The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1900-11-17
While England's Colonial Secre-
tary Is Away From Home
His Public Career Is Being Sc
Ferely Criticised.
AMERICAN MOTOR CAR
Is Attracting Attention of the
British War Office.
Strong Sentiment in Racing Cir
cIes Against Richard Croker.

London. Nov. 1l.--lAlnlInun news anu
maximum rain were the distinguishing
features of the week Such gloomy, wet
days as experienced here recently are
unusual even for London. Mr.. Joseph
Chamberlain, that central figure in Brit
ish politics. can congratulate himself for
more reasons than one upon his absence
from his murky native land. He is dis
porting himself on the sunny Mediter-
Tanean. Thus the colonial secretary IS
temporarily safe from the effects Of the
vigorous personal attacks which con-
tinue to be made upon him by the Lib
erals from Sir Henry Campbell-Ban
herman down. The latest and most i'm
portant of these is a statement made by
the Morning Leader, showing Mr.. Cham
berlain holds 5000 shares in the Colombo
Commercial company. which is receiving
large contracts for housing BOer pris-
oners in Ceylon. What makes the case
still more damaging is the fact that Mr..
Chamberlain sanctioned as colonial sec
retary. a regulation laid down by the
governor of Ceylou, strictly prohibiting
any officer OF the local government from
interesting himself or his family in pri-
Vate business In other words, Mr..
Chamberlain forbids his subordinates,
under pain of severe penalties. to do
what ne himself is doing on a large
scale. 1t now seems impossible for Mr..
Chamberlain to avoid explanations. for
which he will undoubtedly be asked
when parliament reassembles-
Another feature in the same connec-
tiOD of which the Liberals are making
no little capital is the extraordinary
number Of directorships in private COM
panies held by government officers OF
the 20 cabinet ministers, Is are directors,
while between all the Sc ministers p di-
rectOrShips are held. The list COM
mences with Lord Salisbury, who as
slsrs IN the management of an insurance
company, and includes Lord Selborn,
VINO Is both first lord of the admiralty
and a director of the Peninsular and
Orient steamship company; Mr.. Gerald
BalfOur, who unites a directorship in an
aluminium company with the presidency
OF Lhe board OF trade and many other
1ncongruous associations, several Of the
companies being financially diseredited
With such hagranuy weak spots in the
arTnor of the new cabinet, it is no Won
der the Liberals are imDlOring Lord
ROsebeT'y to lead the party Sir Henry
npbell-Bannerman's appeal to the
eN-premieT only voiced the feeling of the
majority of the party. but it was accom-
PANIED by such bitter denunc1atOnS of
the sO-called imperiaIists that it can
scarcely be expected to produce much
result
American enterprise in Great Britain
now promises to reVOlutiOnize the meth
DDS of the war office. The problem of
transportation Of stores. guns and men
over country having no railroads has
long exercised the army experts. Trac-
ton engines. bullnCkS. elephants. horses
and mules have been tried, with only
moderate success. With the view of dis
placing these, a series of experiments is
occurring in England. before a war Office
commission, in which an American
motor car suitable for war service. hav-
ing on board the driver, an American
and the inventor attained a speed of so
miles an hour on grass. going over OBJ
EtacleS and undulatiOns without the
slightest difficulty or injury. Further
trials are still necessary, but the British
officers We're favOrably impressed with
the performance Of the motor car, and
are likely TO recommend its adoption by
the war Office
The fact that 50 conservative a paper
as Punch devOteS a cartoon this week
TO the representation of an American
jockey perched on a horses neck while
the trainer says:
Now. this horse is as fit as chemicals
can make him; you have got a galvanic
spurs, and if you shin bit further up
his neck, you ought to lick anything
with hair on II, fairly indicates the
length TO which the British rancor
towards American jockeys has gone
As leading American trainer said this
week:
1T is true Americans use linaments
and lotions to take soreness out of
horses. What a few of the English need
is a lotion TO take the soreness out of a
few of their bad losers.'
The failure of the stewards of the
Jockey club to announce any decision
after two days investigation of Lord
Durham's charges against Lester Reiff
leads TO the belief that if any action is
taken. it will appear when Reifr ap-
plies for a license for 1901. The tone of
Lord Durham's letter to the stewards
of the Jockey club and the personal in
convenience and financial loss Reiff has
been put to by the Jockey club failing
TO notify him in time of the place of
their meeting, have served to create a
reaction of the sentiment not only
towards Reif but towards American
jockeys in general Americans who have
watched the progress of the recent
crusade against their jockeys and train
ers, point out the significant fact that
since their importation began every i'm
portant English race. from the five fur
long dash to the Derby. has been run
from four to thirty seconds faster than
ever before
There is a strong intimation in many
quarters that Lord Durham is narfic-
ularly anxious TO curtail Mr.. Richard
Croker's English racing career and thar
the fight against the latter's horse. The
Scotchman Il, was largely due to his
being owner of that racer.
Prosperity continues to be the key
note of the theatrical season