The Guardian from London, Greater London, England • 4

TjEEE MANCHESTER GUARDIAN, FRIDAY, MAY 20, 1904. thatt the mischief done was enormo.usly out jf 4 INN FORD'S MAGNESIA. TbuToure Solution tbe best Tomodj- lor -feldltr of Um Stomaeli. Heartlrani, Headache. anil Indlgoi- "lrv TUN A A.

THE EXPEDITION TO THE KING'S TO BOHEMIA; A telegram" received, in; Vienna' from. and forwarded Iby- Reuter states that, King Edward wiU leaVe Londonffor Marienbad on July 27 and remain there August 25. Emperor Fraflois Josephwill visit there towards It is also the German. Emperor meet- His -Majesty there on his, way to attend the Austrian rnanoeuvres in Southern Bohemia. COURT ciRCTJLAR; BnCKINGHAli ThTJBSDAY: The Prince of Walea.and the Ifuke.pf Connaught visited the" King to-day.

His Majesty received the Chamberlain, in audience. control exercised by Ministers over -the order of business in Parliament, 4nd consequently over trfe'-b'usiuess It seems soundr principle that, -such control-' should -be exercised by' Ministers only through their own responsible acte, and not i through the casual agency of irresponsible private members sheltered behind a rule of procedure. OUR LONDON CORRESPONDENCE (BY PRIVATE WIRE.) London, Thursday Night. There is a general agreement that: last night's division as an expression -of the opinion of the House of Commons was absolutely rf utile. Some pfthe Unionist Free-traders 'are naturally angry the insignia of the Order of the Thistle which belonged to his father.

He will he the guest His at Buckingham Palace for two nights. It is interesting to hear that. the administration of the Chantrey Bequest is' at iast to corne before Parliament. Mr. W.

G. Bull will intro duce the matter by moving a reduction the. National Gallery vote, and he has "put! on" the: paper a motion to call attention "to the present administration of the Tate Gallery by the Trustees of the National Gallery and to the character of the pictures with which the valuable space therein is being steadily filed, and will rnove-" That in the opinion, of this House the Tate Gallery should have a separate and independent management." This is a rather happy way of bringing to a head a subject on which nearly every channel of "educated opinion has uttered the same protest that there have been grave fauits and omissions in the administration of this national trust. It-beKins, not by- attacking Academicians, who administer the. bequest for the quality of their purchases, but.

Dy way or censuring the Tate Gallery authorities for accepting such works in a national gallery, which should be reserved for the best art only. The precedent of former Parliamentary discus sions im art matters does not lead one to expect any practical result, but, for one we shall probably have at last a special defence of the Chantrey administration. And once that is uttered the question can be put in its barest form before the public. It is, by the a happy that the national outcry against official mismanagement should be voiced by Mr. Bull.

I hope the matter will also find its way into the House of Lords, where there have" been many discussions of art affairs. Of old the merciless wit of the late Lord Salisbury made brilliant these debates, but shrivelled the pro posals. Lord Windsor, Lord Wemyss, and other- noble lords nave shown an individual and optimistic view that even in art matters reform is advisable and possible. But the irony of the situation would be that Lord Windsor, as a trustee of the National Gallery, would have to oppose criticism, whatever he might think of the administration of Che Chantrey Bequest. And as the matter in the Commons is introduced on a Civil Service vote, there' will be -irony there too, for Lord Balcarres is a man of enlighten ment in art and yet he is Junior Lord of the Treasury.

Lord Roberts presided at the annual dinner, yesterday, of the National Society for the Pre vention of Cruelty to Children, and made a strong appeal for a larger measure of public support. On the work of last year there is a deficit oi close on 5,000,. and this brings up the total debt to about These may seem large figures, hut, as the Earl of Ancaster pointed out, the Society cannot tell its inspectors to limit their work for fear of a debit balance at the end of the year. Lord Roberts, on the authority of Mr. Waugh, who was unable himself to attend, said that if there was a pin to choose between them the cases of cruelty among the educated and well-to-do were worse than those among the poorer classes.

The number of complaints made to the Society since 1889 reaches the enormous total of 374,237. Of these 352,812 were found to be true and affected" the welfare of 975,076 children. Mr. Choate, who replied for the visitors, might well speak of "this almost incredible story -of cruelty." He said that the first society of this kind was founded in New York' thirty-five years ago, and the American example had been followed in all Christian countries. The Philharmonic Concert this evening afforded a welcome opportunity of renewing acquaintance with Dr.

