The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1900-03-17
MUCH IRRITATION.
President McKinley's Mild At
tempt at Mediation
Is Deeply Resented by the Ma
jOrity of BritOns.
FROM ANYBODY ELSE
1t Would Have Been Resented
In Public Way.
Supply of Shamrock Unequal to
the Demand.

Copyright, 1900. by Associated Press.)
London, March 17.-Between the lines
of the politely worded editorial COM
ments on President McKinley's ex-
preston of willingness to aid in the res
toratiOn of peace between Great Brit
ain and the BOer republics can be dis
cerned many evidences of an inward
irritation which the less responsible
public does not hesitate to outwardly
express, while even members of the gov
ernment privately display pique, that
one official designated it as the 'un-
gracious role of suggesting some form
of interference" to which he added this
expression:
'sEnglishmen cannot help contrasting
the perfect correctness of the attitude
of openly unfriendly France with the
offer of the United States, which, if it
had come from less disintereSted
source, could only have been regarded
as an unfriendly act"
There is no doubt that the over
lures of the United States, even though
carefully worded, have sensibly irri-
tated Great Britain as a whole, while
circles especially friendly to the United
States express open regret at the re-
fuSal of the opportunity offered to
criticize and compare the refusal of Mr..
DelcasSe, the French minister of for
eign affairs, to crafty the hostile SEN
timent in France by making proposals
to Lord Salisbury which were sure of
reJecUlOn with Wlat LheY testify call
the interference" of Washington and
which though only tentative and
clothed in words of perfect friendliness
and courtesy, came at an inopportune
time when the supreme self-sufficiency
of the British empire is the predOmi-
mating feeling of the day.
Everywhere one hears expressions of
satisfaction that while the answer to
the proposal was clothed in words of
perfect courtesy, the language of Lord
Salisbury in brushing aside" President
McKinley's proffer was so extremely
definite as to kill all possibility of
repetition of the offers from any source
unless those proposing them are de-
sirous of being recognized as openly
antagonistic to this country. Empha-
sis is laid on the fact that Great Brit
ain declared at the outset her un-
willingness to consent to any outside
interference, and therefore, according
to the we'll established principle of in
ternational law, that the right of in
tervention is conditional on the willing
ness of both parties to the quarrel to
accept the good offices of a mediating
power, such interference was, in this
case. outside the bounds of diplomatic
possibilities, and gave Lord Salisbury
full justification for his "retort cour-
teous.''
SHAMROCK GIVES OUT
Outside international politics, Ireland
and the shamrock largely monopOliZe
the attention of London The interne-
cine strife in the nationaliStic ranks en-
gendered by the Dublin corporations
address to the queen and the bitterness
felt in loyal circles in Ireland at the
outward exhibitions of diSreSpect of her
majesty, keep the officials guessing as
to what is likely to occur at the Irish
capital next month. An official in the
office of the chief secretary for Ireland
Mr.. Gerald Balfour, said he was not
surprised at the natiOnalistS opposing
the address of welcome. which, nee
essarily, was either hypocrisy a lie;
in addition to which it would go far to
stop the flow of American eontribu-
tions"
Speaking of the queens visit, the
same official said he had little doubt
that the wigs would litter Dublin
green" before the visit was concluded.
In the meantime St. Patrick's day is
being observed throughout the United
Kingdom, as never before. The supply
of shamrock is quite insufficient to
meet the demands.
The new yacht built for the queen in
the government dock yards, at a cost of
about $2,500,000 will probably never be
used by her majesty. Her insta ability,
so palpably demonstrated at the time
of her undecking, has caused the queen
TO take a strong dislike to the vessel,
and the alterations necessitated so ma
terially reduced her comfort and con-
venience that it is believed they will
render the vessel unsuitable for the
purpose originally intended. The pro-
liability is that the yacht will ultimate
ly be renamed Enchantress and con-
verted into dispatch vessel for the use
of the admiralty.
BICYCLE IN WAR.
Of the $4,000, 600 which the government
purposes to spend in developing the vol
unteers, $3.50, 900 will be spent, at the
rate of $40 per man, to encourage each
regiment to form company of BIZ
cyclists. Lord Lansdowne, the secre-
tary of war and Mr. George Wyndham,
the parliamentary secretary for the war
office, both ride the wheel and they
know from personal experience what
can be done with the machine on the
fine English roads. OF course. they do
not expect the soldiers to use the wheels
on the South African plains or in the
Indian hill country but they aver that
for home defense they could transport
themselves and their arms and ammuni-
tion and emergency rations with less
fatigue and with as much speed as
though on horseback. A volunteer
trained to the use of the bicycle, they
claim, would have at hand for instant
use the means of reaching, by a direct
road, a point of mobilization possibly
twenty or fifty miles distant With a
bicycle it would be as though a charger
stood ready saddled at the volunteers
door,
The theaters and music halls are reap
ing a golden harvest from Lord Rob-
erts' success and are enjoying prosperl-
ty long unknown to them.
Signs of cheerfulness are also very
evident aL the 16dQluS restaurants.
which, a few weeks ago. were almost
empty. They are now filled nightly.
Col. Charles Long Dead.
Kansas City, Mo, March 17.-CoI.
Charles Long, pioneer plainsman, is
dead here, aged 73 years. He came to
America from Germany in 1S47. He
was a veteran in the civil war;
Weather Indications.
Chicago, March 17-For Kansas: Part