The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-12-16
"The United States Has Many Able
Men, but No One OF Conspicu-
GUS Merit" 1t Says.
NARROW VIEWS OF THE PRESS
SELDOM ON THE RIGHT SIDE IN DIS
CUssING OUR AFFAIRS.
British Editors Nearly Always at
Variance with the Opinion OF
the Foreign Office.

have many able men, but no one or con-
spicuous merit" This statement appears
in the Daily Mail Year Book, just issued,
to compete with Wittaker's Almanac, I'M
der the section devoted to the worlds chief
statesmen. While it is not an inspired or a
particularly erudite publication, it, unfortu-
nately, represents the bulk of press and
public opinion in England Nothing so well
explains the attitude of the English press
toward American action in Nicaragua,
China and other quarters of the globe, as
this crude revelation of its estimate OF
American public men. II is this underlying,
though seldom expressed belief, which per-
meates the editorials now so frequently
devoted to the policy of the Washington
government. How utterly this is at vari-
ance with the opinion of the Foreign Or
flee and the highest government officials
here is apparent from the fact that In al
most every recent case where the English
papers have attempted to advise or to
forecast the attitude of their government
towards propositions suggested by the
United States they have taken exactly the
opposite line from the course eventually
pursued by Lord Salisbury and the Marquis
tween the administration papers seems to
broaden daily. Hence, while the mass OF
English comments on the Nicaraguan canal
question undoubtedly represents the views
of a large section of the public it must not
be considered in any way official, or even
semi official.
A special cable dispatch from Washing
ton complains that the London dispatches
dealing with the Nicaragua canal do not
give any indication of the views Of Lord
| Lansdowne, the Marquis of Salisbury or
| any authoritative person. 1t may be said
that Lord Lansdowne has been given every
| opportunity to communicate his views on
the matter but he has definitely refused.
| remarking that he did not wish 10 attempt
| to interfere, covertly or otherwise, in the
| formation of American public or legislative
| opinion. He has not even discussed the
| canal in his frequent conferences, this
week, with the United States ambassador.
| Joseph III. Choate. Great Britain's decision
| doubtless will be arrived at only after a
| Cabinet conference What Lord Lansdowne
| will advise his fellow Cabinet members to
| do depends entirely on the final shape in
| which the treaty is returned. As the mat
| ter stands 1t would be equally unsafe TO
say he will counsel its rejection or accept
| ance, though if he follows the ideas which
| at present prevail among the Foreign Of
| flee officials he will fall back on the Clay
ton-Bulwer treaty and reject any modiica-
tions of the Hay-Pauncefote treaty.
XXX
| The dreary prospects of interminable
fr;o nd
! ton at home are no determent to Christ
mas gayety. The shops and markets are
| brighter than ever, gay throngs fill the
| streets, business is at top notch and the
| theaters are crowded. Thousands of peo-
| pie are preparing to invade London to well
| come Lord Roberts home. The number OF
| spectators of ''Bobs's' march to st. Paul S,
| accompanied by the Prince of Wales, Jan.
| 3, is likely to break all records. The Off
Gals are already besieged for tickets for
| the thanksgiving service, and window own
ers are anxiously awaiting the announce
| ment of the line of march.
xxx
| The British Admiralty has thoroughly
| awakened to the purpose of submarine and
| similar methods of warfare. 1t has ar
| ranged to test VARGAS invention for seer
| ing torpedoes and submarine boats by
| means of the wireless telegraphy operated
| by A. G.. Higgs, the United States consul
/ at Weymouth. The United States naval
| attache, Commander Glover, is following
up the matter closely. Germany has made
| an offer for the German rights. The in
vention has been considerably altered since
| it was first shown to the German govern
4 ha
| lief that the danger Of interference or
tanning" as it is technically called, has
been eliminated AS recent Marconi ex-
| periments prove instruments not exactly
| tuned to the same note can have no infiu-
ence over others. regardless of the power
of the batteries, Mr.. Higgs provides each
| torpedo with a different note and directs
| it from a ship or the land, on or under
water, towards the object it is desired to
| destroy by means of the same current
| whereby wireless messages are transmit
| ted.
The latest form of trust is that of Polar
| dogs. According to Sir Clements Mark
! ham, president of the Royal Geographical
Society, Americans are responsible fol-
forming such corner in these animal:
| that the pendlng Brltisn ana otner Arcuf
| expeditions are confronted with diff.
| Guilty nearly as great as the ice fields. II
appears that Z. B. Baldwin. the American
| explorer, has bought up such large sup
| ply Of dogs that their price has risen from
| SIS to $50. and they are hard to procure ever
at that price. Captain Rernier, the Cana
| dian explorer, hopes to get out of the di
lemma by taking young dogs and training
them on the voyage. What the two Brit
| ish Antarctic expedition will do Sil
| Clements Markham does not know. Mr.
/ Baldwin says he has no more dogs thar
he needs. He foresaw the scarcity and
| bought early.
Mr.. Robert Arlington, the eccentric gen
| tleman of Leeds, who lived in miserl,
manner in order 20 be able TO devote hi.
| wealth to foreign missions, left over 81. 900.
900 to charities OF all kinds. He made hi,
| fortune out of a brewery and lived in one
| filthy room, containing about as much fur.
niture as a pauper's hovel. Disappoint
ment in love is said to have been respon
sible for his extraordinary life. He was
tall, spare man, who wore a SLOUGH ha
and dressed in frayed garments. made II
the style Of the sixtieA and who nevs