Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-03-22
POLITICS IN ENGLAND
IL g
King Edwards Interest in
Next General Election.
RECENT CONFERENCES
SUBSTANTIAL T. DIMrHUrroH IN
THE NAVAL ESTIMATES.
.,..-----T---
Movement for Memorial to Shakes
peare In London-Marvelously
Active Men-Notes.
Special Correspondents of The Evening star.

1 I0dQlu& u6H OIL IulpSTIdllSI SeCltOu OL
the liberal party. If 1t may be assumed
| that his majesty has already discounted
| the result Of the next general election, then
| 1t is reasonable to infer. from the known
facts Of the situation, that he has states
manlike anxiety that the next government
should be a really strong one. In this con-
nection there Is q rumor that the Duke Of
Devonshire may emerge from his isolation
when the moment comes, but the political
situation is so complicated just now that
what Is true one week Is not quite true the
| next; and slight shifting of the balance
of events may make statement applied
| to the duke applicable to Lord Spencer and
| vice versa.
! Still there is a tendency in the direction
of an understanding which may end in
cabinet Of compromise. The duke. of
course could hardly take Office In liberal
ministry, unless 1t was Independent of the
Irish nationalist vote, but in that case free
trade unionists and liberal home rulers
might conceivably come together on pro-
gram of "MacDonnellism.
Some such arrangement would have two
results. In the first place, 1t would pro-
vide for the future public usefulness of the
free trade unionists, whose alteration from
the tory party is becoming more fixed by
the passage of time alone. apart from
growing Emergencies of opinion, and it
would give them what they now lack-a
definite place in politics. And in the second
place their alliance with the liberals would
concentrate HlOQoIdte uufOnlSt OpluIOIl, dAu
enable a settlement of the Irish question to
take place-not perhaps a final settle
ment." because history is strewn with
wrecks of them, but one which would bring
US days march nearer to 1t.
The appointment of Lord Selborne as sue
cessor to Lord Miner is commended as the
best choice on the whole, from the small
circle Of available men. He has had a long
spell at the admiralty, and that depart
ment has been, under his rule, II not alto
gether in consequence of 1t, a shining ex-
ception to the rule of inefficiency in govern
ment administration. He Is man OF
pleasant manners, In the full prime Of life,
tactful, not dangerously imaginative, but
able and possessed of many solid qualities.
His wife; who isa daugh1er OF the n;nl late
cultivate at Cape Town those social amenf-
ties which Lord Miners bacheiordom and
strenuous rule have pfecluded during his
long term of Office 10
Lord Selborne' 9 appointment does not nec-
essarily mark even new era in South At
riea. still less any change in the South Afri-
can policy Of the government, but he Is GER
tainly regarded as one who represents
compromise between the policy of the past
and what is assumed to be it's opposite.
Two subsidiary points. however, are Of
particular interest In his appointment. In
the first place it would be very odd for one
who has been SO active party politician to
hold an administrative position as the ser
want of his politicai opponents. as he Will
do If he retains his Office for long. That,
however is for the future; but the second
point-whfch operates immediafely-is that
his appointment considerably weakens Mr..
Chamberfain's Influence inathe cabinet. Lord
SeIborne and Lord Lansdowne have been
Mr. Austin Chamberlain apart-the parttcu-
lar representatives of his policy in the cabi-
net Without their alliance and sanction
he could not well have changed the constf
tuition of the liberal uniDnist organization
as, by sort Of coup d'etat. he did last year.
Now that Lord Selborne leaves the cabi-
net Characterization is weakened by haH
| In the inner councils OF the party. ana
I though that fact may have had nothing
I whatever to do with Mr.. Balfours selec-
tion 1t may be regarded-from his point or
view-as an Incidental advantage OF an
otherwise excellent arrangement.
The high commissioner for South Africa
is paid $1,000 a year, $4,000 Of which he
receives as governor OF the Transvaai ana
Orange River colonies rms Is sum
Cromer in Egypt, but less than the f10Oo0
paid to Eary Grey In Canada. and the f2o-
900 to Lord Curzon in India.
On the other hand the high commissioner
| In south Africa, like the British represen-
tatiye in Egypt has no time limit of office.
He holds the position so long as he cares,
| or until his government recalls him. The
high commissioner has extensive powers.
He partly controls the British South Africa
Company looks after Bechuanalano, bash-
| teIand and Barotseland, In addition to su-
| pervising matters In the cape, the IFans-
vaal and the Orange River colonies.
Diminished NaVH1 GsStAAAhe0S.
Although the navy estimates do not show
| quite such large reduction as antfci-
| mated in my last weeks letter. the admir-
atty is, at least, able to point to a very
| substantial diminution as compared with
| the amount asked To- last year The econ
| omy of three and half millions that has
| been effected should materially tend to d.
| minish Mr. Austen Chamberlain's difficult
| ties in framing his next budget The re-
| duction in the estimates is, as poinieo
| out, due to the savings consequent on the
| removal of many obsolete cruisers from
| the effective list, and the change which the
Russo-Japanese war has made IN the pal
ance Of naval power; Ine pr,ncipai rear,
| frst-class battle ship and four armored
cruisers.
It is also proposed to ask parliament to
sanction the construction OF g. second royal
yacht. The new vessel Is designed to take
the place Of the Osborne and WILL pc or
much smaller dimensions than the Victoria
and Albert. The admiralty is evidently de-
termined not to repeat the biunder 1T COM
mitted in respect Of the construction of the
Victoria and Albert That vessel was built
in the government dock yard, and with Ia
mentabie consequences Inc new yacht
will be put out to tender among private
firms.
when we English are setting up me-
mortal we are too apt to think that 1t
| should be something useful" This was Mr.
suggestions that tie proposed memorial to
Shakespeare In Ionion should take the
form of a museum. a library. or. as Mr..
Tree thinks a hospital, or. as many others,
not including Mrru Tree, think, Shake
At the Mansion House meeting this week
great pains Were taken to make it appear
that the scheme for the establishment of a
combined museum, theater, library. and
lecture hall. had, never entered the minds
of the committee. and that the letter In
yesterdays Times; signed by number Of
our most conspicuous, writer's and thinkers.
protesting against, such memorial to
Shakespeare as that scheme would involve,
was mere vanity and fpolishness.
AS the latter has already served the pur-
pose of prickling, that bubble, the sigma
tories may congratulate themselves on
vanity and foolishness that have done so
good service to Shakespeare and to Lon
don
[ All that was done was to appoint large
and influential committee to consider what
form the memorial shall take. Although
the memorial will have its site In London,
the whole world will be asked to subscribe.
As DR.. Furnival put, 1t. the memorial is to
be the worlds tribute to shakespeare
genius. That this may be so the ambassa-
doris and ministers of all the powers are on
So. -