The Kenilworth Advertiser. — 1898-04-02 (Kenilworth, Warwickshire, England)

OCCASIONAL JOTTINGS.  [The Publisher does not hold himself responsible foe, or identify himself with, the opinions expressed in these Jottings.]  What we are all saying this week That the world is making history more rapidly than for many years past. That what with troubles in West Africa, on the Nile and in the Soudan, not to mention the Indian frontier; with the growing krugeriahness of Kruger and the deep designs of Russia; it looks as if it would be a case not only of John Bull in a Chinashop, but of the British Lion against the whole menagerie, presently. That the north-easter we had last week was not more stormy and unpleasant than the Far-easter may possibly be, for this country. That our greatest interest is pesos, but that if we hare to go to war, the sooner the better, as at the present moment we are better prepared than anybody else, and on the sea, at any rate, could easily swamp any opposing Power. That it is a thousand pities Lord Salisbury should be laid up at such a crisis, but that Mr. Balfour is well acquainted with his unde's policy, while Mr. Curzon can not only make brilliant speeches, but knows how to keep silence when required—rather too much so, some people think. That along with Liao-tong, hold-your-tongue is important Just now, and that if we cannot actually muzzle the dogs of war it might be a good plan to awry out the operation on some troublesome members of Parliament. At the same time, a discreet amount of information is the best way to appease anxiety, in the presence of which rumour will not be mute.  That meanwhile we must walk by faith in the Government's efforts to obtain compensatory advantages for this country without fighting, in the hope that the official statement which may be expeoied m a few days, will prove these to have had a successful issue.  That whatever happens, our Government "has the country at its back," and that party strife would very soon be hushed did more serious oonfliot begin. That America has made a lot of fuss about the prospect of war with Spain, and that if it takes such a lot of preparation to meet a fifthrate Power, what price America's chances had the anti-English feeling been allowed to prevail a short time ago ?  One result of war, as.pointed out in this column last week, would be higher prices, and in this connection it may be interesting to quote from the Pall Mall Gazette the figures showing the pike of a quartern loaf in former years :  1790, 8d ; 1796,91; 1796, 8d to 15d; 1797, 8d; 1799, lad; 1800, 196; 1801 21d to- Mid; 1802, 126; 1803, 96; 1804, 166; , 1805, 146. to 16d; 1806, 136; 1807, 130; 1808, 120; 1809, 180 to 146; 1810, 1.5i6; 1811, 156: 1812, 176 to 2/44. 1814, Aid; 1815, 126; 1816-17, 16d.  No doubt the poor think themselves badly off in these days, but it is hard to realise what some of our forefathers must have gone through.  I see that some of the soldiers out in the Soudan have been sawing off the noses of their regulation, bullets in order to improvise the Dum-dum variety, a proceeding which, according to an old campaigner, would simply shatter the rifle and procure the suicide of its owner. If this revised edition "touches the spot," one soldier is reported to have written, the subsequent proceedings interest the individual no more; he is " dumb. dumb," as well as the bullet. How lightheartedly these young Tommies seem to regard their terrible occupation.. The other day one of them wrote home a letter full of extracis from the music-hall. .. Describing the blowing up of a native hut, " then," said he, "- the band played, and up to the moon he bunked." Well, well, it would be no use sending ulize-sensitive and refined natures out to, war. Kynoch's, of Birmingham,. are reported to have made a new machine-gun which, by the-turn of a wheel, will discharge 600 bullets per minute:. It will kill at three miles 41) and, if truly deseribe4 will prove one of the most deadly weapons ever designed by man. Well might Lord Salisbury linger long before plunging his country into another European war.  It was curious to se•the weather-articles  the daily papers last week, when; accordto the ealendar, spring was supposed to have eommenced. "The winter that is past," oas the heading of one column, summing up the unusual characteristics of the last few months. Almost simultaneously, we had" Winter ablest," as the heading to the storm report in another journal. Spring is well named. No earthly power oaa tell I what it will spring upon us. If it doesn't spring forward into summer, it does backward, into winter. No doubt that is where the name came from. By the way, the Life Boat Institution, for which we in the ' midlands have had prominent appeals of late, ought to go up in public estimation , after the bravery of its crews up and down the coast one or two nights last week.