Washington sentinel., 1898-03-26

creased, Therefore, If nothing is done
to improve the condition Of the former,
they will before long be driven out Of the
market altogether, as many other articles
OF English manufacture have been.
Large consignments Of English cotton
prints imported during the past three
years are lying unsold, and traders are
now selling them at a heavy loss to clear
off their stock. During the year
I994-5, r3,525L worth OF British and
Indian piece goods passed on to Russian
territory before the introduction Of the
new customs tariff in January, 1895, but
since then nothing Of British or Indian
manufacture has been allowed to pass
through the Russian custom house, and
the only article OF British manufacture
imported to Russian territory through
Meshed was I9ok worth of muslin in
1867. The Russians have not sue
ceeded in manufacturing muslin yet, and
the requirements Of the Central Asian
market are still supplied by the British
article, which is now imported into Cen
trail Asia direct from Bombay via
Batoum, The British and Indian manu-.
facturers have so far had the monopoly
OF the sale OF shirtings and sheetings.
However, a competition has set In now,
as the Russians have also begun to ex-
port these articles BY means OF the
new customs regulations, the Russians
have managed to drive out Anglo.Indian
shirtings and sheetings from Bokhara,
where there was a large demand for
them, but they have not yet been able
to have their own way in Meshed as
Russian articles, though cheaper, are
very inferior in quality, and are -COnse--
quently not appreciated This decline
of trade IS clearly matter for the diplo-
matist to look into, as our manulactu-
rers cannot fight against customs tariffs
unaided, 1t is a fortunate circumstance
for this country that so able a man as
Sir Mortimer Durand represents Great
Britain at the Court of Teheran, and now
that he has resumed his duties, after a
well earned rest, we look forward with
confidence to his taking such action as
will effectually protect and increase
British trade with the Persian kingdom.
THE DUKE OF SAKE CoBURG HoIsrING
His FLAG.
Aymy and Navy Gazette.
The action Of his Royal Hlghness in
hosting his flag as Admiral of the Fleet
during a recent trip from Malta to Alex
andria has excited some unfavorabIe
comment. We are not aware whether
or 70 his ROYAL Highuess obtained
formal permission from the Admiralty
to act as he did on leaving Malta in tile
Surprise The Duke boarded his ship
in uniform, and his flag was hoisted. It
is suggested that an irregularlty was
committed, and that hence the Royal
Standard was substituted for the Jack
when the Surprise reached Corfu. Now,
in all probability, as it seems to us, the
Duke merely wore his uniform and
hoisted his flag as a compliment to his
many friends in the navy, so that it
seems quite unnecessary to split straws
over the matter and pretend that the
action could have affected tine authority
oil the Commander-in-Chief Of the
station. The substitution of the Royal
Standard for the Jack confirms this
impression, and need by no means be
taken as an admission of error on the
part Of his Royal Highness. The posi-
/ tion Of the Duke Of Coburg is certainly
a peculiar one. He is at once foreign
potentate and a British Admiral of the
Fleet on the active list of a navy in which
he has ceased 70 serve, but his affection
for the Royal Navy is unchanged, WE
are convinced and who knows but
what his services might again be placed
at the disposal OF his native country
| Two New WEAPONS FOR THE FRENCH
ARMY.
The French small arms factories have
received orders to be ready at once to
| begin the manufacturing Of rifles OF a
new model. Two new weapons have
been tested by the chief officers of the
Normal Firing School, and have been
| found superior to the modified Lebel
| rifle now in use. Their ballistic qualities
| are said to be marvellous. The publi-
| cation of this item of intelligence Is
| probably due to the announcement that
the German infantry is to be rearmed
with a new rifle Of 8 millimetres calibre
superior to the present weapon of 7.9
millimetres. 1t is not, however, believed
that this change in the French army is
likely to be made in the immediate
| future, as 1t would cost at least Is, ,ooo,-
600. When Germany begins manuiac-
turing SO will France. The present
French rife is considered to be slightly
| eunarinr fn the r,raeant C.srrran