The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1900-09-25
CHANGES N THE CABINET
PREDICTED THAT CHAMBERLAIN
WILL BECOME HEAD OF THE
WAR DEPARTMENT
GOSSIP OF THE ELECTION
Lord Salisbury Addresses the Coun-
try on the. Coming Choice
of New House of
Commons.

NEW YORK. Sept. PA dispatch to
the Tribune from London says: Lord
Salisbury's manifesto is remarkable for
the elevation of style and argumentative
force It contrasts strongly with Mr..
Chamberlain's Birmingham speech, which
is open to criticism for fault of taste
Mr.. Chamberlain evidently aimed, how
ever, at drawing the fire of the Radicals
and setting them talking about South
! Africa, and in this way hoped to swell
the Unionist majorities.
The air is heavy in the political clubs
with rumors of cabinet changes, Mr..
Goschen's retirement from the adqniralty
is now regarded as foregone eonclus-
ion, since his health is broken and he
is weary of official responsibility and can
not be induced ;, to remain at the post.
Lord Lansdowness tenure of the war Of
| fee will also be short, but he will not
leave the cabinet Lord Salisbury's re-
lations with Lord LansdoWne are most
intimate, and he is not convinced that
any change in the war office is required; ;
but In any event he. will insist upon hav-
ing him remain In the cabinet. Well-in-
| formed men who knew what is going on
behind the scenes assert that Lord Sails
bury, when forced to admit that the
logic Of the situation requires new head
for the war Office since military reorgan-
ization is heralded as the first work Of
the next parliament, will transfer Lord
Lansdowne to the foreign Office. This
result has been predicted by leading
members of the diplomatic SERVICE who
have rao cd i,1f IL
two statesmen that Lord Salisbury will
be likely to choose Lord Lansdownc as
his successor in the foreign Office This
transfer would leave Mr. Balfour leader
of the commons, where the old Tories are
not yet ready to take orders from Mr..
Chamberlain.
MILITARY REFORMS.
The succession to the war Office is gen
orally conceded to Mr.. Chamberlain on
the ground that hesis the only minister
with sufficient force of character and ad-
ministrative ability for carrying out
| thorough and far reaching reforms in
the military system. The reformers,
however, are over jealous when they as
sumo that the emergency requires the
services of Mr. Chamberlain at the war.
Office. Lord Roberts, as commander-in.
general of the British army, must be in
g bad way If the concentration of so
much talent is Indispensable. One of the
freshest rumors in the air points to an
other field of activity for Mr.. Chamber
lain. This is the report that Sir Michael
Htcks-Beach, as well as Mr.. Goschen, is
weary of office. and bent upon on retir-
ing from the cabinet. If this rurnor be
well founded, Mr. Chamberlain may be-
come chancellor of the exchequer and
leave Sir Alfred Aiilner to work out the
settlement of South Africa This soIu-
ton would delight military men who
know that Mr. chamberlain cannot be
controlled from. A1dershot. and possibly
it would tend to promote a reconcilia-
ton of the white races in South Africa,
where the Dutch are bitterly prejudiced
against him.
If Mr.. Chamberlain does not take the
war office, George Wyndham may sue
ceed Lord Lansdowne. He has earned
promotion by his debating skill, and is
the most promising among the younger
men on the Conservative side.
The retirement of Viscount Cross, the
Duke of Devonshire and Lord James is
also strongly hinted at from many
sources Of information. Lord Salisbury,
unless all signs fail, will he forced to re-
construct his cabinet after the elections.
THE SOUTH AFRICAN WAR.
LONDON, Sept. 2A-Lord Roberts re-
ports from Pretoria. under date of Sept.
"a, the guards. under Polo-Carew. oc-
cupied Comatipoort this morning. The
bridge was found intact. Much rolling
stock. locomotives and truck loads of
Long Tom" ammunition were captured
Few shots were fired. Paget has complet-
ed Erasmus camp, 5000 cattle. 5000 sheep
and twenty-three prisoners. Methuen
has made another big haul of stock"
Lord Roberts also reports that the few
Boer troops remaining in the Eastern
Transvaal are comp1etely "out of hand,
and says they are mostly burghers, the
foreign mercenaFies having gone to Lou
renzo Marques, owing to- the Portuguese.
government promising 10 maintain them
while there. and give them passage to
their respective eountries