Omaha daily bee., 1903-02-07
OTHER LANDS THAN Guns.


Since the return Of the Boer leaders to
South Africa there has been some shifting
in their attitude towards the new govern
ment and towards each other. and the new
rulers are at q loss as to whether to be
amused or worried about II. Botha, who
took the lead in Europe, has fallen back IN
favor OF Delarey. Delarey, since the bat
tie Of Magersfontein, has displayed con-
siderable hostility towards Kruger ana
Cronje. He always considered that the In
capacity and obstinacy OF Cronje In the race
OF the advice he offered was the cause OF
the Boer disaster at Paardeberg, and that
Mr.. Kruger showed equal stupidity In his
support OF Cronje, despite strongly worded
protests from Delarey. Altogether Delarey
was dissatisfied with the old administration
and he is now willing to accept Loyalty the
new condition Of affairs. Botha, II Is
known, has decided that his children shall
at present be educated in Holland, that hot
bed Of anti-British feeling. Dewet stands
aloof from his comrades, a stubborn, vim
dictiye character. The fact that ex-Presi-
dent steyn is spending his time on the
continent and that his children are being
educated by foreigners instead OF In Eng
land seems to prove that he, like Botha,
has no desire that his sons should be
| trained to love the British empire.
zee
French foreign policy, in certain circum-
I stances, was the subject Of a rather sensa-
tional speech, which was delivered In the
French Chamber the other day by Paul
| Deschanel, who formerly presided over the
deputies. but has not been active in poll
tics for some time. There are a good many
Frenchmen, he said, who believe that the
true policy Of the country was to organize
it's existing possessions, not to prepare for
fresh conquests. They wanted a policy OF
peace with dignity. There was, however,
a vast difference between an aggressive
policy and a policy of absolute renuncia-
ton. Latterly there had been a new pol
lev by which France had been made the
loser in Asia. Africa, Europe and the far
east. According to this policy they we're
forbidden not only to speak, but even to
think of the lost provinces, for fear Of en-
couraging a sentiment that might be dan
serous. This course was not so fatGl to
Chauvinism as It was to the finest aspira-
lions of the purest patriotism. He babe
them remember that the men who opposed
Gambetta and Jules Ferry were the very
men who surrendered Egypt to England
and very nearly gave Bizerta to the triple
alliance.
The operations of the British Postofice
Savings bank became so vast that the OLD
headquarters in London were no longer
adequate, and the bank was recently
moved 10 a more imposing and commo-
dious building. This Is the third struc-
ture built for the institution since us
foundation. The popularity Of the Postof1ce
Savings bank system is shown by the
statement that the numDer Of depositors
in 1880 was 2,1S5, 900. In 1908 they number
Q 1000. 900. The amount due depositors in
1880 was a33, 750, 900; in 1908, 9145 ,OOO, OOO'
The Postofice Savings bank receives depos-
its from individuals, from a shilling to
ESQ. in one year the total not to exceed
a1,OO0, including interest. The British
government is also engaged In the business
Of life insurance to a limited extent. An
nuities are granted on the life of anyone
over s years old, and life assurances are
granted to persons between IA and 30
years of age. Children between s and IA
can be insured for 85. The maximum
limit Of annuities and life insurance is
e10O.
The Polish question was the subject of a
more or less animated debate in the Prus-
sian Diet the other day. The official esti-
mate included about $3.50, 900 for increase OF
salaries and premiums to schoolmasters and
officials in the. Polish districts, and $780,
600 for the establishment of garrisons In
Schrimm and Wreschen, the idea. being
that military centers stimulate natlonal
feeling and loyalty. Herr Fritzen, a cler-
ical deputy, said that he had no doubt that
the union of the Polish districts With
Prussia was final and insoluble, but he
did not think the government was
going at ell the right way to work. All
these bounties to schoolmasters and other
officials, he said, only made them the an
iect creatures of the central authorities
and added to the mistrust and irritation
90 the poles. He doubted whether the i'm
perial palace at Strasburg had been OF
sny practical use, and was not at all san
euine of the beneficial effects OF the royal
residence proposed at Posen. Count Won
[ Buelow. in reply, affected indignation at
the idea thai the government would at
tempt to exert any pressure upon the
3 oolmast and maintained that II was
absolutely necessary to strengthen the
German element in the eastern provinces
l nv establishing German settlements, main
tanning a system of large and small pro-
, p~rietors, fostering the development oil
towns, and promoting the growth OF a Ger
man middle class.
When the embassy hOH Oh us VIZ
. London to Teheran to present on behalf oil
! King Edward, to his great and good friend
/, the Shah Of Persia, the order o. the Garter
3 gets back to the British capital, it may be
possible to sift the truth out OF the many
!. stories that have recently been circulated
| conserving the shah's harem. The story
= that has most persistently gone the rounds
I is to the effect that after his recent return
from Europe the Persian monarch was i'm
= bued with the spirit of reform and that he
e weeded from his harem OF LOO damsels
no less than 1910. Each of these, the
o ehronieler asserts, was given the sum Of
r 81 900. and they went out to be quickly
9 married, It being considered a great honor
e 10 have a wife from the royal harem. That
+ the shah had a gay time In Paris anc
Berlin and Vienna and other cities Of the
e continent Is admitted. but that he became
so dismayed at feminine frailty and his
n own weakness as the story indicated Is
o Rravely doubted. On the other hand 1t Il