The times., 1898-11-21
A TRUCE TO PIN-PRICKS
Mr.. Chamberlain's Words Find
Ready Echo in England.
PHILIPPINES OPEN DOOR
Enthusiasm Over AnEIo-American
onion and the Animus of Half of
It-Lord Saiisbury's Waiting Game
when the Queens Yacht Is
Launcheh-WaIes May Visit Canada

when the Queens Yacht Is
Luuncheh-WaIes May Visit Canada
London, Nov 20,-British patriotism has
found a new password. Yesterday it was
The Nile is Egypt and Egypt is the
Nile" today it is "A truce to pin-pricks."
The former watchword, round which the
nation marshaled almost as one man,
came from the lips of Lord Rosebery, and
in that fact the student of the changing
currents of British political life will lind
ample food for reflection. The second
watchword comes this week from Mr..
Chamberlain. The -'pin-pricker' is France,
and the indictment drawn up against her
is a bit of typical Chamberlainism ex
parte, of course, but just that straight
hitting from the shoulder which English
men seem much in the mood for just now.
Reading Between the Lines.
II would have been a study of absorb
ing interest to read the faces of Lord
Salisbury and Mr.. Balfour as they glanced
through this remarkable speech on We'd
nesday. They would read much between
the lines that the public could not know.
The fact is that Mr.. Chamberlain stands
in a peculiar position just now. II has
long been his cherished reputation that
he almost alone in the cabinet has back
bone that is not gelatinous, that when the
British lion gives an official roar the voice
is his. Unfortunately for this popular
fancy. the lion took to roaring last month
when Mr.. Chamberlain was beyond effect
i've contact with the British adminstra-
iIon-Was. in fact, in distant America and
the Atlantic. Once more back at the
seat of empire. Mr. Chamberlain feels
that he must make up for lost time. He
jumps into the van of the imperial for
wards" and demands that France be
taught her place, that England must de-
clare an immediate protectorate over
Egypt, even though the cost of this step
be European war.
Uses of Diplomatic Forces.
But Lord Salisbury and Mr.. Balfour
have an Old and rooted aversion to fore
ing the pace in diplomacy. and here they
have the strong support of Lord nitch-
ener, who is proving at least as brilliant
q diplomatist and political financier as
he is a soldier Diplomatic farces have
great uses at times. The integrity OF the
Turkish empire is one such farce, the in
tegrity of the Chinese empire is another
the Khedive's sovereignty in Egypt is a
third, and Lord Salisbury is in no hurry
to come out from behind the convenient
screen which the Ehedives sovereignty
provides for Englands work in Egypt
Thus thwarted in the matter of an
Egyptian protectorate. Mr.. Chamberlain
now breaks out in new place. But
though the French press boils over with
aatn- faf
this latest Chamberlainism, there are
strong peace influences at work in the
background. so far as the Anglo-French
difficulties in Africa are concerned. Mon
sier Cambon is taking the place OF Baron
de Courcel as French ambassador here.
He is man of great abilities, possessed
with the conviction that the grayest of all
Anglo-French interests is peace, and, like
Lord Salisbury himself, IS strong enough
10 pursue his diplomatic way needless of
tickle public sentiment and ephemeral
journalistic shriekings. Much is expected
in inner diplomatic circles from his quiet
conferences with Lord Salisbury.
References to America.
Mr. Chamberlain's pointed references to
America were doubtless intended to make
amends for what many still regard as
Lord Salisburys indiscreet assertion that
American expansionism makes for war
rather than peace, but what Zone hears
it asked is the meaning of the doubts
cabled from New York about the cor
rectness of Mr. Chamberlain's belief that
the policy of the open door will be the
basis of American expansion, and what
significance belongs to the exclusion of
all vessels but American from trade at
Porto Rico? II is quite safe to say
HgaH.s
precedent to the Philippines and American
outposts generally would cause the keen
est chagrin here. AT least half of Eng
lands general enthusiasm for Anglo
American cooperation is based on the eX-
pectation that wherever Anglo-American
flags go complete freedom of trade goes
too.
Sir Richard Thorne in a lecture the
other night on phthisis, discussed the
question as to whether notification to the
sanitary authorities should be compulsory
or not The subject having for long
time been a burning question here, there
was a large gathering of the most cmi-
nent men in medicine and surgery in Lon-
don.
Sir Richard expressed himself very de-
cidediy against this form of tuberculous
disease being included among the infec-
tious diseases in the notification act, as
the patients are quite capable OF continu-
ing their employment. He alluded to the
rejection by the Academy of Medicine in
Paris of the system of compulsory noti-
fication.
OF course disease which has caused
some 5000 deaths every year in England
and Wales required some attention, he
said, but the notification should remain
voluntary
He proposed the construction out of the
public funds of a sanitarium for the tem-
porary isolation of persons suffering from
phthisis.
Launch of the Queens Yacht.
Though the recent strikes have checked
the progress of the construction of the
queens new royal yacht, the admiralty
has now determined to launch the vesse
as quickly as possible. With reference tC
the yacht Modern Society says that out o.
e75S61 voted last year. s32,0S3. or les:
than half, was expended upon her.
Overtime Is now in full swing, and sht
IS expected to glide down the ways il
March There is no difficulty in findins
men. and the best artisans are selected
for the work on the 20-knotter.
The contractors look forward TO spend
ing the e205.5oo placed at their disposa
this year by parliament. This sum make:
the total expense incurred up to the enc
of March next. e237, ,523. By the time tht
royal yacht is finished there will be littl,
change left out of eSo0,ooo.
II has been whispered at some of tn,
~ ~.