Elgar's overture "In the South." A second hearing confirms the first impression as to the great beauty-of the passage in which a folk-song-like melody is entrusted' to a viola solo, and the power and originality of the music associated with might of Rome. The overture was very finely played under Dr. Cpwen, and in Glazoundff's Symphony in minor (No; '6), with'which the concert ended, the orchestra played with, more vigour 'and polish than it has done for a long time. The great feature of the cdncert was, however, Mr. Kreisler's superb performance of Beethoven's Violin Concerto.

It was unsurpassable for beauty of tono and brilliance of technique, and for a combination of tenderness and virility of style. The cadenzas by himself which he played are ingenious, the best being the second, In the theme of the finale is anticipated. MB. GEORGE MEREDITH ON WOMEN AND POLITICS. Mr.

George Meredith, writing to the Dorking Liberal Association, on the 'position of women in politics, says: We who believe in Liberalism do. 'not doubt that as their intellect expands' and sharpens they will join with the party, of progress which, without rejecting such wisdom as was given by our forefathers, aims at a condition of things in harmony with the wider deeper knowledge we have won, the nobler ambition, the more human interest in the welfare of our fellows. By studying public matters diligently you will soon learn to perceive there is no natural hostility between the sexes. FRANCE AND THE VATICAN. A RUPTURE THREATENED.

At a special Council of French Ministers yesterday the Papal protest against the visit of President Loubct to Rome, as it appeared in the newspapers, was under consideration. The Government (Renter says) decided, before taking any steps, to assure itself, of the authenticity 'of the published document, the terms of which do not agree with the text of the communication received by the Government. The Minis ters also agreed upon the measures which it might-" eventually be round necessary to adopt in the matter. It is stated (Reuter's correspondent adds) that the French Ambassador at the "Vatican will be recalled should the protest as published in the newspapers prove to have been sent -bo the other Powers having representatives accredited to the Holy See. A request has been telegraphed to the Ambassador to inquire as to the authenticity of the statement published.

His reply will probably Teach Paris without delay, and the Government expects to be in possession of the -facts by to-day. POLITICAL POSITION IN AUSTRALIA. FAILURE OF THE ANTI-LABOUR COALITION. According to a Reuter telegram from Melbourne, Mr. Reid's supporters have declared themselves unanimously in favour of a coalition against the Labour Ministry, but the Deakinite caucus yesterday retused to sanction any coalition of which Mr.

Deakin was not Premier. Mr. Deakin declined to take any" office, and the project for a coalition has therefore been put aside. It is understood that a portion of Mr. Deakin's representing Radical constituencies are unwilling openly to' support the oononents of Mr.

Watson. In explaining? the legislative programme of the government in tne commonwealth House of Representatives, on Wednesday Mr. Watson. the Premier, stated that the Old-age Pension Bills, the bill for the establishment of 8tate "control over the tobacco trade, and the Banking Bill would be introduced in the not in the Dresent-session. According to a later telegram, Reid has 'written to Mr.

Deakin offering to efface himself and to ask his own party to allow Mr. Deakin's followers to select the Premier for a coalition Ministry, nofe necessarily Mr- Deakin himself, btrtV whomsoever his party may choose to nominated The 'number "of governors and members of they Eoyal Agricultural'-Society of England1 now on-the. register is stated in the annual report to oe 1 9,477, egainst9e8 in May THIBET ENEMY WELL ARMED AND REKport, Tbe following tlo, ORCED. wea jjjatnrrf, is been received from tho 't. correspondent with the British Gyantse.

It has apparently beT transmission, for a telegram from tk yed respondent of Monday's date has ai COf- published: wea This (Saturday) mornW Gyantse Jong mounted with much small cannon, which, as it turned capable of throwing ball weighing 31T' soon as' the first shot was fired il As jumped upon the walls, uttering wiu defiance. A Maxim was tnm-H Cnes and they quickly disappeared. One the new gun struck the hosnitn! was more firing than usual from the fort foJ and worliina narties- i 1.fV ta 1 -ore reinforces were observed entering the fort. There are some indications tw contemplate cutting our communications feT rear. The parcel post was looted and four mounted infantry, carrvino- men.

me i'olitica! fie has received a report that the Thibetan am" being- strengthened. arnT is 'oapwtm utuej, witn mounted infantrr 1 reconnoitring to our lpft. iea very strongly held, the enemv havSfS I'l liOlUf. I Ottley estimates their numbers at thousand. The small force was received vi.

a reeular blaze of fire, hut fortim.i.. without casualties. The Thibetans Armed with Good Rirus In a telegram despatched from Gyantse on Wednesday the correspondent of the most unpleasant features of the present situation are that the Tushi Lama, wlio ranks practically as the equal of the Dalai Lama in power and influence, has presumably thrown in his lot against us, arid that the enemy has now been shown to possess good rifles and gingals. In all the fighting there has am been a single instance of an arrow being 4ot or a spear- thrown. The enemy have confined themselves to musketry fire.

