The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-07-01
LONDON NEWS AND GOSSIP.
The Hospital Scandal Draws British
Attention to South Africa.

me hospital Scandal Draws British
Attention to South Africa.
LONDON. June 30.-At the opening Of
the week. China had quite displaced South
african in the public thought, but Mr.
Burdett-Coutts' account of what he saw
at the Bloemfontein hospitals has once
again brought all eyes back to South
Africa 1t is true that the more you know
OF the husband of Lady Burdett-Coutts the
less weight you attach to his diagnosis of
any public question: 4. He means we'll. but
he has never shown any of those qualities
which mark out a member OF Parliament
from the ruck. In a word. he has always
been negligible quantity outside the
horse-oreeding world, Hence the emphasis
winch Lord Roberts laid upon the neces-
| sity OF sending man OF sound common
sense to South Africa with two surgeons
! as court Of enquiry, and hence the mer-
rlment with which the House received this
plain thrust at the member for the stoiid
stupid Tory borough of Westminster.
AT the same time. the national feeling
has been greatly stirred by Mr.. Burdett-
Coutts' stories of undertaking. over
crowding. and seemingly unnecessary suf-
ieTlns at Bloemfontein in April and May
last. Moreover. any stick seems good
enough to beat the War Office with just
now. and many British Ministers have
been thrown from Office on lesser pre-
texts. But though the British public may
be thoroughly sick of its War Office, and
Is determined to give 1t a good shaking
UP when the war Is over, it loves and
trusts its Lord Roberts, and 1 fancy it
VIII settle down to the conviction that.
while Lord Roberts stupendously swift
march upon Bloemfontein and Johannes
burg did cause a breakdown in medical
arrangements, matters are running all
right now, and the best thing to do is
to see that nothing OF the sort happens
again.
The War Office has habitually neglected
the army medical department. 1t has
always been seriously undermined, its
members scarcely recognized as officers,
usually excluded from mention in des-
patches or public votes of thanks with
little facility for study. or leave for private
research, and. in a way, has been treated
as the Cinderella of the army. If MIR.
Burdett-Coutts, by his sweeping indict-
ment. changes all that England may we'll
thank him.
The friends OF Finland in England are
making one more despairing effort to
awaken Englishmen to a realization of the
policy OF throttling upon which Russia is
intent In the grand duchy. They have |
started little periodical, by means OF
which facts are to be made known, not |
presumably with any hope Of British in
PREVENTION, but that the Gear and Czarina (
may know of the feeling of revolt which |
the Russian policy awakens In a country I
with which they have close blood ties.
Yesterday telegram received by friends /
of Finland here announced that the Gov
ernor-General Of Finland has under the |
authority Of recent press laws entirely
suppressed the newspaper "Nya Pressen."
Nothing, say Finland's friends, could more
exhibit the determine ton of the
Russian Government to rule Finland with
a rod of iron and suppress every mani
festatton OF independent thought and opin-
ion. The "Nya Pressen' was the most i'm
portant paper and was, in fact the
Times" of Finland Several smaller pa
pers in the Grand Duchy are in a state of
suspended animation. while others have
been suppressed. Finlanders are now in
dubitably muzzled
Londoners WHO have so long tolerated
the grimy, sluggardly, noisy steam trac-
ton OF the underground railway look with
great hope to the Central London Electric
Railway, opened by the Prince of Wales
this week. 1t runs from the centre Of
business London-that is to say. the Bank
Of England-to the genteel suburb of Shep-
nerds Bush. 1t is the breadth of the main.
of Holborn and Oxford
streets, and is part of the scheme to
BRING the heart Of London within twenty
minutes OF the residential suburbs. north.
south, and west. Everyone praises the
'apidity, the cleanliness, and the comfort
u the line, though many are the laments
hat SO much of the $40, 600 600 which il |
'ost should have gone past English fac
cries to America for carriages and 1T
ings Whether caste bound Englishmen |
will long tolerate the abolition of class
distinction and the uniform fare Of pence :
or peer and workman alike may be doubt
d. The two tubes through which the train
uns lie at depth of from efghty-fiye to I
ilnety-six feet below the surface and the
'urrowing cost $50 per inch II this mi
ial service proves that electric lines laid
eneath the public roads, and therefore
Without the quite prohibitive cost for land ,
'hich overland London railways involve.
an carry Londoners cheaply. safely and
Witty and in wholesome, cleanly fashion i
o the outer ring of the METROPOLIS I0n | a
on must become much more desirable :
lace of residence.
Free trade imperialists won something of
victory this week at the congress of the l
hambers Of commerce Of the Empire as /
embed in London. Canada, through the 5
olces and votes OF a strong delegation | s
ought to induce the congress to follow d
anada's own lead In the way of prefer
initial tariff in favor OF the Britisher AT i
ONE and abroad. and against the for q
igner. Her delegates brought forward /
esolutions favoring a commercial policy u
Or the Empire. based upon mutual ben :
At" in other words. protection in some .
hape or form. but the British chambers o
blowing the lead Of the Manchester dele +
ates. resisted the proposal, which uIti =
lately gave way to a resolution. unani- n
iously adopted. begging Lord Salisbury to n
ppoint royal commission. representing q
lie whole Empire. to consider the question I
inter-imperial trade relations The Ca n
adian resolution proposing an ad valorem h
lty on foreign importations into the En- "
Ire. the proceeds to form an imperial de- u
nee fund, was also Withdrawn, though the
anadian and other colonial delegates made
gnifcant admissions OF their obligation to
attribute in some form toward the ex- 6
enses Of the imperial army and navy.