Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-09-22
Pride in Their Submarine Fleet Causes
Boosting.
DRUG STORE" COUNCILS OF War
They Hate England Now and
Favor Germany.
A DUEL TO THE DE AT III
ecial Correspondents of The Evening Star.

SkS~eoA
PARIS. September TO- 1900.
Underlying all the disappointments Of the
exhibition you can note a strange. con-
tented calm in the Partisan soul. a kind Of
suppressed jubilation, as il over something
good to come in the near future. 1t began
some time ago with the British reverses
in South Africa. 1t scarcely died down
when the Boer luck turned. And now,
when the Chinese imbroglio threatens to
force England into another far-away strug
gle. the strange, contented calm and sup
pressed jubilation Of the Partisan begins
to find words to express itself. England
Is weakening. England is leaving herself
without her old home defenses. One Of
these days France will seize the oppor-
tunity she has been waiting for these thou
sand years, and the French flag will fly
over London!"
Again the prophetic voice Is lifted, as 81
the time of the adoption of the French
submarine boat: One day, also, Troy shall
fall. the holy city, and Priam and his in
vincible people!' And: Now, what Is to
become OF the proud domination Of Great
Britain, when the belt Of iron and steel,
the historic barrier, shall be at the mercy
Of surprises, when the work Of centuries
and the force of millions shall be annihi-
lated by a few French divers and our trans
ports land French army on the English
coast?"
They still have fine confidence in their
submarine heet-whose force is kept pro-
found secret In Brest and Toulon-but the
main cause for hopefulness has become the
weakening of Great Britain at home by rea-
son OF her foreign wars. In a little circle
that forms daily to discuss ali things /,
In my capacity OF neutral American, am
allowed to hear these things openly ex-
pressed. There Is an old Orleanist count,
Bonapartist baron, nationalist stock
brokers son Che Protestant. too, but
H.. I@f,t ,o nofi nyA
nationalist Oeroulede) druggist, who would
accept king an emperor; Christian
socialist drug clerk (of fine old family OF
provincials. he is very conscientious, reads
much and is not sure that he is not
Christian-anarchisD; an Alsatian atheist,
but not openly a Dreyfusard, and a blageur
Partisan horse. dealer, joker who cannot
be serious. These men, who meet daily,
have sufficient matter on hand to afford
serious quarrels for the next five years
Yet they no longer dispute. They are
drawn together in new kind of brotherly
love. ION to Londonr' is their secret
rallying cry.
Wherever 1 go among Parisians it is the
same thing You could not persuade hun
dreds of thousands of them that some
thing extraordinary is not to take place
shortly after the closing OF the eXhlbi-
ton.
A Sign of the Times.
One Of the signs of the times-I speak OF
matters seen and heard in the Paris Streets
not written in magazines and Journalists
the remarkable change Of Partisan senti-
ment In favor Of Germany. Germans crowd
the exhibition almost in as great numbers
as the French provtncials. The German
restaurants are the most popular with the
Parsians, and this generation Is drinking
German Wine freely for the first time in its
experience. German singers bawl their
German songs in exhibition restaurants and
cafes, to the smiling tolerance Of Parisians
On the other hand, English and English
speaking visitors are Knocked at. Three
hibtion cafes-concerts make a specially of
songs against the English. With all this
the current literature of France, from the
reptile" daily press to highest semi
monthly reviews. Is full Of reproaches
against English cruelty and treachery in
South Africa and jubilation over English
reverses and difficulties. That lone Boer Is
worth three English soldiers" has become
part OF the creed of every Partisan. Most
significant Of all, however. is the repetition
Of article on article openly planning French
attacks on the English coast. From the
Revue des Deux Mondes down to the Petit
Journal there is scarcely French publica-
ton that has not had it's plan Of campaign
in the last six months. And the Paris pub-
lie is so familiar with these plans that their
discussion in workngmen's wine shops, in
mlddle-claSS cafes and club smoking rooms
alike show grasp Of the subject and a ia
miliarity with its details that can be put
"a
In the "Senate."
"Our own coasts are perfectly defended
by their batteries. torpedo boats and fixed
torpedoes, the nationalist stock brokers'
SON was saying as 1 entered yesterday
afternoon He was explaining his theory
Of war with Great Britain. "A little
more order in the ports and a little increase
In officers and munitions. and am assure.
by my cousin. Captain N, that our coast
Is ready today We have the material. the
men and the money. We need only one
thlng-confidence If we had a minister of
marine willing to take the responsibility of
saying a few truthful words to the people
the confidence would come all right"
we see today by what passes In the
iransvaa, interrupted the Christian So
slal1st drug clerk, "a palpable proof of the
poWerlessness on land of nation ike Great
Britain. the forces Of whose people are
absorbed by commerce. industry and the
occupation OF an immense colonial empire.
And the debates In the house of commnns
show that If they have a fleet numericaIy
colossal they have nothing like enough sail
ors and marines to man it, How could
of soldiers? ''iiiiioh
Why, chuckled the Bonapartist b.ror
II an English admiral should have ths
crazy idea OF penetrating one Of our ports
WIN a squadron we would be obliged to
send pilot to him and silence our guns
not to frighten him. Then when he had GOT
we'll in it would only be like play to omen q
cross fire from our batteries and let loose
the torpedoes to gobble him up. Why, the
Americans never dreamed of such an enter
prise before San Juan de Porto Rico or
Santiago. yet the fire Of the Spanish bat
teries was not very active, and the cannon
of MORO Castle were far from having the
power of those which defend Cherboure
Brest and Toulon. Before San Juan the
American objective was to destroy Moro
Castle and terrorize the population. The
position taken by them was admirable Tho
place was surprised MORO Castle had only
16-centimeter cannon with which to renIy
to the fire OF the fleet. and yet after a bom
bardment of several hours there were only
five or six killed and wounded 1t was the
same before Santiago de Cuba. where
Schley found he was producing scarcely anv
effect after a heavy fire of several hours
Admiral Sampson. when he took Command.
gave up the bombardment in favor of a
blockade, didn't her.
The stock brokers' son thanked them for
their help and resumed his argument
Nothing is more certain today" he said.
than that fleet can do nothing against
the fortified coast of great power. In one
day land force. breaking into French ter
ritory, could cause hundred times more
material and moral losses than need to be