The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-08-05
LONDON NEWS AND GOSSIP.
British Parliament Closing Amid
More Cheerful Feeling.

LONDON. Aug 4.-Parliament still has
three or four days TO get through before
| it reaches the end of what will probably
prove its las: session. But. without wait
| ing for its legislators. England has begun
its holidays, and begun them, too. in the
best Of holiday spirits.
Things look so much brighter today than
they did even a fortnight ago. Thus, in
South Africa, the war does really seem to
| penings, and especially today's expecta-
tons of the approaching surrender of
! General De Wet, under pressure from
Lord Kitchener. confirm the Ministers be-
| lief that Field Marshal Lord Roberts. as
soldier. viii be able to prepare to hand
| over South Africa to Sir Alfred Miner, as
! civilian administrator. before the end OF
September next.
In China, too, the great cloud seems TO
be lifted. Everybody now awaits the safe
| delivery of the Ministers and other for
eigners at the legations in Pekin, perhaps
before another week has ended. Just as a
week ago everybody had accepted their
massacre as a fact.
But not less wonderful the British Min
listers have really announced some sort OF
policy In China, and 1t may at once be
imperialistic Liberals, and even TO most
Radicals, than TO the great body of the
Ministerialists. In the first place. the le-
cations must be relieved and China must
be taught 1.-The sanctity Of the ENJOYS" No
one d!sagrees as to that. Ii is all a ques-
ton Ct the method of this teaching. Eng
land, in the main, would certainly be re-
PEELED by any adoption OF the Kaiser's
method Of no quarter to Cinnamon.
is less generally accepted. Il is to keep or
der In the clear marked British sphere Of
the Yangtse Valley. and, above all, to pro-
tect Shanghai. The danger here is obvious,
and it is vigorously insisted upon by many
Liberals today. Suppose" they say, that
Germany take similar special measures in
Shantung; France in the south; Japan
in Fukien. and so on-what, then. can be
expected from the third point of the Brit
ish policy. namely. opposition to the par
tition of Chi1a?''
By acting upon the principle Of special
interests in some particular section of
China, Great Britain is paving the way for
that actual and complete partition which
many Ministerialists would like, and which
most of the European powers. probably.
also approve. but which yet seems quite in
consistent with the policy of the open
door and no futher aggression. by which
alone China can be preserved from COM
Diete collapse. Indeed, from the Liberal
standpoint this special British interyen-
tion in the Yangtse Valley makes straight
fer the policy of which the British Min
listers fight shy as yet, much to the dis
gust of many of their supporters-that is
to say. the policy of Egyptianizing the
Yangtse Valley and placing middle China
under special British tutelage.
With the fall OF the curtain on Faust
last Monday night the London opera sea-
son ended. From the social and pecuniary
point OF view the season has proved quite
successful; the best, in fact, that the syn
tisate has yet had. Despite the animal
versions Of certain critics, it is felt that,
on the whole. the grand opera syndicate
has done its duty by musical England. In
any case, il might have done much worse
ly music without hurting its own pocket.
1t is understood that the retirement of
Maurice Grau from the managing director
ship may be only temporary. and is the
outcome partly of i'll health and partly of
his desire to devote his whole energies to
New York opera AS he holds contracts
for the services of some OF the most emf
nent operate artists his relations with
the London syndicate will continue. Mean
while the syndicate is to raise fresh cap
ital for improving stage arrangements and
NO effort will be spared to make next sea-
son an exceptionally brilliant and salts
factory one.
The annual meeting of the British Med
zeal Association opened last Wednesday at
Ipswich. All sections have been well at
tended. but the chief interest centred in
the navy, army. and ambulance section,
where special discussions took place on
the treatment of wounded at sea, augmen-
tation of army medical corps in var, first
aid. and transport of sick and Injured in
civil life in large towns. and other i'm
portant subjects suggested by recent ex-
periences in South Africa. The concluding
meeting was held yesterday.
Miss Edith Wharton's story. THE Touch
stone has been published here this week
by Mr.. John Murray, under the title. "A
Gift From the Grave" the original title
having previously been used in England.
The book has already aroused favorable
criticism and is much talked about