine put an end to
ell hesitations And, while all other
nations were preparing for fight, this
country was as usual actively engaged
in war. The sidars army, moving up
the right bank of the Nile, was within
striking distance of the dervish ad-
vance for, and on Good Friday the
battle Of the Athbara was fought. But
the habit of success has bred kind OF
indifference here to one more" victory
over Orientals or Africans, and this
battle, though far more serious
operation than any undertaken this
year, except it's successor at Omdur-
man, did not rouse half the interest
felt over the American war.
The rush for news in the first few
days, the wild plaearding of triumphs
because some tramp Steamer had been
ordered to heave to, showed the tension
Of, public curiosity about a modern
naval war. Admiral Dewey's destruc-
ton of the Spanish fleet at Manila
gratified the desire for picturesque de-
tail and foreshadowed the end. 1t was
type of the unequal contest between
skill and resources against incom-
petence and bankruptcy. May was
crowded with events. Revolution in
Italy, taking the shape of bread riots
at Milan, Como and Turin, threatened
to unsettle the existing order and
showed to the world one more Latin
community lettering In Austria-H Fun
gary, Germans and Slavs were scarcely
held off from each others Threats.
Spain was haunted with fear Of a
Carlist rising; and the general prefer
ence shown by Europe to the Spanish
side, so marked in contrast to the en-
tnusiasn of this country filled the air
with talk of an Anglo-SaXon alliance.
Yet in the height of all this, a great
man died, and for a week England put
aside all other thoughts to show hon
or to the body of Gladstone.
Through June and July Spain and
news was not wanting. One day it
was Gen Skaters rash advance upon
Santiago heroically carried through by
his troops; next was the amazing and
imbecile rush of Admiral Cervera to
his destruction. This had at least the
effect Of checking excitement; the war
was evidently over; but there was no
falling off in the supply Of fresh sur
prises. Mr., Hooley's bankruptcy open
ed a scandal here which should have
made us a trifle more reticent about
the soiled linen of our neighbors. Then
came the horrible story of the wreck
Of La Bourgogne, where men hacked
at drowning women. August began
with more sensational kilograms from
China about Russias interference with
the Newchang concession, and for the
goth time this year government was
urged to show fight.
Death was busy, too, and Bismarck
followed Gladstone. This was after
parliament had ceased to sit; yet there
was hardly time to speculate upon the
blank that such a man would leave,
for events crowded thicker than ever,
On August 24th the car issued his re-
script without the least preparation of
the public mind, and France was ,shak-
en- by the news. On August S0th Col.
| Henry admitted that he had forged
a document cited in condemnation of
Dreyfuss and committed suicide. On
September I'd the khalifa's power was
finealiy crushed in the great battle at
Omdurman And in the middle of all
this the Pail Mall Gazette announced
with considerable detail the existence
of an Anglo German agreement. Since
then have come pell nell on one an
other NJ Cavaignac's resignation,
| fresh outbreak in Crete, the news that
Fashoda is occupied by white men,
and the assassination of the empress
an event which may involve Swltzer-