Tho fewness if our casualties is solely due to the qxcelleit manner in which the Indian corps have beta trained to take cover. The bombardment from the fort has hitherto proved more or- less less, because the garrison has been strenuoni labouring for the past week in ereefcin" Cor4 Nearly every tent has a wail front of it. Every precaution has also bein taken against night attacks. Wire entangle ments have been prepared outside the camp the sentries have been doubled at night, and a t'w of the garrison sleep at their posts. The garrison." is too small to run the risk of attempting to take the Thibetan position by assault now the enemy 'has' been proved to possess rifles.

At the same time in spite of the continuous daily bombardment garrison is in good spirits and excellent health. There is no danger of starvation, thanks to the excellent arrangement oi the supply and transport department. Besides, the line of communication remains open. The Thibetans have, now three big gins, throwing 3lb. balls, mounted in their fort.

TllOV VOrA hrinorinrY 1 rortr 1-afnra 7.. Lhasa, but were obliged to abandon it on the 1. .1. J-l- T- i. DanKS or tine uranmaputra owing to tne bnae over which it had to be brought being unabie io bear the weight.

UNIVERSITY INTELLIGENCE. OXFORD, Mat 19. The Section of Russian Language and Literature of the Imperial Academy of Sciences a St. has informed the Hebdomadal Council That, in view o'f political circumstances, tht'SUv "Congress summoned for August :31 is adjourned to a date which will be notified. Mr.

Reginald H. Ferand, Keble College, has been re-elected a delegate for the' training of elementary teachers. The President of Magdalen College has been reappointed a member of the governing body of St Paul's School. Mr. Robert H.

Hodgkin, Lecturer in Modern History has been elected to a fellowship at Queen's THEATRE ROYAL. "THE COMPTON COMPANY IN "THE SCHOOL FOR SCANDAL." Mr. Edward Compton and his company pre sented The School for Scandal at the Theaut Royal last night. Mr. Compfon himself played the somewhat crude part of Charles Surface-ttf kind of hero that the second-rate create for themselves, tbe drinking, idle, handsome fellow who gives half-a-crown.

to every beggar and puts hi-' tradesmen's bills into the fire. It is not easy say which is the less desirable of Sic Olivers nephews. like Burns, thought thaw, you could make shiftless, thriftless, rlmnta person swagger a little takingly and mouth fi sentiments on certain occasions and not on otka you would convert him into a. and the eighteenth century, which believed much in deportment and in fine speeches, 5 ready enough to allow the hero's bays on those ea3y terms. The comedy is an interesting swd? in the mind of its author and the spirit of time but it does not touch the life of the ages, aw the lapse of a century- has left much of liance and its meaning with other long-d" fashions.

It is still, however, popular exoaj when played with sympathy, and Mr. Comp and his company do for all that art can a' Even so it remains a question if it is not a pleasure to read "The School for Scandal i to see it played in the3e alien times- THE SECRET. OF MR. CARNEGIE'S SUCCESS. Mr.

Carnegie, who has' just paid a visit to the Students' Union of Edinburgh, University, SW amused the students by a brief speech. He sa il had been his business all his life to discover mea cleverer than himself and then to use theirs epitaph which would probably be put on bit stone was: "Here lies a man who knew bow get round' cleverer men than ACCELERATION OF THE GLLl STREAM. A Xaffan telegram from New York We incoming steamships report an acceleration 'of the Gulf Stream, which a arranging the time schedule of liners bound -ward. The Kaiser Wilhelm was ten hoursj the Bremen-24 hours, and the Palat.a the other hand, steamers going east maa respondingly fast passages. The Postmaster General anc JLj to after the 2th inst.

