Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-01-19
Opinion of a Well-Informed
Diplomat.
REASON FOR HIS VIEW
PROGRESS BEING MADE ON VIC
ToRIA MEMORIAL.
Curious Finds Made in Underground
Explorations in the Old Sec
tons of London.

Special Correspondence of The Evening Star.
LONDON, January 7, 1904
The most thrilling interest is attached to
the attitude of China in the probable war
in the far east. A diplomatic authority
who is well up in the tortuous mazes of far
eastern policy tells me chat the popular
belief of China siding with Japan Is quite
wrong. He thinks, incredible though 1t
may seem, that 1t is much more probable
China will support the Russians, because
in the first place they fear and dislike the
japanese. and in the second place the cor
ruption of the mandarins renders them sus-
ceptible to peculiarly Russian influences.
But the consequence of China actively sup
porting the Russians would be so mo-
mentous as to make this improbable, for it
would bring about that condition in which,
Japan being attacked by two powers, Brit
ain would be compelled by her treaty OBJ
legations to support Japan Thereupon
France being bound by similar treaty obli-
cations to Russia, would be compelled to
take the field in support of her ally. After
that no one knows what would happen.
The Queen Victoria Memorial.
Excellent progress has been made re-
Gently in laying out the ground plans
for the Queen Victoria national me-
mortal in the front of Buckingham
Palace, and in the construction of the
new carriage drive through the mall
from the palace through the Admiralty
Garden in Spring Gardens. into Charing
Cross. The new thoroughfare was opened
few days ago for vehicle traffic, through
Marlborough Gate to Victoria Station and
Constitution Hill: and the second section,
which terminates near the Duke of York's
column. was ready for opening on Christ
mas day. The site of the memorial has
been lighted by electricity. The ornamental
Portland stone wall screen in the Green
Park has been completed. but the con-
struction of the contemplated new carriage
drive through the park into Piccadilly will
not DE commenced before the New Year.
The wall screen skirting the western side
of the ornamental lake in st. James Park
Is rapidly approaching completion.
The great thoroughfare at the lower end
of the park which is to connect Trafalgar
Square with the mall Is already eating Its
way through the dingy corner of Cockspur
street and throwing open a fine view of
the park beyond. as 1t may be seen from
the top of a bus in somewhat confined
outline. In few weeks. more houses
are taken down, the view will be much
finer and broader. Perhaps the most in
teresting change brought about by the
necessary demolition will be the removal Of
the statue of Charles !, which Is so con-
spIcuous In the square, and around whose
base wreaths of laurel are always laid on
the anniversary of his death by his faithful
1egitimist admirers The statue has stood
in its present position for 225 years, and it
has not yet been decided what Its future
destination will be. The statue itself has
history of its own. 1t was cast In 1888 by
LIE Soeur for the Earl of Arundel, but be-
fore 1t could be erected 1t was seized by
Cromwell's parliament and ordered to be
sold and broken up. 1t was bought by
John Rivers. a brazier. who carefully con-
cealed it. while he drove a thriving trade IN
spurious bronze relics supposed to have
been cast from its remains. At the restora-
rr-ac hrarJ Ohf FRI MI
and set up where 1t now stands.
To Bury Telegraph Wires.
There has been much pressure on the
government by newspapers which own pri-
vate wires from London to their provincial
offices to put the telegraph wires under
ground, and now the new underground
telegraph system, in continuation of the
line from London to Birmingham, on to
Carlisle, by way of Warringham and Pres
ton, IS nearly completed. Indeed, the hope
is entertained that 1t will be available for
emergencies early as the end of Janu-
airy. The experience of the past few years
has abundantly shown how liable is the
overhead system to interruption by storms
and gales. The underground system, 1t is
true, Is adversely affected by heat and
damp. but the telegraph electrical experts
at headquarters regard 1t as highly i'm
probable contingency that both the over
head wires and underground cables should
be paralyzed at the same time The first
section of the new system from London to
Birmingham was opened about three years
ago. The new cables are formed of copper
wire and are laid at an average depth Of
two feet below the surface, and each has
between 40 and SO conductors. The cables
are of the newest type, of English manu-
facture. Whether the underground system
will be extended from Carlisle to Edin-
burgh, Glasgow and the north of Scotland
win depend on the action of parliament, as
the authorities are only authorized to spend
10000 pounds on the scheme during the
present financial year. There hopes
that the branch line from Manchester to
Leeds may be completed In two or three
months.
Hidden Lake Discovered.
All sorts of queer finds made when
old London is explored underground, but a
hidden and unsupported lake is the latest
discovery. The Baker Street and Waterloo
electric railway has been in course of con-
structton for four years Progress has
been retarded by serious engineering diff
eulties. and it has been no easy matter to
finance the enterprise. which has cost over
f3,OOO.0O0- Tunneling at a depth of sew
enty feet below the bed of the Thames pre-
scented serious problems but these have
been solved. About four or five months
ago contractors commenced to get in the
foundations of the generating stations and
carriage depot in Lambeth road, which will
occupy the old site of the School for the
INDECENT Blind very fine specimen of
Tudor architecture, now in course of de-
moiition. On eXcavating to a depth of
twenty-five yards underground lake was
discovered. belt of water eight feet deep
and extending over an area of at least one
acre. Powerful pumping engines have been
at work day and night. and now the water
is nearly exhausted The lake is supposed
TO have been formed by small stream at
high level, which years ago found its
way into the Thames, forged a subterra-
mean passage in soft stratum and settled
in the low level of Southwark
l.. II. MOORE.