The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1900-11-12
Social Influence Is
Worst of Its
Evils.
LANDDOWNE STILL
GRlLLED BY PAPERS
Roseberry''s Retirement Regretted
..-Our Regular London
Dispatch.

main the topic of conversation in Lon
don, especially in the clubs and military
circles. Mr. Broderick's appointment to
the War Office is extremely well received
among military men in the social sets.
This may or may not be a good sign. Mr..
Broderick is an experienced official who
knows the details of military administra-
ton and is a man of great energy. He is
also the eldest son of Lord Middleton and
is extremely popular among the people of
the West Side. Radical reformers, how
ever do not hesitate to say that he is an
optimist who cannot be depended upon to
resist social influence.
The truth is that social influence lies at
the root of the worst evils of the military
service. This is what every war CORE
spondent who witnessed the campaign in
South Africa frankly admits and the con-
ditions of society in London justify that
conclusion. One of the DesJ-informed
men about South Africa says:
General Kitchener is the only man who
can reform the British army, for he alone
cares absolutely nothing for the opinions
of titled women and smart people.
Generals Butler, White, Methuen, Cat
acre and almost all the Generals except
Macdonald and Kitchener have social
backing in London. What is needed more
than anything else is thorough-going re-
fern which will open the army on demo-
cratic lines to the masses of the nation.
There will be many technical improve
ments in the service and weak spots in
the system of imperial defense will be
Strengthened, but there is not likely to be
any infusion of fresh blood into the army
Politicians assert that in place of the
clean sweep of rusty functionaries the
Cabinet changes have merely strengthen
ed the grip OF Mr.. Chamberlain upon the
administration. There are many people
who see Mr.. Chamberlain's fine Roman
hand in everything that happens in public
life.
clad in the robes of dazzling failure
is the way one liberal newspaper de-
scribes the Marquis of Lansdowne's entry
into the Foreign Office. This undoubtedly
expresses the opinion of a preponderance
fof the British public, irrespective of party
lines. Even among those organs feebly
unfolding the advisability of Lord Lans-
downe's appointment there is tendency
to allocate him the portion Of a mere
nominal head of the Foreign Office, blind
ly following out every wish of the Pre-
mier. This the Associated Press learns,
is quite opposed to Lord Salisburys own
idea. He does not share the general be-
lief that in the War Office he did badly.
In fact, the Premier is so convinced OF
the reverse that he gave Lord Lansdowne
the option of continuing in his former Of
flee or taking the new billet. Lord Sails
bury was delighted that Lord Lansdowne
was willing to accept the Foreign ONCE
portfolio. He believes he will make a
strong foreign secretary and had long
contemplated Lord Lansdowne as his sue
cessor, should the doctors refuse to allow
him to continue the severe duties he I'M
dertook during the last Parliament. One
of Lord Salisbury's closest friends said to
a representative of the Associated Press:
Lord Lansdowne, by his training and
social career, is more fitted and available
| to meet diplomats and decide large is
sues Should he fail of success it will
only be because he is too much of a gen.
| tleman."
| The under secretaryship in the War Of
! flee and Colonial Office, vacant through
the changes in the Cabinet, must now be
selected, which is no easy matter. Mr.. r.
| w. Hamburg, the financial Secretary of
the Treasury, is believed likely to succeed
Mr.. G. T. Ritchey, as president of the
| Board of Trade, and Mr.. George Wynd-
ham, the Parliamentary Secretary of the
War Office, is frequently mentioned as the
successor of Mr.. Gerald Balfour as Chief
Secretary for Ireland. though the latter's
resignation is by no means certain at
present
| With reference to Irish matters, an
amusing story is going the rounds about
the Duke of Marlborough, whom the pa
pers frequently, without basis, mentioned
as Earl Cadogan's successor in the Lord
Lieutenantship of Ireland. On the
strength of this, it is said large amount
of Irish literature has been imported to
Blenheim, where a recent visitor is alleg-
ed to have found the young Duke almost
buried amid histories of Ireland.
Chief Secretaryship of Ireland for the
Board of Trade. If this occurs it will
give the Cecil family four of the most i'm
portant offices in the Cabinet, which calls
out from the Liberal papers the cry OF
nepotism.
The publication of Lord Rosebery's his
tory of Napoleon has not only brought
forth unanimous and unbounded praise
but has given rise to a general feeling o.
regret that the present undistinguisheC
Cabinet could not avail itself of such
brilliant intellect 1t is a careful mono
graph of Bonaparte's closing days, and
while 1T discloses no new historical facts
1t deals so masterfully and impartial,
with all the available evidence that 4
must stand, so the critics say, as an au
thoritative record in addition to being tn,
most perfect character sketch ever pen
ned 1t teens with powerful epigram
and touches of humor and imagination
"hiie tHe BrltlSn ministers responsible
Tor the righteousness of Napoleon's captiv
ity are treated with merciless satire Oh
all sides 1t is admitted that this lates
work reveals Lord Rosebery at his best
What will he do next? This is the ques
ton which arises on all sides.
How bitter politics are growing in Ire
land can be judged from an open lette
from Mr.. William O'Brien saying he re
enters Parliament with the utmost repug
nance and with no more satisfaction thar
he would re-enter an English jail But
Mr.. O'Brien adds he considers it a ma
ticnal duty. He also says the exclusio,
of Healy and his faction from the Irisl
party is the only means of enabling me,
of honor, to remain in it.
Once more the Introduction of America,
methods will revolutionize British traf
fic. As result of a visit of the superin
tendent of the Southwestern Railroad t
the United States, the directors of tn
road have decided to substitute for tn