The evening times., 1899-02-18
GENERAL WA SHINGTON
NEWS AND GOSSIP.

Is the Peace of Europe Threaten
ed:-The members of the Diplomatic Corps
in Washington are taking the keenest IN
terest in the situation in France. Many
of them believed that the sudden death OF
President Faure would precipitate crisis
that might involve all Europe in bloody
war. However, 1t was the almost univer-
sal opinion in diplomatic and official circles
today that the election of M. Loubet as
President Faures successor relieved the
situation greatly and would probably avert
any immediate outbreak. M. Loubet is
said to be one of the strongest and ablest
men in France. In the Dreyfus scandal,
which has shaken France to its very found
alton and threatened the overturning OF
the republic, M. Loubet's sympathies have
been with the unfortunate Dreyfus. He
has been quite pronounced, it is under
stood, in favor of a revision or retrial OF
the celebrated case. That he had the cour-
age to take this stand in the face of the
violent and almost all-powerful opposition
of the -Dreyfusites, speaks volumes for
the new President of France. Whether he
will be able as President to maintain his
stand in this matter and obtain tardy JUS
tice for the prosecuted Dreyfus is a ques-
tion that the diplomatists upon this side
of the water are not at this moment pre-
pared to answer. Time alone will tell.
-0ne can never predict with any degree
of certainty" said a prominent diplomat
today, in discussing the situation IN
France, what effect the sudden imposing
of grave responsibilities viii have upon
man. Men who have been regarded as
strong turn out to be weak when put to
the real test while others who have been
classed as weak and vacillating develop
under such circumstances and conditions
into veritable Gibraltars of strength and
force. 1t often happens in battle that the
coward becomes a hero while the so-called
brave man plays the part of poItroon.
1t can be said truly that no man really
knows himself until circumstances or fate
put him TO the crucial test. Take the case
of your own President, Mr.. McKin ey.
Senor De Lone sized him up as weak
man. without convictions, and utterly in
capable of taking an aggressive, positive
stand and sticking to it. This opinion was
probably shared by great many of your
countrymen, and yet how absolutely mis-
taken was this estimate OF President sic-
Kinley, Poor Spain found it out to her
cost 1t will indeed be fortunate for
France if ". Loubet proves TO be as able
and skillfuI in managing the affairs OF
state in his country as Mr. Mckinley has
been in this The next few weeks or days
may prove to be momentous for Frame
and perhaps for Europe"
Ethan Allen Hitchcock. former Ambassa-
dor TO ST. Petersburg and successor Of
Cornelius n Bliss as Secretary of the In
terror, has reached New York on his jour
ney from the Russian capital, and is eX-
pected 10 arrive in Washington today. He
VIII be indicted into his new position. il
is understood, on Monday. The ceremony
is not likely TO be very imposing. After
taking the oath of Office MIR. Hitchcock
viii be presented to the heads of the rari-
Gus bureaus and chiefs OF divisions under
him by his predecessor, Mr.. Bliss. This
may take an hour or a little longer Con-
gratulationS galore will, of course, he
showered upon the new Secretary, and he
may indulge in a few trite remarks, The
purport of which will be that the Govern
ment expects every man TO DO his duty,
etc In a remarkably short space of time
the regular routine of the department Will
be resumed and Mr. Hitchcock viii be
signing his name TO documents and papers
that he never saw before or heard Of and
will not pretend 10 read or would not un-
derstand if he did. The great Government
machine griuds on regardless OF the in
coming or outgoing of Secretaries or even
Presidents