British postal orders thia country: under ordinary dale payable, in. Sierra Leone, and from orders of a number of denom.natwnsjrill tainable from the post-omce 0.Sieal ordeI Further extensions of the British postal system are in contemplation. T)ieipline The-Royal Commission on Church Dup met yesterday Iodon and decided beg taking of evidence at its of The Anglo-Fbbnch Covestio-. Ae th Government in tne Din junuuutcu Houfle of Commons in order to obtain tne pp of Parliament to the Anglo-French nv' issued yesterday. It contains nUnsei; which.

authorises tne aiub the Convention intoeffect, and states nv expenses incurred Will be defrayed out ot nttA by Parliament. The -za': a schedule. ibbean Sea, and he predicts not obscurely the graviation of our West Indian the. American system, unless the deus ex matihitia. of commercial federation which Mr.

ChambebWIn Burmnons should interpose. The Tahish Wet indies will probably. pass by purchase' to the United tberFreoch and Dutch islands are. economically neglijpble any case America will, command these waters. The Panama Canal ''enlarges the American sphere' with eome.

pre cipitation, and it' makes the little-desired task of controlling Central America an immediate "necessity." Mexico, becoming, constantly more dependent economically, upon the" United States, is unlikely to -retain her independence. How far expansion south of Panama. will- proceed must depend' partly upon 'the drift" of American capital and trade, which will follow the control of. the Caribbean' Sea, partly -ron the application of. the.

elastic Monroe which Mr. CoporHOTN rightly interprets as "Hands off, Europe!" Pirn-Americanism in any' clear organic eense is quite impracticable, the ssertioh of her paramountry in the Western Hemisphere may lead the United States into large and perilous responsibilities in South America. But-it is.her. new Pacific policy which, is. most crucial.

Mr. Colquhottn's favourite theme, that the- Pacific Ocean is the new centre of gravita tion, for world politics and commerce, is fraught with immense consequences to the great Republic, which has now definitely established herself in the Philippines, and by the new canal majtes "New York six thousand miles nearer China than before' The 'markets of the Far East must more and more dominate her com mercial and her naval policy, and so she will be drawn, into the cockpit of European nations, struggling to keep the Russian octopus from devouring China and Japan. Mr. Colquhocn's fanatical Russophobia distorts facts and judgments in this portion of his work, but when we remember Mr. Roosevelt's statement that an American lake we can realise how far this single act of Imperialism has carried America from her old isolation.

Mr. Colqtjhoux is no whit concerned with the ethics of a movement which he' regards as natural "and necessary the domination of weaker by peoples, but he offers a very', shrewd--and instructive commentary -upon and practices of American Imperialism as far as it has gone. Philippine administration he regards as, on the whole a costly failure, chiefly owing to an invincible idealism which led the Americans to establish democratic institutions and a crude machinery of education among people utterly unfitted to profit by it. He considers that America should and must revert to the more "paternal" methods of dealing with tropical and backward peoples which Great Britain has. applied in India and elsewhere.

The abandonment of the Philippines he discards as, impossible, and the independence of Cuba is" "-a farce." America is committed to a great and" growing tropical and a political and military policy adapted thereto. He clearly perceives the in compatibility of this Imperialism with American democracy, and prescribes great and necessary changes in the latter. Militarism, bureaucracy, centralisation, and growth of Presidential power are some of the necessary fruits of this new policy. Mr. Lytteltojt was taxed last night with.

changing the. minimum for Chinamen on. tne itand trom the -he pledged himself to Is. or Is. 6d.

He pleaded guilty, and alleged in extenuation the advice of experts. He admitted what is the essential point that it will not do to cheapen Chinese labour below Kaffir labour so as to undercut the latter artificially. He might, have added that in the earlier debates a prominent argument in defence of introducing the Chinese was the assurance that anyhow their labour would cost more than Kaffir labour, and there would thus be no motive 'for using it except as a supplement. What he said- yesterday indicates that this guarantee has been reduced' to vanishing-point. The Chinese are to earn as much as or more than Kaffirs by a special system of piecework, or, failing that, they will get not less than.

45s. Now 46s. is considerably below the level to which, we have been told so often, Kaffir wages have now been raised. On the other hand, the piecework arrangement seems devised to ensure that where the Chinaman gets better wages he shall give better value for his money. The latter has always seemed to us the nrobable in tention of the scheme's authors.

Allowing for cost of importation, Chinese will be dearer per neaa man namrs. cut we do not believe they were ever Teally meant to be dearer in proportion to work done. Their superior Civilisation, intelligence, and industrial aptitude will enable them to work "with far fewer whito overseers Kaffirs, and to do more, more systematised, and more responsible work. This undercutting ot the Kaffir is not a small point; it goes to the root of the question whether the Chinese are to be introduced as a temporary supplement in a few thousands, or. whether thov are progressively to supplant the natural labour supply lor tne mines and grow into a vast com munity of yellow miners, numbering even nun dreds of thousands.

