Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-04-01
TAX ON HIS STRENGT
Chamberlain's South African
Trip a Hard Trial.
WARNED BY DOCTORS
HE SHOULD TAKE REST FOB
AWHILE.
Prospect Of Fall Of the Government II
Broderick Remains-London
News and Gossip.
BY DOCTORS
Special Correspondence Of The Evening Star.

Special Correspondence OF The Evening Star.
LONDON, March 10, 1903
It has been possible since his return to
gather many personal Impressions of Mr..
Chamberlain's position as 1t has been at
fected by the South African tour. Unhap-
PLY there Is consensus Of opinion that he
does not look nearly so well as he did four
months ago. Indeed. he has been medically
urged. am told, to take things very easily
for two or three months. The work and
travelling he has done in fourteen weeks
would be enough to lower the physical tone
of a giant in his prime. After ali. Mr..
Chamberlain Is only three years short OF
three score years and ten. and 1t was while
in Cape Colony that for the first time in his
life he spoke Of the approaching close Of his
career.
Mr.. Chamberlain has been nearly eight
years at the colonial office. Six months
after he went to Downing street the
Jameson raid made Mr.. Chamberlain the
storm magnet of the empire, and involved
him in difficulties greater than any which
have conspired to ruin the reputation of any
British administrator since the Napoleontc
wars His reputation and character have
been attacked with unexampled bitterness.
He has worked for the development OF the
imperial estates, unlimited, no man ever
worked before. He has actually transform
ed government department into q center
of businesslike activity. and Is acknowl-
edged by everybody in the kings dominions
beyond the seas to be the premier states
man Of the times.
In opposition to the conjecture that Mr.
Chamberlain. on the strength Of this rec
ord. may be expected to snatch the pre-
miership from Mr.. Balfour's dilettante
hands. let me repeat what was said to me
today by one who has achieved high
place among political organizers:
Difficulties Of the Premiership.
"What does he want the premiership for!
He has toiled so strenuously that he must
perforce retire from the arena before many
years are over. He has written his name
so largo and deep in modern history that
nothing a short premiership Is likely to
bring could increase the luster Of his fame.
Besides, we are In for a bad time. Ex-
penditure has become perfectly appalling.
and the best intentions in the world cannot
make any government popular with an irri-
tated. pocket-worn people. I believe 1t to
be true that Mr.. Chamberlain has told his
colleagues that they need not expect him
to set about clearing up the messes which
they have made. He will have his hands
full Of South Africa for many day. The
settlement Is a much bigger thing than he
anticipated. and it will take all his genius
ana peTSlSSenCy 10 make south AIElCa d
tolerable commercial success"
According to this shrewd and experienced
observer, the administration will have to
get on as best 1t can, except in colonial
assistance. 1t will not be his business to
deal with attacks from within. Truth to
tell. release from Office after so long a
spell of worry and increasing expenditure
would be welcomed by several high minis
tiers. Members of the fourth party would
rejoice to see Mr.. Chamberlain prime min
lister. and have determined on striving for
the overthrow of the government IL Mr..
Brodrick remains at the war Office. But
they do not expect Mr.. Balfour to make
Jonah of Mr.. Brodrick, and are, therefore,
preparing to carry on their campaign In
definitely.
only two members of the cabinet have
been in the same great administrative
offices to which they were appointed imme-
diately after the defeat of Lord Rosebery's
one, Lord George Hamilton is the other.
But though Mr.. Chamberlain has had to
deal with problems which change with al
most Kaleidoscope rapidity. the Indian sec.
way year in and year out. Lord George
Hamilton. too. Is an easy-going person,
whereas Mr.. Chamberlain is the incarna-
ton of the strenuous political life.
Provincial Fear Of Bank Notes.
English bank notes are fearful nuisances
sometimes, especially when 1t Is a small
town in England where no one will change
a bank note for fear of getting a bad one.
I remember once in Devon, a place of some
10000 Inhabitants, I could not get five
pound note changed even at the banks,
country people are so suspicious Of the
chin paper" When it is possible to ex-
change a note you are required to put your
name and address on its back" and
some banks now issue all notes stamped
with the banks name on the back by
means of a rubber stamp The name of
the person to whom bank notes are issued
is always noted in a book by any cashier
paying them over the counter Of any bank,
and the number of each note so paid is
placed against the name Of the receiver so
notes.
This is of great use to detectives and the
police. You often hear of people doing a
shady transaction refusing money in bank
reason of evading pursuit.
Perhaps 1t ought to be counted to Mr.
Whitaker Wright for righteousness that he
took bank notes when he cashed his last
check at Godalming. near his Surrey home
1t is difficult to believe that so astute a
man would have a bank note to pay a
voyaging bill II he had really meant to
flee from outraged justice.
But am reminded of somewhat SINH
lar case, where it was the fugitfves I'M
doubted intention to deceive the world as to
his whereabouts year or two ago
temperance propaganda, well known over
a great part of England was believed to
have been drowned in the sea between two
Kentish watering places. for his clothes
were found on the beach. as though he had
been bathing. Divers were set to work.
but they found no body. and the missing
mans widow" and family began to mourn.
as persons do from whom all worldly hope
had departed.
But 1t was found that the vanished man
had cashed a check in London for bank
notes, and that he had paid one of the
notes to a steamship company for a berth
on an American-bound steamer A cable to
New York led to dramatic meeting. He
was fugitive from a very mild sort of
justice. His occupation necessitated much
travelling, and he often had no use for the
return halves of tickets used on suburban
journeys He was In the habit of giving
up out-of-date tickets, and after several
tneffectual warnings received summons to
appear at a police court.
Bank notes have played a very large
part in the detection Of criminals in Eng
land.
Raging in the Army.
We have heard a great deal lately Of
Raging" In the army. and now we are