Evening star., 1900-09-29

opinions are held neither by Lord Roberts
nor the authorities atehome. For fallen
and and captive ruler whether he be ps an, an en-. e.
hoads be hereditary or elective. is an tpcu.
bus which would occasion an Amount Of
trouble and annoyance only comparable to
that suffered by q domesticated person who
has unwillingly becoms the recipient OF the
proverbial white elephant. It is more than
probable, indeed, that the government oon-
nlved at his escape 70 the extent OF not
placing any obstacles in his way OF flight
to the Portuguese Territory. Now that he
Is there he is safe1from molestation, and as
long as he avoids all British ports he will
continue so Had the aged president been
brought to England he would undoubtedly
have become the lion of the season, and
Kruger would SOON have ceased to be a
term Of reproach In the vocabulary of
street juveniles. As 1t Is, he will most
likely settle in Holland. Or perhaps he will
go to Paris. For Paris appears to be the
rendezvous for all presidents and kings
who are down on their luck.
The German Ocean Flyers.
English shipowners who have been
watching the recent racing across the At
lantic by the great boats of the German
lines are not little concerned that the
Germans should have wrested from them
the supremacy they have enjoyed on the
Atlantic. Two new boats are under con-
struction in Germany, one of which, at
any rate is expected to eclipse the per
formance of the Deutschland. No English
owned steamer can come within knot an
hour OF the speed attained by that boat,
and no effort is being made to regain the
lost laurels. AT the present moment no
builder has on his stocks vessel which
even approaches those owned by the Ger
mans in either size or horse power, and
owners declare that they cannot afford to
enter seriously into the competition unless
they obtain some government subsidy, as
the Germans do. The question of a subsidy
Will have to be considered, for there Is far
more in the Atlantic race than q friendly
rivalry. National defense has also to be
considered, for all the great mail boats are
retained as auxiliary cruisers. A small
yearly payment is made for the right OF
taking up the boats In war time, but this
will have to be very largely increased II
Britain wishes to be as well equipped as
Germany.
The "go-ahead" methods of the Germans
greatly disturb the easy-going English, who
once having gained a position are content
to sit with folded hands and think it very
'un-English" to stir up rivalry which may
result disastrously for themselves unless
they take a hand in the game.
Charges Against Kitchener.
Lord Kitchener's appearance in the W.T.
ness box before the hospital commission In
South Africa, when he warmly commended
the medical staff, is somewhat amusing
when his own character as a martinez Is
remembered He is notoriously Indifferent
to personal suffering himself, and was ac-
cused of a want of humanity to the wound
ed, not only in South Africa, but also in
the Soudan, and of treating the men under
him as not so much human beings as as
sets in a game of skill.
At Paardeberg, for example, where he Is
reported to have been rebuked by LORD
Roberts, it was said he deliberately sacri-
feed many more lives among our soldiers
than was necessary. He has now been
heard in his own defense. Whatever the
recor1menda tions the hospital commission
may make in their final report, n, man
stands much in need of being cleared OF
charges of cruelty AMI inf humanity a. Lord
Kitchener.
The Methodist Conference.
Agents are already in London from the
United States for the purpose of making
provisional tourist arrangements for the
influx of American Methodists into the
metropolis next autumn, when there Will
be an ecumenical conference of the Meth
odist Church throughout the world. The
magnitude of the interests involved is very
great, and it is difficult for the average
Englishman to realize that the number OF
Methodist communicates involved in this
forthcoming reunion is greater than that
represented at the pan-Anglican confer
ence under the direction of the archbishop
of Canterbury. 1t is already recognized that
the conference will probably arrive at some
momentous decisions in respect TO the prep
aration of a pan-Methodist hymnal the
more general recognition of the revised YER
sion of the Bible, and the revision of the
rules for the guidance of members OF the
church, which was one of the legacles OF
John Wesley to his successors.
The Methodists have already raised, over
three-quarters of the million guineas they
set out to accumulate before the confer
ence. L. II. MOORE.