The easy modification of i -Ministerial pledge- such a matter is not of happy augury. In the debate on the adjournment yesterday ens nouse or. commons laboured under the disadvantage of being precluded from discussing almost all important topics" bv blocking motinnc The subjects covered by these motions, and therefore formally tabooed, included Thibet, Macedonia, Chinese labour, preferential duties' and the War Office. Carried to this pitch the anomalous usage of blocking motions" becomes an obvious and monstrous abuse, whereby Parliament's right to discuss all matters of urgent public interest is' practically withdrawn. Yesterday, by a certain latitude of observance, the Government let Chinese labour and Macedonia form the subjects, of.

Ministerial statements and of some discussion. But the" exceptions only threw into relief the degree to which the. "blocking motion" machinery is now a mere device to enable. Ministers, to shake off at will the censorship of the Houseof- Commons. In the circumstances of the present "Ministry machinery is convenient for those, who use it.

But some capacity for "playing the game" and rising- above momentary tactical advantages to consider how. any" practice works out all round has been too long'a recognised factor in British politics for it to be likely that Ministerialists view this without compunction. The'- nation-has an interest in' the control of Parliament over Ministers and the maintenance, of Parliament afocus forfree, public discussion, -which, no" one can, "seriously maintain should be subordinated such an arbitrary and irresponsible act as the placing of a blocking, motion on7 the: rjaperpy any singlev private member. The lasCc twenty, years'have seen an, enormous growth! the proportion to theinsignificarce of the1; means it is not an two battleships each other out of the water. It; does seem little better than an accident when handful of men in a torpedp boat drop a.

mine at: a and ten or 'twelve thousand tons of wrought 'iron navigated with a prodigious expenditure of brain.power and steam power run up against it the next day. The naval war between Russia and Japan has been made up of such accidents. The largest and most expensive contrivances have produced the smallest result? the cheapest and most insignificant the most startling. No single misfortune suffered by either side at sea has been- the -result of a contest be tween, approximately equal forces under ap-- proximately. equal conditions.

Surprise, chance, and the. torpedo, moving or stationary, have" done all the mischief. People are beginning why naval Powers are at such trouble and expense to build enor mous floating ruachiue-shops which are sent to the bottom jast as easily as an iron shell that. can be built at twenty times less cost and carries thirty times fewer men to drown; The expensive- ships that cost half a million a have done nothing in this war. They are less powerful against shore batteries than were Nelson's wooden men-of-war against-the bat teries of their" day unless they find ships of pretty much their own size they cannot, get any.

ngnting; they, are always, given, suitable cir--. cunistances, liable to be blown out-of the water by a torpedo, or a mine costing or three hundred pounds to-- mike: Do not the" events of the; far arcue -for the expediency of building smaller ships rather more; of them, rather 8than larger fewer? Of course, because one torpedo be capable ot destroying one -battleship- -it would not necessarily follow. twelve: torpedo boats are under all circumstances the equal in fighting value to one battleship, but it is' certainly re markable that in this war the battleships and armoured cruisers should have done absolutely nothing against the torpedoes, and the torpedoes so much against them. Captain Mahak, who discusses this question in the Times," de cides, on the. whole, in' favour of the battleship, and while he thmks modifications of arina-.

ment" may be made, he is certain that the fleets that will cbhtrorthe seas Will' not be mos. quito fleets. But some of his arguments against tne torpedo are answered by -to-day's news iogo's battle fleet," he remarks; "lias never been ruffled by the very respect' able, though numerically inferior, Kus sian flotilla; and he has ''battleships and with them the control of the sea by the. very simple device of keeping them out at sea after nightfall." Out at sea they are, indeed, safe from doing harm-as well as re ceiving it, unless the enemy wishes; but it does not appear that there is any, sovereign, specific against their destruction-nearer shore in the day time. And tho choice is not necessarily.

-be tween battleships and torpedo craft, but between larger smaller-ships. Given equal vulnerability in conflict with a' common enemy the torpedo, is it not the sounder policy to risk less against the weapon which can only strike once and destroys the larger as easily as the smaller ship? Wo believe in a certain amount of conservatism in this matter, but we confess that Captain Mahan seems to us to beg the when he condemns the faith in smaller craft as evidence of the desire to obtain results without- payings the," reasable necessary. price." The reasonable price, of course, is just tho market price; which varies with fashion and time. What may seem a reasonable price now would have seemed an unreasonable price in Nelson's days, and the question at issue is whether the price is not going down again. We publish in another column an abstract of a remarkable memorandum drawn up by Sir Kobert Hart, the great English servant cf the Chinese which has just-been referred by the Empress Dowasee for discussion to the Viceroys and Governors of all die pro vmces.

isir ROBERT Haet's scheme is, in brief, to impose a tax on Chinese lands which we calculate would work out to between Is. 6d. and 2s. per acre. By this tax he hopes to raise a revenue of 400,000,000 teels, or about 00,000,000.

