New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-08-20
THE NEWS OF LONDON.
PROSPERITY IN IRELAND AND PROS
PECTS OF NATIONALIST HARMONY.
MR WILLIAM o'BRIENS UNITED IRE
LAND" sCHEME-Two PAPERS OPPOSE
MR. CHAMBERLAIN'S TRANS

TAAL POLICY



rondon Aug 19-The dog days in England
are flied with futile conjecture over the chances
~ war with the Transvaal and the result of the
Drevfus trial The press. with the aid of these
TWO chief topics. is unusually serious, and the
erlv season will probably he deferred to another
wear The only new fact in South African af-
foirs Is the stoppage Of arms and ammunition by
the Portuguese officials. This act is denounced
Of Pretoria as a breach Of treaty rights and in
,ernational law but the Beers themselves will
violate the convention with England If they at
tempt on their own account anything like
enirited protest; for the direction of diplomatic
sTairs under Mr.. Gladstores compact rests en-
tirely with the suzeran power Portugal is evil
IDENTIFY acting under pressure from London. with
n view 10 convincing the Beers that their mill
1ary operations will be hampered by lack Of an
available base where supplies he obtained
il is another turn Of the screw. but increasing
nressure does not deaden President Kruger's
mower Of resistance and inertia he has not yet
accented either Sir Alfred Miners minimum or
Mr. Chamberlains scheme for an expert inquiry
hut is beating time and holding back the new
franchise proposals. Probably he will make
terms with Mr.. Chamberlain in the end without
bringing on a hopeless conflict of arms.
The English press with two exceptions is
Manchester Guardian" is filled with trenchant
criticism of the Government policy. and Mr.
Massingham's fine Roman hand is seen in The
Daily Chronicles" leaders. in which the point is
made that there is a continuous record of cumu-
Iative demands on the British side. without a
single acknowledgment of the series of conces-
Elcns made by President Kruger.
The Dreyfus case is followed with intense in
terest in England, and every stage Of the legal
procedure at Rennes is sharply criticised and
grossly misunderstood. French and English
courts differ so widely in their ideas Of evidence
and methods OF ascertaining facts and discrimi-
mating between what is relevant and what is
1mmaterial that writer's in each country are al
ways tempted 10 describe legal processes in
the other countries as Illogical The continuous
speechmaking in the witness box at Rennes as
tonishes English critics who are unable to un-
derstand how the procedure can be regular when
not tithe of the evidence would be admissible
in the courts here. Yet the military court is
acting in full accord with the precedents and
habits OF mind Of French civil courts. English
sympathy is solidly with Captain Dreyfus, and
the gloomest forecasts made of the result of
the trial, which has already discredited the gen.
erals, as well as the Headquarters Staff The
commonest idea expressed here. even by reflect
ing men, is that Captain Dreyfus cannot be ac-
quilted without a revolutionary catastrophe
when the passions Of the French people will
have full vent These prophets of evil forget
how often their forecasts Of a revolution in Paris
have gone begging in the last thirty years; they
also fail to make full allowance for the fact
that there is strong man in the French War
Office.
English manufacturers are continuing to
avail themselves Of their legal privilege to sell
out their property themselves, and TO sub
stitute a gigantic limited company for many
competing rivals. This week there has been
talk OF an enormous wall paper syndicate, which
will control the bulk of trade. II will follow the
lines adopted by the Birmingham combination
in the bedstead manufacturing industry Like
many similar schemes of industrial absorption
in England, these new protects attract little
attention except from investors. The Econo-
mist" to-day remarks that it is absurd to keep
going hundred inefficient competing agencies
10 do badly what one efficient consolidated
sgency can do well, and adds that. while the
dismissal Of useless employees is unfortunate
result of this process IL must be accepted
part Of the inevitable development Of capitalism
Il it works large economies in production. This
IS a philosophical method Of discussing trusts
and aggregatons Of capital as modern and in
evtabe phenomena. whether they occur in Eu-
rope or America. Certainly consolidated COM
panies and syndicates are multiplying in Eng
land in consequence Of cutthroat competition
and while the chief motive is economy in pro-
duction and distribution Of manufactures the
natural result is the displacement Of large
bodies OF middlemen, agents. brokers clerks
and employees English trusts passed over
in silence because there is no political agita-
ton against them, and because purely economic
studies are dry and uninteresting. except TO
few specialists. When highly colored dispatches
about similar consultations Of capital are
printed from America the Protectionist tariff
casts long shadow, in which Free Traders like
TO disport themselves. The Economist con-
tends that while trusts have not been created
by high tariff. they have been aided and
stimulated by II. The logical answer would be
that protection has created industries In Amer
lea Just as Free Trade has done in England
and that with increased pressure OF competition
in production and distribution concentrations OF
capital and business and retrenchment in oper-
ating expenses are natural results IN one coun-
try as in the other.
Owing 10 the dearth Of other American topics
the English weeklies are still chewing the cuo
over the naturalization Of Mr. William WaldorI
Astor Sir Wemyss Reids Speaker has long
essay to-day on the marriages OF American
heresses and the fascinations Of TUDOR man
sons for susceptible millionaires. This sport Is
so congenial to critics Of American society that
# is almost unknd to remark that for every
naturalized recruit gained by the queen from
the United States there are thousands OF Eng
lishmen who have settled in America, nave peeh
admitted 10 citizenship. and are Thoroughly con-
tented with their lot
Sir William Butler. who has been recaileo
from the chief military command at the Cape