The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1900-01-02
SITUATION GRAVE
IN GREAT BRIT AIN.
Close of the Century Find that
Nation Facing Serious
Complications.


into the field remains passive in South
Africa. held at bay by two OF the small
esa republics on the face OF the eartn,
while at home in spite Of the large vol
ume of trade and apparent prosperity, her
financial interests are in a state OF in
stability not seen since the Barring crash
All Europe is yelping at her heels, and
the necessity for Americas friendship in
recognized on all sides. Papers and people
that for years have been ready FOR a
jibe for Americas good will no longer
make any attempt to belittle the desir.
ability Of securing her friendship Amer
lea" says the Globe, usually humorous at
the expense OF all things transatlantic
with a crop Of 542,0O0,Oo0 bushels is es-
pecially in a position to herp us"
The economic shoe already begins Z.
pinch the military foot. Not very SER
iously but enough to suggest grave cog
nitlons as to what would happen IL Great
Britain were at war with a great power
The fact that the government has Chart
cred so many transports has resulted IN
the rise OF bread, while coal Is rising by
leaps and bounds to famine prices. 1t Is
such unpleasant results as these that
induce such vituperative publication as
the Saturday Review to say. "The Amer
leans have had their eyes opened to the
possibilities OF a foreign poEcy and are
taking a sounder, besides a cooler view OF
the situation. They are not less friend
ly TO us than before but the insincere ele-
ment has been eliminated and has left
a reliable substratum of good Will"
Which concatenation the Saturday Re
view, under different circumstances
would doubtless have construed into
damning evidence of the incerity OF the
American friendship.
IT must be inferred that this view Is
held by many of the sincere friends OF
America who now point 20 what they
are pleased to term it's great friendliness
as proof OF what they have always main
tained
with such a serious outlook for the COM
ing year 1t Us hardly surprising that art.
icles appear under the heading, Are we
decadent and similar strains.
On the other hand there is still small
section OF the press end public which de
votes uts energies 10 senselessly abusing
the Beers and phophesying the speedy
on the whole the organs voicing the bet
ter class of opinions face 1900 and it's
eventualities In South Africa with an
even minded. unhysterical determination
that compels admiration That there
will be a day of reckoning for some one
is a certainty that even the most guarded
and conservative do not try 90 conceal.
Whether It be Lord Lansdowne Lord
Wolsely or General Butler, IT is impossl-
BILE to tell But all the information OBJ
tainable az present and the gst OF crit
icisms point to Lord LansdOwne having
to shoulder the blame for the terrible
mismanagement
While Great Britain feeds contentedly
on long specials showing American friend
ship, the Boer agents In Europe believe
sentiment I'm the United SKATES has been
gradually turning Boerward until the
time is now ripe to develop It into mater
ial effect. Under this impression the AS
ISOLATED Press learns that they are con-
templaung dispatching a special mission,
to the United Staes for the purpose of
influencing public opinion, possibly by
open meeting s and by personally as
sisting the efforts of those In congress
whom they believe friendly. Moreover
they consider It advisable 10 ofrset whaJ
they declare has been a systematic cam
paifn OF John Hayes Hammond, the
American engineer who was amember OF
the johannesburg reform committee, to
influence Washington opinion. IL the plan
now under consideration are CARRIED out,
the mission will include a very prominent
Boer agent and pro-Boer member OF the
British parliament who intended TO sail
afEs week but was prevented 10y what Is
thought to be a temporary hitch In the
arrangements. Their desire Is to affihats
themselves with no particular party but
by influencing political and pubIc opin-
ION. to secure at least an offer OF media
tion from the United States.
The British government Is threatened
with a coal famine. the most serious de-
velopment OF recent weeks Unless the
conditions improve. many industrial con-
Germs depending on the coal supply may
have 90 suspend operations before Feb
r7iary, as their margin OF profit is rap
IDLY beng wiped out The root OF the
trouble scenes 10 be the withdrawal Of
so many colliers TO take their places in
the ranks OF the reserves Wages have
gone up but labor is hard no find. The nor
NAL congestion OF Christmas traffic ag-
gravates the situation while the govern
ment need Of fuel for transports, war
vessels and depots ON the way TO the
cape has created an unprecedented de-
mand. ~*
Thomas Pike, the old parish clerk OF
Shakespeare's church, has quickly fol-