Virginian-pilot. (Norfolk, Va.) 1898-1911, 1900-12-09
tBy Telegraph to vlrrinian PILOT,

(1}y Telegraph to NirFnian- Piot)
London, Dec. S.-The assembling of
Parliament has supplied much needed
zest to life in Englan The mere hand
full of members known as the oppose
ton started the attack on the Govern
ment with such n united front that the
session, short as 1t will be. promises
to rival those famous debates which
marked the days when Mr.. Gladstone
tried to force Home Rule through the
House. The spectacle of the entire Lib
eral party concentrating every personal
and political energy against one man
keeps the nation keyed up TO high
pitch. awaiting the next move in the
dramatic encounter. If Mr.. Chamber
lain comes through unscathed it will
be nothing short of marvellous.
No less Interesting to the foreign
observer are signs of dawn Of una
nimity among the Liberals. Sir Henry
Campbell Zimmerman anaignment of
the Government, which is admitted to
have been the best effort of his ife
was almost Identical with that of Lord
Roseberry. Each of these speakers
adopted the same tone and dwclt on
the same topics. Mr.. Balfour and the
Duke of Devonshirc taunted the oppo-
sition leaders with their inability to
speak for their party as whole, but
tUeSe uttcIuIceS PASSED unnOllceu. anu
from the benches behind Sir Henry
Campbell Zimmerman the constant
hearty applause betollened the birth
OF better concord among his followers
Only once during Campbell Banner
mans speech was n note of internal
dscord heard. II was when he an
nounced that the Liberals unreserved-
ly accepted the necessity for the an
neNation OF the Boer republics. Then
one solitary Liberal loudly shouted:
NO! NO."
Turning around. Campbell Banner
man dismissed the objcctor as being
of no Importance, with one OF the most
scathing retorts ever dealt out by n
leader to II follower.
OFFICIALS GREATLY DISTURBED
The War Office officials are greatly
disturbed by the successful guerilla
tactics of General DeWet, but they
cherish the idea that he must soon
cease to he dangerous. owing to his
Inability to secure new horses. Efforts
are being made TO keep DeWet away
from the Cape Colony frontier. for the
War Office believes he is getting the
bulk of his supplies from Cape Col
ony. and to prevent him from securing
food, men and horses orders have been
issued that the Boer farmers be only
allowed to buy small quantities of pro-
Visions suflcient for their own imme-
date needs.
RICHARD HARDING DAVIS.
Some very frank opinions concerning
MIR. Richard Harding Davis have been
appearing In the English papers this
week. They were called out by let
ter in the London Times signed by
representative body of ladies' of various
nationalities resident at Pretoria
throughout the war. in which they en-
phatcally repudiate Mr.. Davis
charges referring to imprisoned British
officers behavior towards women. The
Onfl ty 70 IN In .1nia
as follows:
AFTER DAVIS.
Several months have elap sed since
Mr.. Davis amazingly untruthful allie
cations were published. but the requi-
site contradiction. though long delayed,
has come to hand at last. Mr.. Davis
presumably wrote for the anti English
section of the Americans, though we
should hardly have expected to find
Qhe name of n prominent American
magazine is here mentioned) used as a
vehicle for this vulgar and cowardly
abuse.
LONDON'S TUBE ROAD.
Trouble threatens London's new tube
road. Many residents under whose
houses the electric trains run have
combined to sue for damages, alleged
to be caused by the vibration. They
have subscribed 10000 to fight in the
the tube is at an average of so feet be-
low the surface. the windows Of the
houses are ratified, the occupants
awakened and ornaments shaken every
time a train passes. If any degree of
success meets their efforts 1T will seri-
ously retard the attempt to give Lon
don decent rapid transit.
MEAT MARKET
An extraordinary reversal OF the
usual conditions appears in the Eng
lish meat market, and it Is likely that
English beef will soon be palmed off
as American. Hitherto the opposite
has always been the case. But. by
clever manipulation, the American
statesmen have obtained control of the
market until American beef costs as
much as English beef. Hence the like
lihood of substftutions. Commenting
on This situation, an English paper
says:
FIX THE PRICES.
"1'he American statesmen now make
prices. almost what they like. In the
English trade there was no organiza-
ton to oppose them. The farmers have
been in the hands Of the butchers
whose cupidity led the into the arms
OF the Americans. IT, nv active op-
position the American "a to meet lay
in the prejudice of tbs onsumer. 1t
has taken twenty yea: 10 beat that
prejudice"
In London theatrical work is some.
what at a standstil, pending the pan
tomimes, the rehearsals of which are
already in full swing. The stir these
elaborate performances create in Lon