The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1899-01-01

peace The best pacihcator was the toy
nose imbrOglio which diverted men
minds from the West African business.
Among all these excitements an attempt
10 assassinate the King OF Greece WHO"
in any other year would have hil'd 'le
papers for a week. was merely "a Sec'N'
arv item OF intelligence March was
oron more perturbed than February. tho
Times correspondent ar lekin continued
to ding bombs. in the shape NJ kilograms
announcing the designs OF Russia ana inc
defeats OF British policy Russia dee
maud Tor Port Arthur and ttieh"dH
was published on March 18Th. the w tsi
African AFFAIR was nO nearer settlement
America was arming fast though ihe
world still doubted of her willingness I'D
abandon the old policy tiN the cNl'-
sion which sunk the Maine put an rNi
10 an hesitations. And while al o'n.i
nations were preparing FOR tght, inis
country was ms usual actively rntt-'"
I'm war The Sirdars army. moving "p
the right bank of the Nile was "iiHil
striking distance of tho berNl7h ""
vanced force and on Good Friday tle
battle of the Atnara was fought hNl
the habit Of success has bred Kind oi
Indifference here t0 one more victory over
Oricntals or Africans. and this htl'.r,
though o far more serious operation IMAM
any undertaken this year, except us -ut.
cessor at Omdurman. did not rouse hal
the interest felt over the American ".h
The rush for news In the first few days.
+ho wild placardlng OF triumphs because
some tramp steamer had been ordered t'
heave 10. showed tho tension az public
curiosity about modern naval Nti.
Admiral Dewey destruction OF inc 9p-"-
ish fleet at Manila grauhed the desire ipf
N.. d
end. II was a type Of the unequal coh-
test between skill and resources against
incompetence and bankruptcy May was
orc vyded with events a revolution ODD
Ttalv taking the shape % bread RIOTS ar
Milan. Como. and Turin. threatened I'd
unsettle the existing order, ard snow
10 the world one more Latin community
lettering In Austria-Hungary. Germans
and slavs we're scarcely held on from
each others throats Spain was haunted
with fear OF d Carlist rising, ana iht
general preference shown by Europe I'D
the Spanish side. so marked 30 CONTRAST
10 the enthusiasm OF this country, niled
the air with talk Of an Anglo Saxon AL
lance. Yet I'm the height Of an this a
great man died. and FOR a week England
nun aside all other thoughts % show
honor 10 the body u Gladstone Through
June and July Spain and America held
the stage. and thrilling news was noe
wanting. one day Il was General Shai-
ter's rash advance upon Santiago heroi
eally carried through by his troops. neHi
was the amazing and imhecile rush OF
Admiral Cervera 20 his destruction TINS
had az least the effect OF checking eN
element. the war was evidently over.
but thero was no falling or IN the snp-
NV OF fresh surprises. Mr. Hooief 5
BANKRUPTCY opened scandal mere Wnlch
should have made as tlnG more ie.-
cent about the soiied linen Of our neigh
bors Then came the horrible story or
the wreck o. la Burgogne.' where men
| hacked at drowning women. August be-
gan with more sensational kilograms
from China about Ruesias interference
with the Newchang concession. and ior
the twentieth time this year government
was urged 10 show Eight Death was
| busy. TOO. and Bismarck followed Glad
stone This was after Parliament bad
ceased 10 SIT. vet there was hardly time
10 speculate upon the blank that such 90
man would leave Tor events crowde
thicker than ever. on August 18th tha
car issued his Rescript without the
least preparation OF the public mind. aNl
FNance was shaken by the news. ON
August sOth Colonel Henry admitted thar
| he had forged d document cited in con
| dennatiou OF Dreyfus. and committed
suicide. on september "a the Khahfa g
mower was finally crushed In the great
| battle al Omdurman. And in the midd.e
Of all this the Pail Mall Gazette an
nounced with considerable detail the exc
] istence OF an AnglO-German agreement.
| Since then have come pell-meil on enc
| another " Cayaignac's resignation, a
fresh outbreak in Crete. the news that
Fashoda Is occupied by white men, and
| the assassination Of the Empress IAN
event which may involve Switzerland Do
| considerable trouble
InstinctiveIy one asks, What next?
| Who IL TO cap the climax one looks
naturally to the German Emperor who
may proclaim some new gospel from the
Mount Of Olives; but the Gar has taken
| the wind out OF his sails. Pie might Of
| course give practical effect tO the Re-
script in the one way possible-by deter
| mining on cessiOn OF Alsdce and Lor-
| raine. but the stars would fail sooner.
Revolution in Spain or Italy Is so likely
| that IL Is pretty sure not 20 happen. A
projected alliance between Queen VII
helmina and the German Emperor 8
| eldest son would be a startling announce
| ment. But after ali there t. no limit
20 the license OF conjecture. The Fur0-
pean Concert may DO something In
| Crete and TOR sheer dnexreotedness that
would head the list.
| And the European Concert did DO some
| thing In Crsta II cast out the un sneak