New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-02-07
NEWS OF TWO CAPITALS.
AFFAIRS IN LONDON
War Regarded as IneEtaoie :" fdr
East-EagIish Politics.

-. .a,.. "a, IA. zrlbvrs A-soostion9
-, ~ o-Tbe haIf-penny press has
brought the Russian feet back 10 Fort AT '
after sendins IL out for a great naval Ds''4s. -"'
sxnsuese feet is now reported 20 be cleared ioi
so.ion and only awaiting the sigma aOi
which IL expected daily. The naval HisNfN 90
AZ, OF itt, importance when II |" not gs1 -
that the japanese government hs< fe'e''o1 -
-, :, go. Russian reuly. The Substance OF
-. - a. accommodated On various forms from
,..r,ou, capitals but japan 10 sufncientiy Nsst-
-n ,p tscss TO scoept the IDEA that dipioiiiA'IO
,,-verrtcas are brought 10 a close WIN Oe-
,rite answer and an equally saphon fe1u'
Al she best Informed men here ehDeo'
since they cannot offer any reasonable eAp'a-A-
-ior Of the v-ays and means by which peace can
he maintained They cannot forecast any A4'e.
native for war when Japan deTnanes reoOsiii
f,or OF her own ascendency In Corea and q posi-
tive treaty pledge that Russia VIII respect ohe
integrity Of China and agree 10 ev@cuAae Man
chur1s-
There is little chance that Russia VIII accept
..r,ns 40 tsDoninious as these but there Is prop
.hri., thar the accounts OF the negotiations re-
c.i,-ea nv the press are inaccurate ana that the
subetitution OF a separate convention Win 'afo4
Tor the collective note already given 10 'ne
United States and other powers may hot %
irnprac;icable at the last moment when the
negotiations have been conducted WITH s'uoious
courtesy The military cKDer1s agree mat tne
r.izure OF the mouth OF the Halu 10 contro' 'n~'
river will be the primary object OF the japanese
campaign This presuppOses the oestruc'4ON
OF Russian naval power IN the Northern FHclnc'
The military experts say this viii be as easy as
the sinking OF the two Spanish fleets by me
American naval forces. DiplOmatists say that
japan can well AFFORD 10 take the risks o. a pro
longed land war II she can clear the seas anu
thereby put Russia back twenty years
Tn. psrtisnns OF Sir Henry campbeii-Ban-
,,.--,,an and Mr. Chamberlain draw opposite
conclusions from passage IN the secret history
OF the Boor war which each has been Wiling 10
have the other tell. The Liberals say thar lar.
Chamberlain IS convicted Of his own mouth
when he Is charged with using the expression
..plsyine a game OF bluff" and the Conserve
dives reply that Sir Henry Comprehension
man must be condemned for lack OF PATRIOTISM
IN refusing to Cooperate IN dispatching ten
thousand men as reinforcenents at the night
moment 1t was an open secret at the outbreak
q, fhe Boer war that neither Mr.. Chamberlain
nor Lord wolseley nor the Opposition leaders
nor the country expected that PRESIDENT
Kroger would hsht Everybody was taken
aback by Kr0ger's ultimztum, which made war
inevitable.
This wretched souabble over The use OF the
poker players expression Is 9 petty aHalF IN
comparison with two important seGuels OF the
war itself One is the official admission that
she welfare OF South Africa depends upon the
introduction OF Chinese labor on a large scale
ana the other is the belated attempt OF the gov
eminent TO reorganizs the War Office by model
ling Il after the Admiralty and leaving out an
effective general staff which is considered inois-
pensable at Berlin and Washington. Mr.. LyItel-
ton begs question when he asserts that the
Transvaal is a self-goverIling colony and that
no Imperial interest is involved IN the introduc-
ton OF Chinese labor Lord Miner IS known TO
be urging this policy strenuOusiy. and the mine
Owners insist upon having IL without reference
the wishes OF the Beers the certainty that
white immigration VIII be suspended az once IL
swarzns OF Chinese are Imported.
The other question is also begged when anal I
oeies between the War Office and the Admiralty
not logically drawn by reformers. A gen
.ral stan il not needed for The navy hut Is
Indispensable for the army: hence an army
council similar 20 the Board ~ Admiralty may
not be the best method OF administration. al I
though the abolition 81 the dual system OF ad-
ministration is great gain. The attempts OF
military experts to prove that the British army
system be reformed and rendered effective
FOR war without organization of a general
star with recognized chief are futile. The
oilNtib OF ALe army frankly ADMIT tl8I
ex-Secretsry Roots reforms carried out in the
American army are more practical and involve |
a much closer approach 10 the German scientific
methods than Lord Esher's proposals for adop-
ton OF Admiralty methods. There is a general
impression in military circles that the Duke OF |
Connsught viii become inspector general after
Lord Roberts's retirement. and that the new
system VIII he failure unless Lord Kitchener is
made first military member Of the Army Couu-
eli
The DevOnshire- Rosehery coalition FOR which
Lady Nirnborne has provided cakes and ale this
week explains several mysteries Ia politics one
~ the indifference ~ Mr. Chamberlain's follow
ere 70 the fate Of the Ministry. Mr. Chamber
lain himself talks OF going away for a two
months holiday. but the lieutenants directing
me fiscal movement openly admitting that
they expect an adverse result in the first ap-
the Duke ~ Devonshire assumes the Liberal
leadership the better sor the cause Of tariff re-
FORM. They are probably RIGHT in the forecast
that the coalition Ministry win be shorrlived
since II VIII excite dissensions among oricers and
men The coalition viii imply that thu free trade
Nnionists reverting 10 Liberalism must have
Offices ana front seats. AND the hard working
Liberals. who have been in the background for q
long tine. w'il not enjoy being displaced
Tho coalition viii also involve political co,s-
promises profoundly distssteful TO consistent
Nonoonformists and Radicals The repeal Of the