This sum he proposes to cevote to the reorganisation of the Chinese army and navy, to the payment of reasonably adequate salaries to Chinese officials thus doing away with the cause of a'great deal of the corruption tne oninese public service, to education, j. i- auu lu ouier oDjects. jt is an immense scheme, of vital interest not only to China, but to Lancashire. Its execution, if it is practicable, would mark the beginning ot a new era in Chinese history, an era of reform and progress. On the details of the scheme we do not feel competent "to express an opinion.

though Professor Parker, who knows more of Chinese finance than anyone in England, is evidently strpng sympathy with it. What, however, is noteworthy is the political argu ment by which Sir Robkrt Hart supports the scheme. He is anxious to make China independent of the results of the war. "However lengthy the Russo-Japanese war may-be," says the memorandum, "China's serious difficulties will certainly begin with the signing of peace "and. if she fails to take timely action now in order to assert herself at the supreme moment, she is condemned'beforehand to accept the dic- tation of others as to her fate." In- a strong China lies the best, of all guarantees that the 'effects of the war will be localised without it we have no guarantee either as against Russia or as against "Japan.

This country has therefore an exceptional interest in the scheme of reform which Sir Robert Hart proposes. It has been said that we have much to lose by the war and nothing to, gain. But. a strong such as Sir Robert Hart seeks to see established, would, at any rate, prevent us from losing anything, The emergence of the United States as a wirld-power, with island colonies, and illimitable aspirations after empire, is one of the meet dramatic phases of recent history. Mr.

Archibald CffLQTJHOtrN handles this fascinating theme with, great knowledge and -judgment in a book on "Greater America" which Messrs. Haspsr and Brothers have, recently published. moves easily amid the mass of 'world politios, and. marshals large -ideas, and magnificent hypotheses with ease and skill. Besides- this, he has made a close study of.

recent affairs, both on the continent and the Philippines, the largest of her new. enterprises. Mr. Coijtjhotin is a believer manifest' destiny on the restless energy of a vigorous people seeking terri-Itorial aggrandisement- His speculations as to the.cUrecrioP-;fflnd:tl';pace,6f America's' further imperial career, are based on careful cbnsid.era-tioh of current' Cfacfe, and 'are prbfoundly inter esting exaBiples; of the artvOf ecientific prophecy Cuba-and Puerto -Rico he regards as trie first- iruiis or ner. policy or empire in w.vr- TOO aaiesfc ana rain 0110 -'-ttozxs.

Icdlea. chttdraa and infant. 1 SoJd throughout the l- io-dafs LEADERS THE WAK 4 The Expansion the United States, 4 Chinamen's Wages: Mr. Lyttelton's Pledge 4 Obstruction by Blocking Motion SPECIAL ARTICLES The Awakening oi Iron Trade Prospects The' Theatre THE WAR IN THE FAR EAST l- Two Japanese vrarsmys Fighting in North Liab-tung "The Japanese in FOREIGN AND COLONIAL NEWS The Expedition "to" Thibet and the "Vatican The Position in lhc International Chess Tournament 6 PARLIAMENT -rr 1 1: TO JJISCUSSIOII UUUBl iimuunco House of Commons 6 House of Lords -6 GENERAL NEWS The Cabinet Chinese Labour 5 The Linensintr Bill 10 The Preventability of Railway 10 County: Council 10 The Ship Canal Bill 10 The Trafford Park and StretfOrd 10 lews and the Aliens Bill 6 Salte.rd Borough 3 Cricket 3 Memorial "Notices- 10 Weather IToieeasts lO Money Market 7 Manchester Market.Commercial .8 Ameiicau Stock'and Produce Markets 9 CORRESPONDENCE The Licensing" Bill (Mr. R.

B. 10 THE GUARDIAN. MANCHESTER FRIDAY, MAY 2 SUMMARY OF NEWS. TJOMTCRTin. The House of -Commons rose yesterday for the Whitsuntide holidays.

