The Washington times., 1901-07-07
UPHELD ONLY BY THE War.
The Liberal Collapse a Blow to the
Conservative Government.
i Very Curious Phase Reached in
English Politics - The Pnrty in
Power Weakened Seriously - The
Naval Programme DiSsatISfying.
special Cableeram-Co -Copyrightod.) )

special Cableeram- Copyrightcd.)
/ LONDON. July 6-At present a curious
! phase Of English politics has more than
domestic interest. IL is striking illus
tr1tioa of the paradox that a collapse OF
/ the Opposition mas threaten the destruc-
! tion of the party in power. Discipline
among the supporters Of the Government
has now a!most disappeared. Popular
. dissatisfaction with the Government S
policy. or lack of policy. increases daily.
The wheels OF legislation are SO cloggcd
/ that less progress is made tEan if Lord
/ Salisbury was able to muster only the
/ bare majority Of the last Gladstone ad-
ministration. The Unionist organs ac-
count for the paralysis by affirming that
the Government members are deserting
it, not from treachcry, but from sheer
weariness over attending sessions when
nothing is done. 1t is admitted that the
Government victories in the bye elections,
as at Stratford-on-Avon, do not signify
popular support. but simply mean that
the electors will not trust the war to men
who either disapproved of it from the
beginning. or in their impatience, would
/ md it without securing the complete
submission of the Beers
The Spectator even goes so far as to
say that if there were no war the Cabinet
would be superseded or reconstructed
within a month.
1t is quite true that the collapse of the
Liberal party in such circumstance is a
national calamity \ great deal is being
made Of the patched up peace which will
nominalIy be ratified at next Tuesday
conference. Such men as Sir Henry
Campbell Zimmerman arc simply incapa-
bic Of leading anything. The marvel is
that any freak OF political fortune should
ever have placed such an individual in
nominal leadership. I~is milksop pol
itician. boneless, and. one is almost
tempted to say. brainless. There is gen
eral approval Of Mr.. Asquith's refusal to
abandon his dinner campaign inasmuch
as it would signify a sacrifice of princi-
pies and therefore that the rupture in
the party was complete. despite surface
compromises. The latter viii probably
take the form at Tuesdays meeting Of a
resolution recognizing Sir Henry Camp
bell-Bannermans leadership and declar-
ing that the restoration of the independ-
ence OF the South African Republics IS
not within tac limit OF a practical policy,
but short of that. the settlement should
provide a full measure Of local self
government on Canadian or Australian
lines.
The Admiralty statement in both houses
of Parliament regarding the naval pro-
gramme has not satisfied anybody except
certain subservient organs Of the Govern
meut. II would only require some sign of
international friction u create such
widespread public panic as would drive
any Government from office. The truth
is. the British navy is utterly unprepared
for a serious war. Public Cquanimtty Is
only possible in the fond hope that other
navies are equally unprcpared. Inasmuch
as this assumption has no better f0unda-
ton than guess work, popular Uneasiaess
is only natural
The decision Of the British Admiralty
announced In Parliament early in the ses-
sion, to build few submarine vessels by
way Of experiment. was not due 10 con
viction as to the merits or usefulness Of
the type. but was a concession to news |
paper clamor The work is proceeding in |
perfunctory fashion. and it is open 10
doubt whether a single boat win be fin
ished In the current financial year.
1t has -ransp.red> III naval quarters that !
some OF the most respected members of |
the naval board protested with remark |
able vehemence against wasting money |
on the new craft. their main argument |
being that submarine boats, at the most, /
could only be useful for coast or harbOr |
defence. for which purpose torpedOes were |
much more eficacious. Now ii is reported |
that these dissidents embodied their OBJ |
jections in a formal memorandum, IN |
which it was set forth as the central ar
gument that naval wars have to be fought |
on the high seas, that military forts Will |
never again be attacked by warships, and !
that if either beiIigerent should have 70
send out an expeditionary force, such |
force would necessarily be landed not at !
a fortified fort, but at some weak point
on the enemys coast suddenly resolved |
upon.
But. it is asked who shall venture to set
the limit TO human ingenuity? The French
navy department is reported to be en-
gagged upon a promising design for
an ocean-going submarine boat. The
British Admiralty is not In the least
alarmed about the wonderful things said
to have been accomplished the other day
in Ajaccio harbor where the pet French
submarine boat Gustave Zede placed
torpedo under the battleship Jauresui-
berry with secrecy, neaness, and de-
spatch The whole story, according TO
advices received here, was an impudent
newspaper yarn.