Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-02-14

the 18th of March, 1Ss9-eighteen days and
feth century.
The Evening News 1t was which. IN A prem
AZURE IL o'clock fourth edition. applied the
match to the latent mind OF excitement
which smoldered in the minds OF the peop.e.
1t declared in a little thunderboit OF breath
less news, five lines OF plea" type, that
the stock exchange had been suddenly
closed. and that 1t was rumored that the
government was appointing private brokers
for the transaction of only. such business
as might be essential.
A step SO decisive, every one saw,
could only have for its object the proven
ton of a financial panic, which might be
disastrous. And for this prevention there
must be a cause not as yet generally
known.
Yet such a step should have been ex-
pected; for hardly any, except the peace
at-any-price party, any longer hoped that
war could be ayerted-though with whom
the war was to be, against what odds. II
was not so easy to decide. At any rate, no
one could suppose that the cessions of ter
ritory by China to the three powers were
spontaneous; 1t vas shrewdly suspected
that they were the result OF a secret ufi-
Nerstanding arrived at between them ana
China at the time when the three had COM
bined to save China from Japan, after the
Chlno-Japanese war. 1t had, therefore, the
look of a conspiracy to Gust England from
her share in an empire four-fifths or whose
commerce was being carried by BRUSH
ships; and from end to end of the land the
idea that England should submit to such
conspiracy was secuted with indignation
The severance of Geographic and tele-
phonic communication. too, between the
continent and England looked like an act
of war, whoever was responsible for 1t. IL
was reported and then denied, that three
army corps of 10000 men were being mooii-
lied toward Brest. 1t was known that the
war office. the admiralty and the foreign
office were in intensely active fntercomlnu-
nication: that there were frequent ana
hurried meetings of the cabinet. But still.
with that silence which precedes the storm,
with that subdued excitement which a tribe
will cause to burst into passion. England
waited, still hoping against hope TO be al
lowed to go on her way In peace
The public were in blfssfui Ignorance
of the fact that the Majestic and La Glore
had already been lying four or five hours at
the bottom of the Atlantic.
Then came the announcement or the
Evening News, and the pent-up emotion
broke suddenly out. In the city. even be-
fore this, the streets had become a mere
sea, with currents and eddies, or throng-
ing heads. Here the facts of the case were
sooner known; when the rumor spread
westward, London was awake. All pre-
tense at traffic quickly ceased.
The general tendency and main current OF
this weltering human ocean was westward
in that part of 1t which was east of Charing
Cross and eastward in that part of it which
was west of Charing Cross The house OF
commons, as in all supreme moments of
and the magnet of the nation. Thither the
throng pressed.
What was it all about? No one was GER
tain. Was there war-at last?-in very
truth? And with whom? No one knew.
For twenty-six years Europe has been
practically at peace. The aeco-Turkish
war, the Spanish-American were not wars
they were the pickering Of naughty children.
The Franco-German had been grim enough,
but 1t had long since got to be recognized
that the next, when it actually came-at
last-would hardly resemble it; for the
French and German nations had fought,
and each still existed an integral nation in
spite of the squabble; but the struggle that
was looked forward to when Europe, in
the fulness of time, next brought forth her
monstrous offspring of war, would, as men
knew, be stupendous, worldwide and final;
the combatantS would consist of mankind;
the whole future of the world would be
determined by 1t; and in the greatness of
that day, war. the destroyer, would itself
be destroyed.
This was the logical outcome of the con-
ditions under which Europe, grooming I'M
der her weight of armor, waiting, watching,
eager to end her foul disease of hatred, had
for many years been living.
And now-at last-she was In travail
pang pang, and Shrek on shrek; and
her birth-hour was at hand.
But in the LONDON streets the crowd was
worthy of the occasion-a crowd without
violence, perfectly Observation-Disclosures meet
ing of a nation. There was a poor old
Chinaman with sore and swollen foot, on
the heel of which he used to limp, beg
ging, about the city and Holborn. BY some
chance he became involved in the crowd
opposite the New Law courts. where it was
very thick; and he was soon at loss what
to do with his big, bdndaged foot without
boot. At that moment the Eame of China
stank But the old Canton beggar was no
sooner seen to be in difficulties than the
press opened before him; he hobbled for
ward; a murmur spread round hiIn-half
cleer-a0d a
pennies made him blessed. He hobblej
through lane which instantly closed be-
hind him, thanking the gods for war.
(To be continued tomorrow