The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1902-07-13

centered on the South African war and
on the coronation, we are beginning to
total mp the cost of our army and navy
establishments. The figures are enough
and pretty near every defunct statesman
and pcety near every derunct statesman
who had any Idea of responsibility, turn
over In his grave. Instead Of seeking to
reduce the enormous expenditure on ar
msments which is within a trife of
double that of the highest expenditure
of any Other country in the world we
are asked to largely increase 1t, and Mr..
Chamberlain tells us We ought to re-
gard as q flea bite the additional $780,
100000 that the South African war has
cost us, the greater part of which has
vet to be provided for! At the same time
we are urged to increase the cost of our
focdstuffs and imported raw material in
order to maintain loyalty in the Colonies
towards the imperial connection and to
subsdlse our commercial marine in or
der to be able to draw upon it for the
requirements of the Imperial Navy.
If we are to proceed on the doctrine
that the worlds oceans are a portion of
our Empire, we must not add to our
costly responsibilities by further terri
torial annexations. Protest after pro-
test has been made against the folly of
TIN rowing down a challenge to the world
and Boosting that we will outbuild it in
warshps whatever number it may build.
| In the present day, when all nations
have discovered that they VIII go f1nan-
clally to the wall if they do not secure
their share in the worlds markets, they
never will agree to make all their COM
merce dependent on our good will. Mr..
Chamberlain is an astute man. He is
aware that we cannot afford to play this
game of beggar-my-n eighbor against the
entire world for long. Just as he forced
en- the South African war upon an as
sumption that the Dutch were growing
so strong there that we ought to crush
them before their strength increased. SO
he will force on some great maritime
war in order to crush foreign navies be-
fore they become stronger.
| If we are to believe the newspapers,
the Beers have become our lovers. They
bubble over with affection for us. So say
the kilograms; but we must not take
them seriously. Before the war the dis
patches assured us that the Boors had
lost all their old fighting qualities. Dur
ing the war we were continually as
sured that the Beers on commando could
hardly be induced by their commanders
| to continue fighting. Now It is the aim
| of the government to persuade US that
| the Beers are delighted at beng an
nexed, and in a condition Of wild Ella
ton at becoming British subjects. There
is as little truth probably in the latest
development of journalistic enterprise in
the cause of the government as in the
former ones. The Beers have never
shown any I'll will to our soldiers, and
they are now meeting them in manly
spirit They regret the loss of their in
dependence, and they 90 not particularly
love us as nation. But having agreed
to enter the Empire on conditions they
are disposed to make the best of mat
tiers, and this is about all there is to it.
Queen Wilhelmina has left Holland for
Germany, and is to spend the next month
at Schloss Sehaumburs, IN Nassau
which has been placed at her disposal
by her uncle, the Prince of Waldeck and
Pyrmont Schaumburg is in the pictur-
esque Lain Valley, about fifteen miles
above Ems. The Schloss, which Is fine
ly placed near Balduinstein, was splend-
idly rebuilt by the late Archduke Steph-
en- Of Austria, and the interior is elabor-
>ately decorated. There are very pretty
terraces and gardens ana well wooded
park the demesne being surrounded by
forests Schaumburg was formerly the
seat of the Princes Of Anhalt Schaum-
burg a family which became extinct in
1912. After the death of the Archduke
Stephen there was lawsuit. which last
ed about twenty years, between the late
Grand Duke of Oldenburg and the late
Prince of Waideck Pyrmont. and the lat
ter was finally declared to be the heir
of the large Anhalt Schaumburg estates
in Nassau as he was the senior repre-
sentative of the old family through the
female line.
The popularity in England of the late
BENJAMIN Constant was of a recent
growth, based chiefly on his skill in the
painting Of portraits. for the subject pic
lures by which he gained honor in his
own country are intact almost unknown