New-York tribune., 1901-06-16
NEWS OF TWO CAPITALS
LONDON.
FOREIGN IRRITATION OVER THE TRANS.
vAAL COMMISSIONS REPORT
GERMAN AND DUTCH INVESTORS IN SOUTH
AFRICAN RAILWAYS WANT PAY FROM
THE BRITISH GOvERNMENT-LIBERAL
REUNION SPEECHES DEPLoRED.
Copyright; 1901: By The New-York TribuneJ
IRY CABLE To TIE TRIBUNE.l

REUNION SPEECHES DEfLOfNr<R.
Copyright; 1901. By The New-YOrk TribuneJ
IBY CABLE TRIBUNE.1
London. June 1.-THE report of the Trans-
vaaI Concessions Commission has caused COM
motion and irritation. both in Germany and in
Holland. The shareholders are meeting to-day
in Berlin for the purpose of bringing pressure to
bear upon the German Foreign Office and the
| Dutch investors will hold consultation at
Amsterdam next week The action Of the Dutch
Government will be of little account unless 1t be
connected with a strenuous effort on the part Of
the Berlin Foreign Office to obtain fair terms of
appropriation for the foreign shareholders in the
! Transvaal railways. Arguments for these
financial interests are already found in the Ger
man press; it is urged that the Beers were
/ recognized bellgerents and that private
property belonging to foreign investors must be
/ paid for by the British Government. with full
| compensation to shareholders. The German
/ Foreign Office will incur the odium of the
moneyed class if it declines to take up the
cudgeIs in defence of it's holdings in the Trans
vaal. The British Foreign Office. which has
never revealed it's motives for neglecting to give
/ formal notice to the powers of the annexation
of the two Dutch republics, is not ignorant of
the fact that the TransvaaI Government during
the Iass two or three years disposed of nearly all
| its own railway shares in Germany and Holland
| for the purpose Of raising money for the war
the financial journals here TO pay no attention
to the appeals of the attorneys and press agents
| Of these foreign purchasers. but TO carry out
/ the recommendations Of the commission without
/ iinching from diplomatic opposition. An
analogy is drawn by some journals from the
action Of the United States Government in re-
| fusing to recognize the Cuban debt or to con-
tribute anything toward the indemnifcatiOn Of
foreign bondholders. 1t is cOntended that the
Cuban debt was secured by a mortgage the
customs of the island and guaranteed by the
colonial government. and that the bulk Of it
was incurred before there was any prospect Of
American intervention. The conclusion is drawn
that if the United States Government did not
consider itself under obligation TO recognize this
debt after the war the British Government has
even less cause for compensating the Dutch and
| German capitalists holding shares in the Trans
vaal railways. especially those who purchased
bonds after the opening of hOstilities. and there
by supplied vassal state with financial
sources for keeping up prOtracted fight. The
claims Of the foreign investors in the Transvaal
Railway would have been greatly strengthened
II the American principle of the exemption-ot
| private property from the ravages of war had
been taken up by England at the Peace Con-
| gress at the Hague instead OF being reesatsd
10 innocuous desuetude.
| The speeches of Sir Henry Campben-Ba
man. Sir William Vernon Harcourt and Mr.. John
| Morley at the Liberal reunion. designed as a
demonstration of Radical concentration. are de-
plored by the UniOnist journals indictments
To the Beers 70 continue in armed resistance.
This Indictment is too strong. These Liberal
leaders are good partisars. but are not traitc-s
10 their country. They striving to rally a
demoralized party. and consider that the only
practical method is that of developing the
sources of the more democratic and progressive
faction The Liberal Imperialsts were con-
| spicuous by their absence. and while the speak
ers contented themselves with depicting the mis-
erable plight of the UniOnist party in state OF
senile decay. Notwithstanding comfortable
| jority and absolute security in the House OF
! Commons misconceptions of their object VIII
probably be general among the Beers in Holland
and on the veldt. The real significance Of this
Radical demonstration lies in the cumulative
proof that the Liberal divisions hopeless.
and that the party cannot be united while the
war in South Africa goes on. Lord Rosebery.
Mr. Asquth. Sir Henry Fowler and Sir Edward
Grey cannot be included in any government
which the Radicals support England is
weary of an inglorious and costly war, but is
neither prepared to abandon the business OF the
Empire nor hand the direction OF public
affairs to a faction rent party which cannot in
an emergency supply alternative govern
| ment.
|
tion hour is dull and when that is over the
monotonous drone of financial legislation goes
on while the benches are asleep There Will be
no important measure carried this year, and it
is not likely that anything large in legislation
will be attempted in coronation year. The COM
pleted census. with the evidence that the pre-
dominant partner. England and Wales. holds
more than IS per cent of the population. Is a
warning that a redistribution of seats for the
purpose of securing proportIOnate representa-
ton for Ireland and Scotland must be attempted
| nv the present ParL -ment and that will be
| tain to impart liveliness to party politics.
Jenkins who elings to the phrases of former
| seasons announces that the West End Is empty
! fna, TODAY for the Ascot. What ne means is
| that there will be a dozen more large house
| PARTIES at HarewoOd Lodge. Dttton Park. Run
nymede. Kenegie and other country houses for
the races The King has ruled cOlOrs Off the
royaI inclosure and this makes 4 black and
white Ascot without smart costumes Firehies
will not fash but black crickets will chirp with
In the sacred inclOsure reserved for fashion The
Ascot will be a dull affair like everything else
this season The dinner dances have Ianguished.
even at the height of the season. and small
bridge parties are considered smarter because
the King once in a while attends one quietly.
Next week he will be at Sandringham far from
the Ascot Mime. Melba has been singing at
private parties and KubeIil has been in great
demand after fashionable dinners Nine Bern
hardt and NJ COqueIin have also recited one
midnight reception Brilliant charity fetes are
coming on at Stafford House and Earrs Court
with fashionable patronage.
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