New-York tribune., 1901-11-10
NEWS OF TWO CAPITALS.
LONDON.
QUIET OBSERVANCE OF THE KINGS
BIRTHDAY
THE FOG LIFTED FROM CONTINENTAL Az.
FAIRS-No NEW LIGHT ON SOUTH
AFRICA-CoRoNATIoN PLANS g.

FAIRs-No NEW LIGHT ON SOUTH
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. PLANS
Copyright; 1901: By The New-York Trbune)
lay rRIsUxEI
London. Nov 9--The Kings sagacity has been
displayed in the management of birthday cele-
brations Queen Victoria's birthday was hon.
cred last May with the old time evidences of
respect for loyalty The Kings own birthday
to-day is observed more quietly. flags being run
up over public offices. salutes fired at noon and
'ilumnations being ordered in Downing-st. for
the evening The King himself has seemed anx-
ious to dferentiate his birthday from that
OF Victoria and has not claimed an equality in
national honors This self-restraint is itself a
royal tribute 20 the memory of Victoria The
celebrations at Sandringhan1 and Windsor are
modestly ordered and the birthday honors be-
slowed with Il lavish hand are the principaI
record of the day The title for the heir to
She throne been awarded at the close of an
imperial mission conducted with tact and dis
erection, The other decorations and hono-s
mainly fall to public servants who have rightly
earned them. like the Duke of Buccleuch. Sir
Harry Johnston, Mr.. Robert Anderson the Lord
Mayor. and Mr. Clinton Dawkins. Otherwise
the Kings birthday is not obtrusiveIy made an
occasion the display of personal loyalty and
the Lord Mayors show and the oratory at the
GuildhaH banquet.
To-day's procession is markedly in contrast
with last weeks stately reception of the heir
the throne It is a burIesque carnival with Il
motley cavalcade and incongrUous reproductions
in tinsel of the splendors of mediaevalism- The
disturbance Of business interests caused by this
grotesque and shabby function is rninimzed
when the procession moves through the central
belt of London on a holiday al nd
a crowd enjoys the fun, cheers the Lord Mayors
antiquated coach and has good natured frolic.
The city guilds masquerading with hired at
tendants the fanmakers. glovers, pattern
makers, stationers. innholders and grocers. and
the show is more picturesquely dressed than
usual. with cars illustrating the commonwealth
of Australia. twelfth century trade and COM
nerce. and the methods of weighing and meas
uring employed by medieval grocers- There is
lack either of music of fantastic color,
and while the day is murky the fog has lifted
and the show be seer- The ancient motive
for the function is still preserved in the appear
ance of the Lord Mayor and the sheriffs at the
royal courts to pay a tribute of respect to the
crown in the person of the Lord Chief Justice
and Kings judges. and invite them TO the Guild
hall banquet. The dim light streaming from
storied past transigures even this holiday bur-
1esque.
Ihe log mas H1te0 from COnIinentdl dHdfrS.
Mitylene is no longer the centre Of disturbance.
since the Sultan has been coerced, more rapid
ly than had been considered likely. by a naval
demonstration. Now that the affair Is virtually
ended, the English press perceives the great
gain In prestige made by the French Govern
ment in the vigorous management of diplomacy
and naval armaments. and the importance Of
the moral support derived from the Dual AIIt-
ance. France has reasserted a protectorate over
the SuItan's Roman Catholic subjects and
strengthened her position materially in the near
East This is the English view. frankly ex-
pressed. and the German Emperor is credited
with sagacity IN remaining in the background
and not offering to interfere
The Liberal followers of Gladstone naturally
point the moral that the Armenian atrocities
would have been punished if not prevented by
an energetic demonstration by a British fleet
in the Mediterranean The Eastern question in
wolves complex system Of checks and balances,
which would be disordered by a sudden i'm
pingement of any new force What has hap
pened in this instance has received the fun ap-
provaI of the powers in advance. Not only Rus
sia but all the powers understood how far
France would 60 and NJ Delcasse was assured
that no offence would be taken in any quarter.
The equilibrium of the European concert has
not been disturbed and redistribution Of
forces has been required The chief result pro-
duced is the increased Importance Of France IN
affairs in the near East, in which the German
Emperor alone has taken any interest in re-
cent years
Sir William Vernon Harcourt's plea for peace
when there is no peace is bitterly resented by
the governments supporters. and they are try
ing to goad on Lord Rosebery. who has promised
to come out of his lonely furrow for single
night and reply it. Lord Rosebery is not
likely TO do this. but he hardly resist the
temptation to scoId everybody in the front line
of both parties Mr. Chamberlain who was
roughly handled by Sir William Vernon Har-
court will be in fighting form when he next
mounts the platform. Mr. Ralfour remains in
the background paying visits to country houses,
and has nothing to say about South Africa.
Silence may be golden. when not even the Min
is-ers appear TO know what is going
The departure of Miss Hobhouse from Cape
Town has revived pro-Boer denunciation OF the
concentration camps, and the medical journals
are urging the immediate organization Of sanf-
+arv control on a. scale sufficient TO meet all
ouirersnts The War Office. having sent a
capable commission of women to investigate the
camps has relaxed it's efforts tc secure sanitary
reforms, and supplied another proof of the inef-
fciencv of red tape. Otherwise there are no
nev noints in the South African discussion. and
the military operations drag on
Cecil Rhodes is in Venice but Will return 70
T ondon next month and sail for Cape Town early
t January His friends are confident that he
ILL soon he pIsying an active part in the polit-
,o.r raoreanization of South Africa, and what
-. NAV have been his connection with the
1.son raid ne has always had talent for
managing the Dutch element OF Cape Colony