The times., 1898-11-11
Lord saIisbury,s Gloom.

The lot of the Briton who takes a Keen
interest in public affairs-as nearly
every Briton does-was unhappy enough
until he reached the decision that the
tremendous activity of the English
government in fitting the navy and the
army for the greatest effort of the en-
pire's life, was due to purpose to pro-
claim a protectorate over Egypt. IL
had required weeks of strenuous
thought, which is distasteful TO most
Enelishmen, to reach that conclusion
The newspapers, to which the people
trust for the solution of political prob
lens, had given the puzzle up as in
explicable. But no sooner is il settled
in the popular mind that firmer grip
on Egypt is in contemplation, than
Lord Salisbury calmly denies 1t. HIS
speech at the Lord Mayors banquet
had been awaited with an anxiety de-
scribed by our London namesake as
'feverish.' 1t was thought to be i'm
possible that he should longer project
words of the most official character
without revealing the true source of all
his unparalleled war preparations. Yet
the only result of his speech is to deep
en- the solemnity of the hour, deny the
one acceptable theory and Increase the
general fears by the tone of his address.
II ever England required a sense of
humor the need could not be greater
than now. One snicker from an Aris-
tophanes would break the strain of
gloomy anxiety and dire forebodings
end in a gigantic roar of laughter that
would drive the enigmatical premier
into the country for a breath of free
air. The whole trouble is that John
Bull takes his Dogberry more seriously
than even the German, and therefore
| he does not question the sanity of these
great war preparations. He is as IA
| miliar with the foreign relations of
| Great Britain as Salisbury can be; he
knows every influence and from what
quarter any trouble could spring; he
has canvassed the situation and can
| magine no possible menace to the peace
and integrity of the empire that could
| warrant the distress of mind of the
government or the steps toward naval
and military efficiency from India to
Halifax that are costing the treasury
so much. But instead of allowing his
| logic to guide him to its inevitable end.
instead of realizing that Salisbury is
the victim of nightmare, he distrusts
| his own reasoning his own knowledge,
and accepts the vague and impossible
fears of the premier as true and well
| founded.
| Such situation could never exist
here A Secretary or a President who
should tell us we were menaced by
| the most formidable danger of our life
and that it called for immediate steps
to put navy and army. including the
militia, in shape for stupendous con-
fiict-but that diplomacy required con-
cealment of everything relating to the
business-the newspaper caricaturists
would set the country into broad grin
in week and the mysterious official
would pray for sudden death. Lord
Salisbury is worn out by overwork,
anxiety. and chagrin. The last was
the result of his failure in dealing with
great strain in the Fashoda matter,
which was never serious ana, as We
can all see now, never warranted the
fire alarm expressions of the ministry.
There was never moment when the
| withdrawal of France was in doubt.
The British public was deluded as to
the whole affair and still is in its jubila-
ton over the happy ending. The effect
of overwork and senseless worry has
been to clog up the bile-ducts of the
honorable premier. and his thoughts are
colored dismal greenish-yellow. He
needs a doctor who doesn't fear purga-
ton A dose of blue mass at bed time,
taken by. Lord Salisbury, would make
the British Empire comfortable and
free from doleful forebodings.
1t was entirely natural that at this
moment Salisbury should look on the
American acquisition of the precious
isles of the Pacific as new provoca-
ton to universal war. He was bound
to suggest that, whatever his own con-
victions might be. America is the only
friend England has and it is the part
of a friend to serve. It was necessary