The record-union., 1899-04-30
Quite as MischIeVeus and Unjastlfiahle as
CoghIan's Banquet Remarks.
The Announcement That Great
Britain and Russia Have Signed
Self-Denying Agreement Re-
garding China the All Absorb
ing News Topic of the Day at
London.


on this side of the Atlantic, and has
furnished the press of England and the
continent with a fruitful topic of dis
cussion throughout the week. The Eng
lish papers have taken a lenient view
of Captain Coghlan's indiscretion, and
except in the case of one or two notori-
ously anti-American journals, have been
disposed to find excuses for him.
The Spectator" in an article which
is typical of English commend, says:
Though we must join in the censure
of Captain Coghlan for his indiscre-
ton, we must not forget that what he
said was substantially in accordance
with the facts. Germans behaved at
! Manila in a most irritating and I'M
friendly way to the United States It
was absurd for them to expect to play
the part they played without raising a
feeling Of the most intense bitterness
in such a high-spirited body of men
as the officers and sailors of the Amer
lean navy. An explosion of this feel
Ing was bound to come sooner or LATER
The Saturday Review" in an article
characteristic of it's treatment of any
thing concerning Americans said:
Had an English Captain made Cap
ScAAA OCSlietiI , speech, IL Sucn d InlIlS
is conceivable, or had a German officer
made it about England, there would
have been war; but the Americans are
treated by the world like spoiled chill
dren. We, however, do not envy the
position of Captain Coghlan, from
which he can only escape by accepting
an imputation upon his sobriety."
The Speaker takes a more common
x-srr
the brutal and insulting suggestion of
the German papers that Captain Cogh-
Ian was intoxicated
lettering to a speech made by the
Secretary of State for the Colonies.
Joseph Chamberlain, early in the week
explaining that the massing of large
British force in South Africa was due
to the fact that the Beers had erected
forts at Pretoria and johannesburg is
regarded as a menace to Great Britain,
the Speaker declares that the speech
was quite as mischievous and unjusti-
fable as Captain Coghlan's, and that
1T has given greater offense to the Beers
than Captain Coghlan's gave to the
Germans; and Mr.. Chamberlain's in
discretion was just as useless as Cogh-
Ian's.
marks of Mr.. Chamberlain, another in
dication that the causes of friction be-
tween Great Britain and the Transvaa1
continue increasing is given in the an
nouncement by Mr. Chamberlain yes
terday evening that Great Britain had
informed President Kruger that the dy-
Mantle concession by the Transvaal
was breach of the London convention.
The Daily Mail" commenting upon
this statement says: ''Kruger's sands
are fast running out, and the hour is
approaching when England must take
action"
The announcement that England and
Russia have signed a self-denying
agreement regarding China, which is
intended to put an end to the conten-
ton over railway and other concessions
In that country, is the most important
news of the day. 1t is officially confirm
ed here this afternoon, and the papers
are running it with big headlines. The
news comes on top of George J. Gosch-
ems speech on Wednesday last, in the
course OF which, after taking an opti-
mistic view of the political future, and
with reference to agreements arrived at
with France and Germany, he said ::
A friendly understanding with Russia
is also on the eve of conclusion
The present agreement puts an end
to the Anglo Russian struggle in China.
and is tantamount to a settlement of
the question of the sphere of influence
OF the two countries. Under the agree
ment Great Britain has undertaken not
to press railway or other concessions in
North China, while Russia agrees 10
the British demand that no part of the
basin of the Yang Use Kiang shall be
allotted Russia also recognizes ex-
plicitly that British commercial inter-
ests are supreme in the Yang Use Kiang
Basin, which is understood to extend a
considerable distance north and south
OF the river, though no attempt has
been made to define the region.
Letters from the famine provinces of
Russia tell narrowing story of dis
tress. In the province of Kazan. the
center of the famine district. the Red
Cross Society alone is feeding 132OOo
people. The relief delegate in the prov
fnee of Ufa reports that peasants ran
after him and begged for food on their
knees in the snow
The St Petersburg "Skyya viedo-
most, in a vivid description of the
misery and disease prevalent in Kazan.
says: Crime, mortality and the num-
Der of stubborn infants have increased.
and now scurvy and typhus are devour
ing the population like conhagration
tanned by the wind; but this is a case
not OF houses and barns, but of human
lives being destroyed"