A general -debate arose on the motion the adjournment, the topics dealt with including British liability under the Chinese Labour Convention, the protection of British residents Newchwang, Chinese rail way concessions, Armenian and Macedonian unrest; the prospects of certain bills, the incon veriience of the procedure rules, and the restric- -fcion n-nnn dsha.t.'M. occasioned hv the svstem of putting blocking motions. on the order paper of Tn 'Iia TTmr.A TjJ.lin nKnnnc.arT 1 il. AC 1... 1 VAnmAmr iini'fp VJ I- vfa i -fc i was condemned by Lord Lovat and 'other speakers, and defended by the Earl of Donough-more and the Marquis of Lansdowne.

It was i 3 i. xi 1 1 i. 4.U.. VXpiaiQBU UJttb llitl ctULUUniICEl IUWUUCU l'Ullr the reduction- should" be effected by stopping recruiting and by not re-engaging men of bad Official correspondence, chiefly between Mr. Lyfctelton and Lord Milner, on the Transvaal Labour Importation Ordinance' was issued -yesterday in the form or a The 1 i 1 I terms or tne convention Deiween xne unnsn and the 'Chinese Governments on the.

same sub ject wero also published. Mr, George Meredith in a letter to the Uork-ine "Women's Liberal Association observes that we who believe in Liberalism do not doubt that as the intellect of' women expands and snarpeiin. t-'nejr. vviil jua" hhu -y- "11 I 1 i 1. I gress.

quiry at Downham, near Clitheroe, into state- of parishioners with to the cTiTnf al rim i cf in f.i on 4-Iia miTisn At. t.llA close he announcea tnat there was no action which he icould see his way to take against the vicar, and he advised all parties to adopt con ciliatory methods tor. the. tuture. The Manchester- Ship Canal -Bill, main -obiect of which is to author ise nn increase of depth of tho waterway by two feet, was passed ty tne jaouse or Loraa Committee yesterday, and.

ordered to be reported for third read- iTifr Fair, generally, but becoming: less settled later in south warmer is the weather forecast for to-day. FOREIGN. The Japanese suffered two severe naval disasters off Port Arthur on Sunday. The battleship Hatsuse, whilst cruising to protect landing operations, came in contact with Russian which exploded. Almost at onco she struck a second mine', and she sank within half an hour.

Three hundred of her crew were saved, and the remainder of her complement of over 700 were drowned. On the same day and in tho same waters the Japanese cruiser Yoshino was accidentally rammed during a dense fog by the cruiser Kasuga, and Only 90 of her crew were saved. Altogether, it is be lieved, the loss of life amounted to about 650. The Japanese, who landed near Kaiehau, to the south of Newchwang, are reported to have re-embarked after Cutting the railway. The latest intelligence from Newchwang states that tho Russians have not completed the evacuation Some of -the Japanese advanced forces in Man churia are said to be retiring temporarily, and a' concentration is reported to be taking place between Fene-huanir-chene and- the Yalu.

No -further fighting in Manchuria is reported. Lama has. thrown in his lot with the Dalai Lama in opposition, to the IJnbetnu expedition, and the enemy are" now known to possess good nfles. Three guns, have been mounted their fort, at Uyantse. The.

projected coalition of the supporters re spectively of Mr. 3eakin and Sir. Reid against i a i a ri 1 The first prize in the international chess tour nament at Cambridge Springs has been won by Mr. F. J.

Marshall, who did "not lose a single game. We are all in sympathy with Japan to-day, as we" were with. Russia when Admiral Makaroff went down -with the Petropavlovsk. It. is true that 'the loss of a battleship and a protected cruiser, though serious, does not mean, as much, to Japan as it would to Russia.

She still holds command of the sea for the, purposes of the. and likely to keep it unless the Russians manage to join, their Baltic and, Black Sea fleets and get theni into Far Eastern waters. But Japan's strength at 6ea does "not1 lessen the miserable tragedy. When the Petropavlovsk was exploded by' a mine people shook their heads, said Makarofp was a fine fellow but rash, blamed the incompetence of the' Russians, and contrasted it with the good.trim of the Japanese." Biit no could call Admiral Togo rash. He been cautious to-a fault.

He has risked his -i i j. 1. 1. small era 1 1 uuu lie jji. i-uavu muuu ui his battleships as their sides bad been "made Ox xrresuen cui.ua.

jiet xjo. iw Ly iaiiKuiou TrKioli line ennf ci-v. Turn rl a. million ana-a. halt, or ot.

