The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-10-23
CALM IN THE FACE OF WAR.
EEGLTSH PEOPLE Accepted THE
MORN ISSTE WITH COMPOSERE

JnRlish people have entered upon tho Boer
war with com plets composure. They face the
business OF blood and powder seriously: but
the thfors Of n nation making up Its mind to q
momcmtOuS stop. or the accumu Hating demand
for a.ttsmsnt OF an lntolerable dispute by
war. ran organized agitation against war
policy initiated by the Governmeht-none OF
these have boon Witnessed since Parliament
rose in August when probably not half a
dozen OF it's six hundred and more members
believed that they were to be summoned in
October to be told that their country was al
ready at war In South Africa. The outwardly
passive acceptance OF the autumns events
must be the envy OF any absolute ruler. To
believers in popular government the phenom-
enon 10 more likely to rouse anxiety.
II ia the first war with white men that
Eng and has had since the Crimean war. over
forty years ago. More British troops have left
this country in the last four months than have
been sent abroad for ono purpose at any time
since the struggle with the great Napoleon.
And yet the peop's have accepted the situation
from their Government. without much real
enthusiasm. but certainly without regret or
opposition. Nobody will say tho English are
fatalists. yet the sense Of nevitablcness Is GER
thinly here. Ii is less than two years since
public bodies were calling meetings to
strengthen the hands OF the Government"
In its Chinese policy OF resisting Russian DOM
ination at Pekin. Nothing came OF that agita-
ton and yet il was the natural process OF
arguing the m erits OF n policy to secure action
BY the Executive. As little came Of the vastly
moro passionate agitation. two years earlier
still. for depriving the Sultan OF Turkey Of his
Armenian provinces and taking in hand the
complet. reform Of his Government. In both
cases this present Unionist government was
assaied by its party adversaries and many OF
It's usual followers for its inaction. And now
on vital question directly affecting the
interest OF the country and its position In the
world. there 10 not only no real opposition TO
the present war but the supporters OF the az
gressive policy have not troubled much to tell
the electors why there Is one.
In a few days. when a soldier Ia killed. there
will be excitement. passion. enthusiasm
enough. and the grimmest and most iascinat-
ing drama in life will break the spell with a
vengeance. Al present there is the rhenom-
enon OF public calm to consider. The martial
srdor Of the m usls halls does not count. IL was
far more real when the London Couaty Council
closed the promenade at the Empire Theatre
10 it's ree-and-easy female patrons.
One thing is beyond all question. The
orderly absence OF anxiety Is to the credit OF
tbs man In control. Had any OF the Ripons. or
Enutspords or Carnarvous. or other faithful
Iarty adherents whom 1t has been the usage OF
English premers to make colonial secretaries
been in charge Of South African policy during
the past months. the demands for information
would have been loud and insistent enough.
But 1t must bring sense OF compensation TO
Mr. Joseph Chamberlain to know that II he 10
not loved for his docility or noted for revering
party principles. yet he inspires peopls to re-
frain from attempting to do his work for him.
What his personal view OF the result OF his
South African policy 10 probably no man
knows. He has not Lord Salisbury's habit OF
thinking aloud as form OF public speaking.
and he never talks in generalities like the late
Mr.. Gladstone. Probably the most rema rkable
thing about his utterances Is that they mean
exactly what they are. For man who Is the
host platform speaker In England. 1t is aston
ishnG to see the close relation between what
he says and what he Intends to do But 1t has
always been SO. and, brief as both his declara-
tions and published official des patches have
been during the last three months. his fellow
eountrymen know him even when they revlle
him. and they know nothing better about him
than that his words mean all that they say and
exactly what they say.
His sscenddncy. however. could never have
dragged England into an unwilling war. There
were already enough repuGnant features In
the cause that she had taken up The nondes-
sript. craven johannesburg Uitander is not a
persona Ordtd in England. His reputation
never stood very high. and when he arrived in
his hundreds in Cape Town six weeks ago
with his books. and his scrip. and his safes,
and his petty cash. on the first serious hint
that there was to he lighting. it was sagely OBJ
served that tits not given to all men to he
heroes or martyrs, The Chartered Company
and all Rhodesian enterprises are, moreover,
much less popular than they once were There
Is. In short no personal affection and very
little respect for the turbulent elements In
South Africa. who are put forward as the ag-
Grieved fellow subjects whose wrongs must be
rghted at once and by war
Why. then. has an expensive. persistent and
corrupt agitation been carried on in a section
OF the English press and among some OF the
more disreputable members OF Parliament
during tho past three or four years? The
Rhodesian baoksrs OF that agitation mean
Selling the Transvaa. sure enough They are
almost delighted to-day, though certain mis-
givngs darksn the eXpectant delight on their
gentle countenances II the Dutch through
cut South Africa keep their weapons handy
and suk for long after the war. tbs British
Government and British army corps will
need to keep much closer touch on the pro-
c.ous land than the Rhodesians at all like
Mr.. Rhodes himself. 1t must be rsmsm bered
IL not puTueneu WIN muCn loyalty when ho
feels ugly. When he tried his frat fall with
Mr., Cham berlain, the moment the latter took
ONCE, on the Swat question. and got the worst
OF II. he picked himself up with dark muttsr-
ings about South African federation which
need never ask Mr.. Chamberlain in Downing
street before 1t was allowed to have it's wav
with natives. and finance mougerng and land
grabbing. The silent Eng!ishmen who have
lot the war come on have taken Il pretty arcu-
rate measure OF tho Cape politicians and are
satisfied that the war had better bs put
through under their own government than
that matters should drift further. with British
interests at the mercy OF any OF the existing
sets OF Cape politicians
European Intervention is not considered as
factor in the situation. Opinion on the CONT
pentis unanimous in dsnouncing the bloody
war dance round tho golden calf" but as for
active interference the steps urged are only
lRughab!e. The German papers think that
Russia should do something in Asia and
France something on the Nile The French
press feels sure that Germany will seize the
fatsiu moment to dsplace England as tho
Fin MT