The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1900-02-16
LOOKING FOR A LEADER
Nreae Britain Inundated and
Amazed at the Incompetence
of the Government.


initiation and amazemcnt OF the nation at
the lncompetency displayed by it's minis
tiers has risen to heights probably never
before attained. While the empire is en-
gagged in the most serious struggle to
which it has been committed since the
hrst years of the Nineteenth century,
While the statesmen and the legislatures
OF the self-governing colonies faithfully
represent the imperial spirit of their con-
stltucnts, while the Britishers of all ranks
nave risen to the occasion with il courage
ana a unanlmlty unsurpassed in their
annals, the statesmen at home have COM
mtted themselves to party maneuvers.
mutual denominations, contradictions,
shutting evasions and palpably lame rx-
cuses so utterly needless of the temper
OF the people that the movement in favor
CT reconstruction of the cabinet. inau-
guratcd a few weeks ago. promises. I'M
less more vigorous policy is speedily
adopted, to develop into a national upris-
ing which will sweep out the Politicians
whose utter failure almost appears to
Justify, i'll the words of the Daily Mail.
the prophecies of the downfall of the
British empire so literally poured forth
by writer's and speakers in the United
States and on the continent
Chatter of Politicians.
Even the Times, that bulwark of con-
Servatisnl, declares the chatter in the
House of Commons during the past few
days is simply irritating and offensive
to nine out of ten people in the United
hingdom Consequently it is not aston
lshing that the people are looking for
some strong man to lead them. Lord
koseberys name is the most prominent.
His pitiless flashing of Lord Salisbury on
the day Parliament reassembled marks
him, in the opinion Of many. as the right
man to face the present imperial crisis.
a small faction, led by the Daily Mail,
is pushing the claims of Joseph Cham
The Mail says he has shown himself to
he a ''shrewd. determined and able or
ganizer. and, apparently. is the only menu
Der of the cabinet who grasped the reali-
ties of the situation in South Africa.
though the papers admit he lacks tact
and that his speeches have done much
to ALLEVIATE the sympathieS of America in
and France. Yet tho Mail suggests
it would be well to watch Mr.. Chamber
lain's attitude during the next few days.
Party Strife Must C.ase,
Truly has the patience and fortitude of
the people of Great Britain been sub
jected to severe tests. After i: brisk raj
ly from the staggering blows to the ma
TONS IN litary prestige the people had a
right to turn to Parliament for cncour-
agement and insp ration. But. enc by
one the ministers have been unmasketl
and d;scredted. and the weakness of the
official leaders OF the opposition has been
revealed. From every newspaper in. the
land has arisen the cry that party strife
must cease and political ambitions be laid
aside, and that the stified determination
of a willing people must have rein. "A re-
suit of this outburst is seen in the new
and more lofty tone introduced into the
discussion by the speech of George Wynd-
ham, the parliamentary under secretary
of the war office. 1t was the first minis
teral statement tvincing Il proper apprc-
citation of public feeling. There is no
hope Of the debate on Lord Edmund
FitZmaur.ce's amendment to the address
in reply to the speech from the throne col
lapsing. so a division will hardly occur
before Tuesday. There is movement
Oh foot to induce the government to re-
fuse to discuss at any length John Red
mOnd'S amendment on the ground that
TIL present stage of the campaign is not
suitable for the discussion of CANCELLATION
or the terms of peace.
William Redmond desires information
as to the relations of Great Britain with
the United States and Germany, and pro-
poses to ask A. ]. Balfour. the govern
ment leader, Monday, whether he has
any announcement to make or papers to
lay on the table bearing on the proposed
new triple alliance between Great Brit
ain, the United States and Germany. an
nOunced by Mr.. Chamberlan at LeiceS-
ter November 80.
Vacancies in the Army.
An important statement was made by
Mr.. Wyndham in the House of Com
mons, Thursday, namely, that the vacan-
cies the war had made among the officers
would be partly filled by promotion from
the ranks. This means the democratiza-
ton of the army. On this subject let
appeared in Fridays issue of the Daily
Chronicle. 1t was written by a British
officer who knows most of the armies of
Europe from personal observation, and
who has seen much service. He plainly
declared that the class Of society from
which British officers arc drawn is dis
tinctly degenerate, due to lack of intel
vice of the aristocracy." and that the
class commonly known as society pro-
vides 80 per cent. of the officers" The
writer also says 1.-The intellectual stand
ard of the young man of II, fresh from
the English public schools, is lower than
that Of n German schoolboy of 8. His
time is devoted to athletic sports. AS his
ancestors have done, he marries girl Of
the same training and in three or four
generations society will consist of physi-
cally, splendidly developed idiots" The
only remedy, according to the writer, is
''intermarriages between society and the
healthy middle classes The social fut-
ure depends entirely upon the progress Of
the war, but the Queen wishes every
thing to 60 on as usual, as far as posi-
BILE. She has ordered two drawing rooms
to be held before Easter and others in
May. Her majesty's decision is CRATE
fully welcomed, by the London trades
men.
The Queen made all arrangements to
60 to Italy, but she now declares her III
tention of remaining in England unless
great Improvement in the situation.