The San Francisco call., 1898-08-16
GREAT BRITAIN AND RUSSIA.

H UMORS of impending war between Great D Britain and Russia have been common ln the \ world for so long time that the memory of man runneth to the contrary Just before our war with Spain began these rumors were ot the most startling nature and 1t seemed from them as II hos tities between the rival powers in China would break out and be finished before the Cuban question had passed from the hands of dplomatists.
 While we were fighting heard little of the ru- mors There was no time for them Now that peace is at hand they return again The thread IS taken up just where 1t was dropped about four months ago. We are now assured that war between Great Britain and Russia will break out before the end of autumn with as much fervor and force of argument as we were told last winter that it would break out before spring ended It is the old story told in the old way and having little of new reasons to sustain it.
 Of course there is basis of fact for these reports to rest upon In this in all things else where there is so much smoke, there must be some ire With certain kinds of material however such straw, it does not take much of spark to vast smoke and the fuel from which the war rumors come is very wet straw indeed The Chinese question is one of those vast nsoluble problems which dip omatsts may wrangle for years without reaching the fighting point There are babies playing in the nurseries of London and St Petersburg who will grow up become dplomatists, fat, rich gray headed and then retire, leaving the controversy still unsettled
 The talk of is largely a-matter of British poli ties The opponents of Salisbury will make Great Britain howl with denunciations of his "cowardly policy his trucking to Russia and his Surrender of British interests in the East until they get him of office Then Liberal Ministry will charge of the Government draw the salaries of Cabinet off cers distribute the patronage and continue the old foreign policy. Rosebery IS not more likely to make war than Salisbury The denunciatiOns of Russian aggression in London aimed less at the Russians that at the British citizen whose vote is wanted against the Government
 As matter of fact the British to have gained more in China than Russia Germany and France combined The Russians have the advantage of posi- ton simply because they reaching China by overland route, and the annexation of Chinese terri tory IS part of the natural expansion of their pre. The British wish trade and the Russians wish land The interests of the two not SO opposite as they Each will use the other excuse for invading Chinese soil or controlling Chinese trade but there is imperative reason why they should fight just yet and they not likely to do so unless some cog in the diplomatic machine breaks and pre- cpitates crisis suddenly that the statesmen on one possibly both sides will lose their heads
 It is asserted that Great Britain has decided to take decided step in China, but it is not yet certain whether it will be forward backward or a step aside
 candid expression of opinion from Blanco would be read with interest but the trouble is that Blanco does not know how to be candid
 MT. Henry Foote should have got his brother to take those Cats to Sacramento and turn them loose with the terriers.
 A Colorado prize-fght has ended fatally but only to one contestant There is naturally some feeling of dissatisfaction
 Some army officers doubtless have feeling that the l glory did not get distributed fairly.