The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-12-31

Copyright, 1859, by the Associated PresSD
London, Dec. 30.-It is strange TO note
that as the new year dawns for Great
Britain, the greatest army she ever put
in the field remains passive in South
Africa, held at bay by two of the small
es. republics on the face OF the eartl,
While at home, in spite of the large
velume Of trade and apparent prosper
ity her financial interests are in a state
Of Instability Ect s5en since the Barring
crash. All Europe IS ye.pins at her
heels. and the ne, &Eity for Americas
friendship is recos niZed on al SIDES.
Papers and people that for years have
been ready with a jib for America
good will no longer make any attempt
to belittle the desirability of securing
her friendship.
America says the Globe, usually
humorous at the expense OF all things
transatlantic with d crop of 542. 900. GOO
bushels is especially in a position to
hep u.s.
The economic shoe already begins to
pirsch the military foot. Not very seri-
ously but enough to suggest grave Co
Citation as to what would happen II
Great Britain would war with great
power. The fact that the government
has chartered SO many transports has
resulted in rise in the price of bread,
while coal is rising by leaps and bounds
to famine prices. 1t is such unpleasant
resu.6 as these that silence the Seoffer
at Things American and induce such a
publication as the Satur-
day Review to say:
Want Our Good Will.
1.-THE Americans have had their eyes
open as to the possibilities OF a foreign
policy and are taking a sounder. be-
sides cooler view of the situation.
They are not less friendly to us than
before, but the iIsircere element has
been eliminated and has left a. reliable
Of good WILL"
Which confederation the Saturday
under different circumstances,
would doubtless have construed into
damnir.g evidence of the inSircerity OF
American friendship.
Ii must not be inferred that this
view is he'd by many of the sincere
English friends Of America, who now
point to what they are pleased to term
its great friendlinesS as proof Of what
they have always maintained. With
such a serious outlook for the coming
year, it is hardly surprising that arti-
cles appear under the heading Are We
Decadert?" and similar strains.
On the other hand there is still
small section OF the press and public
which devotes its energies to senSelesS-
ly abusing the Beers and prophesying
the speedy entry of the British into
Pretoria Yet, on the whole. the organs
voicing the better class of opinion face
1900 and its eventualities in South At
RIGA with an even minded unhysterical
determination that compels admiration.
Day of Reckoning to Come.
That there will be a day of reckoning
for someone is a certainty that even the
most guarded and conservative do net
try to conceal. Whether it be Isord
Lord Wo.seley or General
Bulier, it is impossible to tell. But all
the information obtainable at present
and the eist of criticisms point to Lord
Lansdowne having to shoulder the onuS
for the terrible mismana gemert.
While Great Britain feeds contented-
" upon long special cables showing
American friendship, the Beer agents
N Europe believe sentiment in the
United States has been gradually turn
ng- Boerward until the time is now ripe
% develop it into material effect. In
Ter this mprt s. on the A Scciatsd PreS3
earns they are contemplating Dispatch
ng a special mission to the United
States for the purpose CT influencing
public opinion, possibly by open meet
ngs and by personally assisting the ef-
'crts of those in congress wnem they
believe friendly. Moreover. they con-
slder it advisable to offset what they
seclare' has been a systematic cam
5aign of John Hays Hammond, the
American engineer, who was a member
# the Johannesburg reform commtt-
zee, to influence Washington opinion
Boer Agents to Come.
If the plans now under consideration
ire carried out the mission wiz include
| very prominent Boer agent ard a
,ro- Boer member of the British pariia-
nent who intended to sail this week,
,ut was prevented by what is Thought
o be a temporary hitch in the arrange
nents. Their desire is to affiliate
themselves with no particular party,
,ut influencing political and public
opinion to secure at least an offer of
Mediation from the United States.
A representative of the Associated
Press has made careful inquiries, but
allied to find any circumstances to
the belief that such an offer.
however made. would receive the slight
st consideration