The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-02-26
Americas Refusal to Arbitrate
the Boundary Dispute.
AN UMPIRE is NECESSARY
The Proposed New City OF Westminster
Will Rival London in Wealth and
influence - The Khalifa Is
Determined to Fight.
Copyright 1899 by Associated Press.

the Anglo American commission at
Washington has caused a deep regret
here and the optimistic tone of the Brit
ish foreign office explanation is not re-
fected by the general public, although
the newspapers, a rule. profess to
hope that the fresh attempt to reach an
agreement in the autumn will prove
more successful.
The Speaker remarks: The fact that
business arrangements in particular
points affecting large interests in both
countries cannot be satisfactorily
reached unappreciably affects the
friendship of the nations as whole
The nations are still aggregates and
not persons.
The Spectator says: Arbitration
seems to be q difficult mode of settling
international disputes. The professional
diplomats have right to chuckle lit
tie
The st. James Gazette, during the
| course of long article on Americas
| refusal to accept an umpire headed
THE Inconsistency of the United
| States,' contends that America now re-
fuses what she agreed to in the case
Of the Venezuelan arbitration, when
King Oscar was empowered to appoint
| an umpire, and says: The English
commissioners in the present case,
therefore. have not made proposal un-
| familiar to the United States yet they
| meet with refusal. Under these cir
| cumstances we are compelled to ask
! what the United States really want.
| They know an umpire is necessary; let
| them choose a man from the acceptable
candidates after discussion with our
selves. Unless they make some such
proposal offer satisfactory settle
| ment on the boundary line, we shall
| be compelled to suspect either insincer-
| ity of their friendship and gratitude
at Great Britains recent diplomatic as
| sistance, or their Willingness to abide,
in doubtful case, by the principle of
arbitration, whereof they are the fore
i most champion and greatest benefci-
aries In the past.
| The events at Manila have been fol-
4 lowed here with interest and there has
been general condemnation of the Fill
/ pinos' attempt to burn the town.
/ A private cable received in London
1 computes the loss to foreign merchants
by the bombardment of Iloilo at $1,000,
00O Only one European warehouse, it
| appears, escaped.
The London municipalities bill intro
duced in the house of commons on Feb.
| 90 by Arthur j. Balfour has been we'll
feature of the bill is the revival of the
ancient city of Westminster, which will
| comprise the whole of the enormously
valuable and busy area from Temple
Bar to Kingsbridge and from Oxford
street to the River Thames, in which
are included nearly all the theaters,
clubs, government offices, parks, royal
| palaces embassies. ETC., and the aris-
tocratic districts of Belgravia and May
fair. 1t will be five times the size of
the city of London proper, with five
times it's population, and it will be a
serious rival of the ancient city of Lon
don, whose rateable value is "A 4,45O 900,
while that of the city of Westminster is
GA, 4,750,000. The imperial and social i'm
portance of the new city will be tremen-
| dous.
Lord James of Hereford (the famous
| queens counsel, Henry James) chancel-
lor of the Duchy of Lancaster, has in
troduced a bill in opposition to the gov
| ernment bill in the house of lords as
the outcome of the recommendations
of the committee which recently inVes-
tigated the usury systems. The bill
provides that every money lender must
be registered and must do business
solely in his own name. In cases where
the interest exceeds 10 per cent, or
when the incidental charges are eX-
) cessive, the courts may reopen the
transaction and give Judgment in ac-
cordance with the risks and circum-
stances of the case. The lenders "a
| we'll as the borrowers are held account
able for false statements, promises ant
deceptive words employed when the
contract is made The bill does MOI
) regard bankers and paWnbrokers as be
ing money lenders. The measure ha:
been warmly welcomed by the news.
papers,
The news that the khalifa Is gather.
. ing a host, verying in number from
$4,000 to 10000 men and is marching or
Khartoum, came with a rude shock tC
the people of Great Britain, who were
under the impression that he was al
most solitary wanderer in the desert
official circles, however, express salts
| faction at tke fact that the khalifa Is
apparently determined to make another
onslaught on the Anglo-Egyptian
forces, as they are confident that he
will easily be defeated.
Major General Sir Archibald Hunter
the governor of Omdurman, Is quoted
as saying in an interview: Il regard the
khalifa as a nuisance. He is no long
| er dangerous and it will greatly sim
pl:fy matters if he comes out and
fights"
In the meanwhile detachments OF
British troops have been ordered to gel
ready to return to Omdurman from
Lower Egypt, and a strong expedition
will be formed and advanced to meet
, | the khalifa.
A controversy has been raging thi:
week over the destruction of the
Mahds tomb at Omdurman and the dis
posal of his bones. 1t is said that th
officers, after the battle, divided hi:
bones among themselves, one officer
getting a finger nail, while the EN-
ba1med head was given to the late Gen
eral Gordon's nephew. The radica
newspapers Indignantly condemn the
outrage, which is defended on the othe
side on the ground of eXpediency, it be
ing held that the destruction of th'
Mahdis remains was a great blow Il
fanaticiSm. The Irish members heck.
: led the government on the subject
and drew forth a statement to the
effect that the ministers had no in
, formation on the subject. General Cor
don's nephew denies being in posses