BRITISH AND FOREIGN NEWS

Greymouth Evening Star, Volume XXXI, 27 November 1901, Page 4

BRITISH AND FOREIGN NEWS

Spectator Summary.

The War.

London, October 5.

Dissatisfaction is spreading in the country in regard to the conduct of the -war. Need!e s to s ty, there is not the shade of a shadow of a desire to give iD, but merely an angry growl that the war in not being pressed home. Though we recognise that there is always some danger and unfairness to the Generals in papular cities for more activity, and though we most firmly and confidently believe that we are witnessing the last "flicker-up" among the Boers, we are glad that ihe nation is growing indignant. Oat of that healthy indignation may grow a state oi'lpublic opinion which will make such appointments as those to the First aud Second Army Corps absolutely impossible, and will insist that Generals aud olonels who attach kitchen ranges and pianos to mobile columns shall not escape with a few mild sarcasms from their Commander-in-Chief, but shall be made an example which will be remembered in the Army for three generations. Another good result which will follow from the anger of the British people is '£he impression that will be made on the

Boers and their sympathisers in South Africa and in Europe. Our easy-going ways with our Generals and our Governments have sometimes been taken for the indifference, which is the forerunner of giving in. The present temper of the British people cannot help to make the Boers and pro-Boers realise that we shall not give in even if we have to "fight it out on these lines " for twenty summers. Let our readers be assured that if we thought things were going badly in any really serious way, not a word of anger and annoyance would have escaped us now any more than it did after Colenso or Spionkop. There is no danger, and so we can safely speak out on the minor ineptitudes which are delaying, but merely delaying, the end of Jie war. The Chineso Puzzle,

A small revolt in Kwangtung lias been put down by the Chinese soldiery. It was important because it took an antiforeign direction, arid missionaries were compelled to fly, and also because it was organised by the dreaded Triad, the secret society which has for its gore ning idea the expulsijn of the Mauchus, Mr. Whigliam, however, the correspondent of the Morning Post, telegraphs Hint the agitation is watched by the officials with gr.ive alarm, that the Viceroys are suspected of levying the new " Indemnity Tax" in order to turn the irritated feeling of the people against the foreigner, and that the Emprcss-Ecgent is certainly not going back to Pekin. She has spent £OOO,OOO on a pa'ace in Kai-fur.g, the capital of Honau, and will keep the Emperor there in dependence on herself, thus baffling all the arrangements for securing the influence of foreigners in Pekin aad Chih-li. She is evidently determined not'to be governed from abroad, and, so far as appears, not only the Mandarins, but the people approve her action. Europe, in fact, is left stranded in Pekin, while the Chinese Court can organise patiently and secretly any force it pleases. Can no one tell Europe the real opinion formed at Tokio, where they know what Chinamen think, upon this situation ?

The Kaiser and his Capital The German Emperor is getting into a rather serious conflict with his capital. The Council of Berlin, by a nearly unanimous vote, has again elected Herr Kaufmann as Second Burgomaster, and the Emperor, as King of Prussia, has again refused to accept the selection. He has, moreover, refused permission to carry tramway lines across Unttr den Linden, the Regent-street of the capital, and has directed that in future every architectural project contemplated by the city shall be previously approved by himself. The citizens are irritated, and in private ridicule Plis Majesty's pretensions to be at once supreme legislator, and Minister, and architect, and art critic, and censor literaruro, and Admiral, and Commander-in-Chief within his kingdom. They will give way, of course, as they always do ; but their comments grow bitter, and do not tend to increase respect for Eoyal authority. The truth seems to be tint the King really understands city-making better than the citizens do, and cannot understand that a community, if it has to pay its own money, likes to learn from its own mistakes in freedom. T rat is one reason, at least, of tho friction which, as we have pointed out elsewhere, so constantly marks the relations between Sovereigns and their capitals. Each thinks the other ought to be less self-sufficient. The French Religious Ordors.

The new French law against unauthorised religious establishments will at first be a success. The Jesuits, against, whom it was especially directed have fled, their four Provincials leaving behind them a long and well-worded pretest, in which they affirm that the main reason for their retreat is that the blow is not aimed at them, but at tho "imprescriptible rights of tho Church." There are in all, is appears, two thousand and ten male and two thousand two hundred and e'ghty-two females unauthorised "cstablishtin 1 .ts," of which seventeen hundred and forty male and tweiva hundred at..d twenty-so von female establishments only have applied for sanction by the Chambers, a sanction which may, it should be remembered, be refused. Tho monks and nuns belonging to tho remainder arc sec-king refuge in Germany, Belgium, Spain, and England, where they aro all admitted but not entirely welcomed, their brethern tmd sisters fearing some pressuro on their means while the Bishops dread the presence of so many clericals not under their authority. The total result is that tho Government has expelled the Jesuits and about a thiry of those belonging to other Orders, and ha? brought the remainder within the grasp of th- Ministry. Twenty years hence we shall see them all back again, Churches, like water, being little amendable to pressure, but for tho moment success is with M. Waldeck-Pious-seau.

General Buller. Wo note with satisfaction that tha protssts against the appointments of Generals Buller and Wood to command the First and Second Army Corps have been very strongly taken up throughout the press. The Times has written vigorously on the question, and on Tuesday tb.B Morning Post had an article which was marked not only by the penetration and ability which have so greatly distinguished its military leaders, but by a thoroughness and a plain-speaking which leave nothing to be desired. What will be the upshot of the matter remains to bo seen. It has been argued that General BuUer is first and foremost an English squire, with all the admirable independence and self-reliance that belong to that type, and therefore it is asserted that he will not fit down quietly under the public criticism he has received. He will.it is declared, either resign or insist that the Secretary of State for War shall make a public statement, declaring that it is an entire mistake to suppose that the War Office meant to censure him by publishing the Spionkop despatches, and that he possesses now, and never at any time forfeited, their entire confidence. We agree that this is what wo should like to see Sir Bedver3 Buller do, but we fear that there is little probability of his thus insisting that he will not hold his post unless the Government withdraw or explain despatches which are being made the ground of public censure on his conduct Boers in British Service.

We are delighted to note a telegram from Ceylon confirming the story of the cnlistmont of Boer prisoners for service outside South Africa. Somo two hundred are said to bo already undergoing drill. We trust, however, that this process will not ba carried too far, or rather carried out too pedantically. We would much rather see the Boer recruits cot swallowed up in our Line '•egiinpnts, but placed in a special corps of irregular horse, mounted on, say, Burmese ponies. The officers, except the colonel, and, say, two majors, should ultimately all he Boers. The uniform simple but striking, and the force liberally paid, Properly organised, such a force would attract many young Boers as the Highlanders attracted the Jacobites. Why should we not have four regiments of irregular Boer cavalry (five hundred each) permanently stationed in i ndia a* part of the girrison ? They could oe recruited after the war from Loyal sis as well as Dutchmen, and would all' id an excellent outlet for young South Africans of spirit. In ten years' time such corps would be one of the most popular in tho Empire, and we should not be surprised to see the Afrikander Horse providing a guard of honor for the Sovereign at some great State function, »