The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1901-03-31
LONDON NEWS AND GOSSIP.
Joseph ChnmberInin at Present
MonoDoIizinr Public attention.


MonoDoIizing Public Attention.
| LONDON. March 81 week such q:
this goes some way to justify those Euro
pean critics of England who maintain tina
Joseph Chamberlain is the man tina
chlehy matters in English public life. II
the early part of the week the libel ac
| uon brought by his brother Arthur. 6
| Birmingham manufacturer and contrac
| tor with the Admiralty and War Office
| against two London Radical half-peunS
| journals, was the main theme of public
discussion. The action was the sequel &c
| the campaign directed by the extreme
| Radicals against Joseph Chamberlain
during the general election on account OF
the connection of his family with Govern
| ment contracts, and now that a London
| jury has awarded Arthur Chamberlain q
paltfY thousand dollars to save his
wounded feelings. both sides claim the
victory, one moral. the other material.
Against Joseph Chamberlain himself no
charge in connection with State contracts
was brought. or could De sustained. but
that does not prevent journals represent
ing the old school of aristoCratic Tory
ism, with whom commercially minded
Chamberlain is now in alliance from
reading Chamberlainism pretty little
lecture on the beauties of the ethical
standards associated with Caesars wife.
And as the week began with Mr.. Cham
berlain, so 1t has ended The Continental
comic papers are poking merciless fun at
England, because of the hghtings in Mrs.
I'ritannia's army kitchen, which Lords
Wolseley and Lansdowne disclosed in
their recent conflict in the House of
Lords. NO wonder" says Britannia, Il
get such bad dinners" The weeks de-
bates in the House of Commons present
a parallel spectacle in the Colonial De-
partment.
Mr.. Chamberlain, not content with ov-
erriding in the privacy of official CORE
spnndence General Kitchener's peace
terms to General Botha. has gone out Of
the way to publicly deride General Kitch-
enor as peacemaker. General Kitche-
ner fay ored amnesty to the Cape rebels
i cannot" so Mr.. Chamberlain told the
House of Commons on Thursday, con
ceive anything more mischevous." Cen
eral Kitchener proposed a certain form
OF elective assembly in the Boer States.
MIR. Chamberlain comment is: How
any man who knows anything of che sit
uation can make such preposterous pro-
posal as that we should commence witt
an elective assembly, cannot for the life
of me understand" Sir Alfred Miner,
too, is not exempted, for In answer to
those who contend that Mr.. Chamberlain
is himself the greatest obstacle to peace,
Mr. Chamberlain declares that Sir Al
fred Is the man to whom the Beers take
special objection. This triangular duel
between the Colonial Secretary, the Com
mander-in- Chief, and the High Commits
sioner is hardly a help to that peace for
which England is earnestly looking, nor
is the further disclosure of this week
that the War Office. having by excep-
tional effort scraped together 1890 fresh
regulars and volunteers for General
Kitchener's more active pursuit of the
Boer Commands, is taking no steps to fill
up vacancies as they arise, or to replace
the troops whom years continuous war
fare has rendered stale.
Englishmen long ago made up their
minds on Mr.. Clcvela9d's part in the Ven
ezuelan affair Nothing he can now say
viii alter it. The Times" indeed. seems
to be the only journal that thinks it nee
essary even TO report Mr.. Cleveiand's
Princeton remarks. The capture of Aguin-
aldo also attracts singuiariy little notice
4 more general Anglo-American theme
is Americas apparently calm reception of
what the Spectator" today calls Lord
Landsdowne's easy and logical diplomatic
victory over the Senate and State Depart
ment regarding the Nicaragua Canal.
There is no doubt that business men gen
orally here would welcome the construc-
tlon of canal by America as good for
trade. and marvel that the politicians
cannot arrange their side of the question
satisfactorily. Naval experts smile at
English official nervousness, and restate
their contention that so long as England
the sea 1t little matters who
builds the land batteries.
The approaching launch at Belfast on
April !, of the White Star Liner Celtic,
Of 2UUlJ tons. leads Mr.. q. w. Wolf, M
p. the builder, to declare that the Celtic
by no means approaches the limit in size
Of transatlantic steamers. He says:
We viii undertake TO build steamers
up to 5000 tons, perhaps over. If money
be found and the harbor authorities make
harbors spacious and deep enough. Yes
seis OF the size of the Celtic and Oceanic
would have been impossible only fifteen
years ago. but since then harbors like
those OF Liverpool and New York have
been drcdged to accommodate comfort
ably ships drawing thtrty-two feet. Their !
example might be wisely followed by |
other ports.
The Grand National was run yester- |
lay at Liverpool in IA snowstorm. The |
'xford and Cambridge boat race was row
ID TINS morning III southwestern halI |
gale Everyone grumbles at the depreSS-
ng persistence Of biting winds. Farmers |
'eport heavy losses among lambs. Sports |
men alone seem happy, for March has !
Deen for them the one redeeming feature |
IF the hunting season.
London win In a few weeks be the scene !
IF one OF the most important assemblies |
n the recent history of modern medi- |
Inc. namely, thu congress on Tubercu-
osis. The scientists taking part include |
'rof Koch. NJ. Henri Monod, Director of |
he French Public Service: DIR. Herman |
5iSgs. of New York: Prof. Sheridan Dele
,ine. of Manchester; DR.. RouN, Prof.
3endal. OF Berlin; DIR. Heron, Sir r.
Douglas Powell. Prof. Sims Woodhead, |
md Prof. Sir George Brown The espe-
ial subject of discussion will be the in
luence of climate on the treatment of |
and how FAR the forms of |
he disease can be grouped for treatment
Inder certain climates.