New-York tribune., 1901-08-04

che morallties of reprsals on ruffianism, there
&c sense OF relief in having strong man al
she front with the courage required for speak
. nlainl. British politics has reached
.,sre Of fla abbiness where the functions Of the
onposition are parayzed by faction feuds ana
,ntrigues and the Ministers lack the energy
-.aaad for pulling themselves together and wind
,ng No the session with dignity and strength.
puerilities have engrossed public attention
sucb As the significance of Lord Salisbury's nod
s,,e Of the head when an incisive question was
asked bout the accession declaration bill or the
rnspoken word trembling on the lips of the keep
er of the Kings conscience when the Lord Chan-
csllor was rritated by Lord Rosebery's noisy
rssticulation or Mr.. Balfours feeble eXpedients
Cor inveigling the House into passing two or
three little bills before adjournment for grouse
shooting and sol1lng. Suddenly there is leader
shin by statesman who takes a serious view
NJ war employing more than two hundred
,bonsand British soldiers for two years. and
who knows his own mind Mr. Chamberlain's
sneech last night came like strong gale after
9 staenant calm. 1t created a great uproar
orone the Irish members and intense excite
rnent in the House, and when the last word
was spoken it was known that the government
had decided upon a policy Of reprisals In an
swer 10 Commandant Kritzinger's challenge. 1t
would not be an eye for an eye or a tooth for
q tooth but all Beers shooting wounded soldiers
or killing native scouts in the service OF the
British would be tried by court martial and SEN
fenced 10 death. Mr.. Chamberlain did not finch
from The start 10 the finish. He declared that
houses which sheltered those concerned in the
outraees ought to be burned; that the policy Of
devastating the enemy's country was natural
operation Of war; that concentration camps had
been humaney designed and administered, IN
spite Of terrible mortality; that the guerilla
war had degenerated into a campaign OF
brigandage and outrage; that mistaken leniency
was the policy OF the past, and that atrocities
and crimes against the laws Of civilized warfare
would be severely dealt with. Mr.. Chamberlain
was terribly in earnest, and represented the
common sense of the middle classes of England
now as always the real stronghold of political
power when he contended that the time for
Illusions and sentiment had passed and that a
war with irresponsible brigands and marauders
must be brought to end in businesslike
way.
Sir Henry Campbell Bannerman enacted the
part Of a captain facing both ways for the Lib
eral factions. and Sir Edward Grey was re-
warded for the courage of his convictions by
fouts and insults from the irreconcilables on the
Nationalist side. Commandant Kritzinger has
COMPOUNDED the pro- Boer partisans here, just as
Mr.. KRUGER succeeded in doing two years ago
when he issued his ultmatum. Whether the
British were right wrong in ordering the
punishment of notorious Cape rebels, the slaugh-
ter Of wounded soldiers and captured blacks was
not a policy which the most infatuated Radical
could condone. There cannot be clemency TO
murderers even in time Of war.
The accounts of the sham warfare conducted
by the fleets are confused, and long dispatches
describing complex man9uvres are dull reading.
Possibly Mr.. Kipling, who is afoat, may sue
ceed finally in exciting enthusiasm for this
costly naval practice. At present the main
thing proved seems to be that luck is more i'm
portant than naval strategy in determining the
fortunes of war The fleet standing for home
defence was prevented by fog from detecting the
hostile feet on its way 20 the Scilly Islands and
It has. been baffied by fortune at every turn. 1t
had the worst of the cruiser action, yet was able
TO raise the blockade of Alderney. 1t is diff
cult to strike a balance between the perform
ances of the admirals and decide which has
proved the smarter tactician, and this seems TO
be the chief object Of naval manoeuVres. Ihere
are 4 good many sceptcs who question the
utility Of sham battles at sea, and class them
with the Aldershot reviews as poor training Tor
actual war. Comment is often heard that the
Americans, when the war with Spain came on,
profted by their constant target practice ana
knew how TO handle the big guns, and that the
same kind of expert training in shooting to hit
would be more valuable than tactical ma
neuvres which never be on the same leNel
as in war The battle Of Colenso was lost at
Adershot; the croakers suggest that future
Trafalgar cannot be won by maneuvres under
imaginary conditions.
singular proof of the bloodless nature or All
modern warfare at sea. when battleships nave
not been tested under fire. has been of1ered at
the session of the British Medical Association
No has oDprating room TOT
surgeons and owing TO structural changes the
wounded cannot be carried down into the COCK
9it, in Nelson's time, but, according TO a
naval expert, must be allowed to lie where they
happen TO fall until the battle is over and there
is time 10 send around ambulances.
The Bishop Of London promises to fulfil the
prophecies made when he was appointed. He
has been warning the extremists in his diocese
that they must abandon the practice of the res
ervatiOn OF the sacrament and remove the tab
ernacles from rituaistc churches. No general
order has been issued and some compromise
may yet be effected. but the Bishop is now cred
tied with firm determination to forbid certain
rtualistic practices which the Archbishops have
declared TO be Illegal The Bishop known
10 be in sympathy with the ritualists when ap-
pointed, but the best informed churchmen were
convinced that this would be a strong resource
IN regulating the excesses Of the extremists and
enforcing compliance with the Archbishops ad-
vice
"hie there has been an unbroken spell Of
s0oa weather for Goodwood. London has been
oppressed with sultry heat Straw hats are
seen everywhere in the West End, and black
mock coats are dropped clubs. Another in
a0Vation brought about by the inclement heat
'e TIE use OF sandals for men and Uomep Rail.