Evening star., 1902-01-02
Explanation Of England's Interest in
Rosebery'a Recent Speech.
II WAS 4 DISAPPOINTMENT, THOUGH
Marconi's Latest Triumph Ignored
by Several London Papers
STORMS WRECK WIRES
Special Correspondence OF The Evening Star.

lverance at a GuiidhaiI banquet. In poll
tics Lord Rosebery always manages to In
vest his orations with the quality Of sur-
prise. In this instance public expectation
had been SO largely aroused that every one
anticipated he would be even more than
usually brilliant, and that he would seek
more than ever to influence the people by
striking phrases. The surprise was that
he avoided this style of rhetoric. His Ian
guage was weighty. His manner seems to
have been very serious. He was unsparing
Of either party In his criticism, but he
sedulousiy avoided the devices of the ora
tor.
Lord Rosebery declared that he placed his
services unreservedly at the command Of
the country but he made it clear that he
did not wish to be identified with either Of
the existing parties. He took a course en-
tirely his own. His scornful illusions to
the administrative work OF the present gov
ernment seemed designed to clear the air
OF any idea that he could Join coalition
ministry, with Salisbury Chamberlain ele-
ments as predominant partners. His denun-
citation OF the Irish and his firmly declared
opinion that peace terms should not be re-
capitulated to the Beers showed that he
dissociated himself from Campbell Banner
man.
His Most Definite Proposal.
Ntchener's proclamation should be with
nesty as possible should be granted, but
the context indicates that, Of course, this
amnesty would be at the end Of the war.
and clearly as an act Of grace in no way
to be interpreted as q compromise.
His aim Is to reconstruct the liberal party
by casting out of it all the little England
ers all the pro-Boers, all the cranks who
NJ %pot %hnS,n e1x rs nv,6 70 htrf1 q
party which every one can respect and to
which the nation can look to form an al
Tentative government. He has completely
split up the party now. Henceforth the
pro-Boers will hate him with greater bit
terness than they hate Mr.. Chamberlain.
and there will undoubt edly be a battle royal
between the pro-Boers and the liberal i'm
perialists from now until one side or the
other is vanquished.
Lord Rosebery has perhaps caused some
surprise by the thoroughness with which he
has cast off all the old liberal crochets and
nostrums. Home rule goes by the board,
ten, is thrown over too. He wants liberals
to make a fresh start and to move with
the times instead Of nursing and cherishtng
items that have long been discredited.
If the Rosebery meeting should have no
other result. 1t has already brought one
fact into prominence, and that is that the
country is sick of the present government.
Only on that hypothesis can one explain
public have been looking forward to the de-
liverance. Curiously enough, ministers
themselves appear to be blind to this aspect
Of the situation. They are hugging the de-
1usion that Lord Rosebery means to cut
himself adrift from liberalism and join Mr..
Chamberlain as a gladiator in the service
of the tory party. His reappearance in the
political arena, they believe. portends a
fresh embarrassment for the opposition and
an additional source Of strength for the
government.
Marconi's Latest Feats.
Marconfs wonderful extension of his dis
covery in wireless telegraphy is the one
subject Of scientific thought. Some time
ago the inventor feared that the curve Of
the earth would be fatal to long distance
communication, but apparently he has over
come this difficulty in the transmission of
sympathy over nearly 2,O00 miles Of open
sea. It is impossible to estimate the poten-
triumph OF the early and middle stages of
the last century may be to that time what
the stage coach is today. 1t ia remark
able that Sir Humphrey Davy laughed at
lamp which admitted the potency of fire
damp. About the same time Lord Derby
declared he would 'eat the boiler of the
first steamship that crossed the Atlantic.
the Atlantic cable. The present century,
therefore, may witness the establishment
Of even greater wonders than were encom-
passed during the nineteenth century, that
saw so much Of the marvellous.
The reception Of the news Of Marconfs
probable success In so important an event
was various and curious. Most OF the
morning newspapers rose to the occasion
and partially at least, grasped the fact
that great thing had been accomplished
Many, however. failed either to realize or
to credit the truth Of Marconfs triumph.
For instance. the Pail Mall Gazette, Mr..
Arxo ~a,,a
that circulates in moderate numbers among
society" contented itself with Reuters
meager dispatch of five lines and buried
these on an inferior page. On the principal
news page of the Pail Mall the Great
British victory (in South Africa? No, in
Australia) Of an English cricket team over
a colonial eleven occupied column and
half and was adorned with nine staring
black headlines. The first headline, "A
Wonderful Achievement" might have led
one to think that Marconis success was re-
ferred to.
clined Carnegies offer of $4,000. 600 was
set out in another paper in 'double-leaded
type with two striking head lines, while
Marconi was In fine type .in an obscure
place. AS no one refuses anything hers
the Presidents rejection of SO large an
amount loomed up to far vaster heights in
the subeditorial mind than Marconfs hum
BILE achievement.
Another paper preferred the item telling
Of the Shamrock's sails having been spoiled
to Marconi.
Storms Interrupt telegraph.
For five days has the country been de-
prived Of its teIegraphic service. To such
an extent does the business life Of the ma
tion depend upon this means of communi-
cation that any interruption like that we
are now experiencing throws commercial
matters into the greatest confusion. Prac-
ticaIly speaking. the capital has been out
Of touch with the provinces for a longer
period than has ever happened before.
Early In 1881 there was q great drifting
snow storm which was general throughout
the country, but the delay in restoring
communication on that occasion was not
so prolonged as it is in the first year of the
twentieth century.
The authorities are making strenuous
efforts to restore communication. but the
damage has been SO enormous that they
have not yet succeeded In coping with the
tremendous task which they are confront
ed with. ALI that they have been able to
do has been to get through two or three
wires to each Of the leading provincial
towns. There are three wires through to
Liverpool two to Manchester and one each
to Newcastle-on-Tyne, Leeds, Sheffield.
Glasgow and Edinburgh. Most Of the wires
run alongside the trunk railways, and the
work of re-erecting the poles deyolyes upon