The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1900-02-18
THE TURNING POINT
Is Believed to Have Been Reached in
South Africa.
RELIEF OF KIMBERLEY A TOPIC
Which Is Told aud RetOId by Jubilant
BritOns.
LORD R0SEBERi AGAINST SALISBURY.
The EX-Premier Voiced The Opinion Of All
England In His Speech,
| BUT THE PRESENT PREMIER WAS CALM
Aud Answered in Gencrnlities While
His Cabinet Is Making Defense
Preparations Demanded,
The Ex-Premier Voiced The Opinion Of Al
England Ia His Speech,
BUT THE PRESENT PREMIER WAS CALM
Aud Answered In Gencrnlities while
His Cabinet Is Making Defense
Preparations Demanded.

Copyrighted 1900, by Associated Press)
London. February ia week that
opened With the news % General Buffers
retreat and the consequent gloomy fore
casts regarding the entire phase OF the
war, but CLOSES with the relief OF KIM
berley and the general belief that the
turning point OF the campaign has been
reached, scarcely admits OF any other
topic. Quite naturally the news from the
front is jubilautly told and retold until
subsidiary matters OF Interest, such as
parliamentary proceedings. are receiving
but passing notice. The most notable OF
these was Lord Rosebery's vivid analysis
OF Great Britain's isolation. The new
military programme which was horn this
week has droned along toward enactment,
being viewed more in the light of
makeshift than anything else. and was
quite oyershadowcd by the former
nremier's remarks. though his pessinl5tic
vlows were discounted by the almost
simultaneous publication OF Lord Roberts
success.
The manner In which Lord Rosebery
delivered his remarkable grafton was UNI
usually theatrical, and in other respects
favored of an appeal 10 the galleries, Civ
ing Mr. A. j. Balfour, the government
leader in the house OF commons. the OPP
porturity the following day to gibe the
ex-premier with unusual bitterness upon
his tones Of trembling emotion etc.
Yet Lord Rosebsry merely voiced what "a
undcub ed.y the predominant opiaion Of
Great Britain. But though be may have
the majority behlgd him in his pessimis-
tic vlsws, Il does not foiluw That Lo,d
Rosehsry's deducti6n5 are corraet The
general tone with which LORD SALISBURY
answered and has answered since the war
began were so keenly irritating that such
inilueEeial organs Of his party as the Lon
don Times, standard Morning Post and
Telegraph, say they are the studied ut
terances OF an experienced statesman, VINO
Its Just as much aware of Their political
| inadvisablll,y as any Of his critics, for
| through his subordlnates, he keeps in
close touch with popular feeling. neace,
an underlying motive must be locked for,
and there is a growing impression that
Lord Salisbury is sacrllcing politics u
what he rightly or wrongly believes to be
the craftsmanship Of the last quarter of
century His strength, patriotism and
diplomacy have often been severely testl-
fed and not found wanting, hence the
ideas that his continued refusal TO take
the nation iuto his confidence at this crisis
is prompted by motives of the highest I'M
portance,
The conduct OF the forelgn office where
there is not the slightest inclination to
underestimate the difficulties or over
estimate the National capabilities. GER
tainly bears out this solution Of the
enigma, that puzzles the conservatives as
much as it provides capital for tho lib
erals. A reasonable supposltIon was sug-
gcsted by well known peer, who saia
ut is more than likely that Lori Sails
bury, though seeing no immediate likeli-
hood Of foreign comp,lcations wishes to
prepare for the contingency and be able
to meet II with free hand, unfettered by
any recent utterlnaes, confessing weak
ness or exposi5g strength"
In support OF this It is Interesting 10
observe that a, the moment Lord Rose
berry was demanding naval mobilization,
the admiralty was engaged IN iust!tuiins
the preliminaries for that very move by
ascertainlug at all the naval ports thu
number Of ships that c9u'd be Immediate
Is ccmmiss oae1 and issuing cr'ers 10
thr atlesslps and three cruisers, all
CT the reserve, to coal at o1ce IA order
20 be ready for com ais 'lo1iag case
they were required Yet from Lord Sails
bu Us duMt9rte reply to Lord Ross err
no one would have though, this last istef
waA contemplated.