Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-01-06
ENGLISH OPINION
Is Not in Favor of an Anglo Ameri-
can Alliance.
WHAT LONDONBRS Are TALKING ABOUT
Do Not Use Electricity to the Ex-
tent That We Do.
HOME RULE ON THE SHELF
BAT LONDONFRS Are TALKINGABOUf
HOME RULE ON THE SHELF


nave ildu, curing trip in the provinces
last week, opportunities of talking with
The editors of some of the most prominent
English provincial newspapers on the sub
9ect OF an alliance between Great Britain
and the United States In every instance
the editors said without hesitation There
will be no alliance" They all expressed
pleasure at the improved good feeling be-
tween the countries, but saw no occasion
for anything closer than an understanding
founded on the basis of common interests
None of them fully approved of Mr. Cham
berlain's article in the December Scribner,
as they considered that it emphasized too
much the sentimental aspect of the pres
ent condition and afforded little solid rea-
son for an alliance. Neither British nor
Americans are greatly moved by sentiment
in matters of public concern, and no trea-
ties or alliances can be carried out in this
spirit. The people of the two nations ne
hard-headed and look keenly to the adj
Vantages and benefits to be derived from
any prospective Juncture of ISSUES before
giving their formal consent to it Senti-
ment may do very well to work up the pre-
Iiminary feeling with, but when il comes
to the point only the identity of interests
and aims can dictate alliances When in
IereStS dlVerge the grounds of common ac-
ton are destroyed and amount of SEN
timent can alter this. These were the views
generally expressed by editors responsible
for the conduct of newspapers outside Lon
uoi, ana VINO nave as much influence on
the pclitics of the country as the journal
lists of the capital What they did think,
however, was that in many ways in the
future, especially in the east. England and
the United States would join forces for
their common advancement and that the
present good feeling would be useful in
assisting this object. No trouble is an
uc1pated over the Nicaragua canal. as
Z no iS tNl -.
ment will be arrived at The fayorite the
DRY is that the United States and Great
Britain VIII have equal rights in the canal
and control it together. AS matter of
TACT, though, no one here is paving much
attention to this question. In the provinces
the extension of the trade relations between
the two countries is the most absorbing
topic where America is concerned, and the
coming year is confidently expected to be
full of promise to the two nations, who be-
gin to see more clearly the good points
possessed by each other.
Putting Home Rule Aside
Since Sir Henry Campbell Zimmerman has
been practically selected to succeed Sir
William Harcourt as leader of the liberals
in the house of commons his latest pro-
nouncement on home rule for Ireland will
be interesting. In d speech made two weeks
ago the prospective leader said: What
would be gained for the cause by going on
kicking against a stone wall? Events might
icCSen the stone wall: time and persuasion
might moderate hostile opposition: loyal
and sensible use Of the new local powers,
and constant exhibition of q reasonable
spirit on the part of the politicians in Ire
land might do much toward Conciliation
and then it would be that the wise man
who had waited for his opportunity might
ina when he touched the wall of prejudice
that it would crumble before him" The
conditions here laid down obviously put
- = an lr,,1o afl lint L.
practical issue in politics. and it will be
interesting to see whether the altered cir
crmstances will produce any change in this
attitude.
In Favor of Peace.
Last Sunday was what is called peace
Sunday" large number of clergymen
of all denominations through the country
preached sermons on behalf of peace in
general, and the tsars proposal in particu-
lar. 1t has become the fashion in recent
years to allocate particular Sundays to ser
mons IN aid of particular objects or move
n-ents: We have in England hospital Sun
days" citizen Sundays" "lifeboat Sun
days" children's Sundays" day and Sun
day school Sundays" missionary Sun
days" ''sium Sundays and Sundays on
behalf of other objects. Some minister
made the remark that he had so many of
his Sundays monopolized by particular OBJ
1ects that he could hardly spare one out
of the fifty-two for preaching the Gospel
me cause of peace was advocated in hun
dreds of pulpits and in the afternoon a
conference of friends of peace was held
at st. James Hall, with the archdeacon of
London in the chair
The conference was addressed by Mr. w
L. Stead, who intends to organize a pill
Srimage OF peace. 1t is proposed to send
a representative deputaton from England
and America to the tsar to convey the
assurance of the English-speaking race
tnat ne has its support and approval in
he hoe +,lr,
The deputation is expected to make the
pilgrimage of Europe on its way to the
tsar to stir up the nations and gather pub
TIC opinion to back up the idea. Ten repre-
sentatives are expected from the United
States and ten from England to take part
IN this newest crusade. The peace people,
however, must have been rather disagree
ABLY surprised on opening their Monday
morning papers, when presumably their
satisfaction at settling the peace of the
world so comfortably still warm in
their hearts, to read that DR.. Calling had
been testing successfully new and dread
tui engine of war, and that Russia had
just placed order for ten new torpedo
destroyers. The destroyers are to be fin
1shed on quick time, and it must look to
the ardent supporters of the tsarS peace
proposals that the young man desires to
get a bit ahead on fighting machines before
the peace commission gets down to work.
Where London is Slow.
1t is a matter for comment that the pro-
vincial towns are far ahead of London
in the uses of electricity. No town in the
midlands or the north is without electric
light for the streets, and In many places
the trolley is largely used or some other
form of electrically driven street car. /
remember that when a friend in Washing
ton asked me last summer il the trolley
cars were a great success in London I
looked at him to see if he We're joking
The idea of trolleys in the British capital
is startling to Londoner, but to one who
is accustomed to the service of electric
cars as it is known in Washington the
question was perfectly natural. London
has great deal to learn in the way of
electricity. PiccadiIly and a few other
streets are lighted with it, but elsewhere
gas is still used, and not a trolley in all
London! There are two electric under
ground lines in operation, and two more
building, but for many years to come the
beplastered omnibus, about
the clumsiest mode of conveyance, with it's
high garden seats on top, will continue to
carry the lo1 g-suffering Londoner who can
not afford cabs from place to place about
this great metropolis.
1 forget how many thousand omnibuses
there are in London, but any one who has
waited to cross the Strand or Oxford street
until a friendly bobby has held up the
traffic will have some appreciation of the
number of these monsters. The trouble is
that London is divided into parishes, under
the rule of local vestries, far as street
improvements go. So 1t is possible to see