New-York tribune., 1900-12-22
LONDON NEWS AND VIEWS.
FATE OF THE AMENDED CANAL, TREATY
UNCERTAIN.
APATHETIC FEELING OVER BoER INvA-
SION OF CAPE CoLoNY-HoLIDAY
INCIDENTS
Tcopyright: 1900: BY The Nev-York Tribune !
IRx CABLE 10 TIE r,ru1-,.r,

IBx CABLE THE TRIBUNEl
London, Dec -. 6 a m.-The action of the
Foreign Office in relation TO the Pauncefote
Treaty cannot be forecast with any degree of con-
hdence. Lord Salisbury is at Hatfield listening to
the story Of Mafeking from the lips of Lord Ed
ward Cecil and Lord Lansdowne is at Bowood
entertaining large Christmas party They are
the only men who can speak with authority on
the subject and they are not likely to break
silence until the treaty in its amended form is
brought before them officially The members of
the American Embassy are naturally non-com-
initial at the present stage of the proceedings
and there are no officials in the British diplo-
matte service who are at liberty to say anything
about the probable attitude of the Government
There viii be disclosure of official views until
the President decides whether or not he will
send the amended treaty to England through
the Embassy. There is a good deal of country
house diplomacy in England. Ambassadors and
Cabinet Ministers constantly meeting one
another and talking over matters of State at
country houses. which the real diplomatic
centres at this time of the year. 1t was in
country house that the preliminaries to the Hay
Psuncefote Treaty We're informally arranged,
and IL IS not impossible that there may be sim
liar conferences during the holidays over the
amended treaty. All predictions respecting the
results Of further negotiations between the two
governments are premature. The comments of
leader writer's Of the press are temperate, and
no pressure Of public opinion will be brought TO
bear upon the Foreign Office against the
oeptance Of the amendments. The views of the
Senate in passing the amendments have been
stated with lucdity by the Aew-York corre-
spondent Of The Standard" who has done much
10 clear up the situation and enable Englishmen
TO form a just opinion of the merits of the case.
The Boer invasion of Cape Colony has been
taken so philosophically by Lord Kitchener that
little attention is paid to 1t by military men
here Those who comment upon it describe it as
natural expedient for raiders who are in need
OF horses food and clothing, and hope to find
supplies across the Orange River They lay
stress upon the fact that the Beers no longer
are in possession Of a single important town in
the Transvaal or Orange River Colony, and that
their bands of fighting men, not being under
the necessity Of defending any district, and be-
ing free to range al viii on the open veldt, can
be kept together only by being adequately sup
piled with food, and consequently have been
headed southwark.
Meantime Kitchener is again silent as TO his
operations. II General French should have sue
cesded in routing Delarey on Wednesday, as is
suggested by Reuter-, it is difficult TO understand
why the Commander-in-Chief should not have
reported the fact The authorities at the cape,
frightened by the Boer commanders south of the
Orange River. have promptly proclaimed martial
law in twelve districts of Cape Colony. where the
Dutch element preponderates. There is little
doubt that the invaders are meeting with sup
port, but the situation far it is possible
for the public to understand it is not alarm
ing one.
Steamships going out to-day for New-York on
the eve Of Christmas will have only few pas
sengers Miss AfacIntyre is the most conspicu-
Gus passenger by the American Liner She will
join Grau's opera company in America, but ex-
poets TO sing in long series of concerts before