-tfin sfn. we savan accident wo do not r.vnn' n't i 1. fhn' Htireianc rliH tTott' mine gainst which Hatsuse.) pHa. Quite probably "jthey did, as the" that wmch sanu the rbviovsk. we sunniy mean a The Queen, accompanied by Princess and attended by.

an exhibition of work by lady students of Alex-TTonainpton Gore. VTh Prin'nf teinineen was invited to. luncheon with the" King and Queen to-day, and took leave of their Majesties on his return to Germany. Major General L- Oliphant, commanding the Home District; Lieutenant Colonel E. Baring, military secretary to the Viceroy of and Professor Armmiua yambery had the honour of being received' by the King.

THE CABINET. The Cabinet met at the Foreign Office yesterday for the disposal of various matters of business in view of the Whitsun. holiday. All the members were-present." The, Press Association states that the meeting -had-no -reference to the Thibet expedition, and that: no news had been received by the Government from.Thibet to call for any special consultation of Ministers. The Central News, in support of' its 'statement of Wednesday night, asserts that the meeting was only specially summoned late on Wednesday, after a consider-tble.

interchange of between the India Office and the Foreign and that a meeting of the Defence Committee, had been called for yesterday, but Mr. Balfour telegraphed to the various members early yesterday morning postponing the meeting of the Defence Committee until to-day. Lord Harlech, -who had passed a restless night, was reported to he not quite so well yesterday morning. The King and Queen are to visit Wellington College on the afternoon of the Speech-day, June 18. In spite of efforts to induce him to reconsider his decision, Mr.

Samuel: Smith, M.P. for Flintshire, is retiring at the general election. -The Liverpool- Corporation Library and Arts Committee yesterday resolved to recommend the Citv Council to appoint Mr. Carew Martin- as curator of the.Walker Art Gallery. It is reported that the King and Queen, will give a state ball at Buckingham Palace early in June, and that ah 'official announcement oh the subject may be expected shortly.

The Marquis-of who was to have pre- sided-at a -Unionist meeting-at will be unable to be present, as he has -not -sufficiently recovered. from an attack of bronchitis. Lord Middleton is to be nominated as president of the Royal Agricultural in succession to the Earl of Derby, at the', annual general meeting on the 30th inst. Prince Christian is to spend Whitsuntide as the guest of Earl and Countess Carrington at Gwydyr Castle. He is expected to arrive at Llanrwst on Saturday.

It is stated that at the conclusion of the London season Franz von Vecsey, the young violinist who has recently obtained' such marked is to go to Berlin -in order lessons "of Dr. Joachim." The Earl and Countess" of Leven and "Melville are to go into residence at Holyrood on Monday, the day before the of. the General Assem bly of, the Church of Scotland, of which Lord Mel-- vine is uuiu xrign ouiiiiuiuaiuiici. The German Emperor and Empress have pre sented as a wedding gift to Miss La'scelles, the daughter of Sir Lascelles, a porcelain clock made in the Imperial Manufactory at Berlin. Her wedding to Mr.

Spring-Rice "is to take place "in Berlin on June 1. Yesterday was the sixth anniversary of the death of Mr. Gladstone. There was a special celebration of the Holy CommunioD at Hawarden parish church at 8 a.m., at which" the Hector (the Rev. Stephen1 Gladstone)- officiated.

The wor shippers 'included Iiady Frederick Cavendish. Mr. Winston Churchill will-address p. meeting of Manchester business men in the Midland Hotel on the afternoon of June 15. The meeting is aranged by the -North-West.

Manchester Divi sion branch, of the Free Trade League, and Mr. A E. Leaf, the chairman of the branch, will preside. The Russian Grand Duke Michael Michaelo-vitch, who has hitherto held the rank of staff captain, and who since his marriage witri Countess Torby has resided abroad chiefly in England in a private capacity, has been promoted by the Tsar to the rank of captain. His commission is made to date back to 1900.

The' Prince of Wales, 'who was recently appointed President Governor of Christ's Hospital, in succession to the Duke of Cambridge, paid ia visit yesterday, accompanied by the Princess, to the Hertford establishment, and thoroughly inspected the In acknowledgment of, his liberality to the Roman Catholic Church, Mr. Richard Holden, a brewer of Blackburn, has had conferred upon him the knighthood of-. Saint Gregory by the Pope. The investiture was' performed at Blackburn Town Hall last' night by the Bishop of Salford. THE CHARGES AGAINST THE CONGO MB.

EMMOTT, M.P., AND M. SEVE. As an example of the methods which are being adopted by. Belgian and English defenders of the unhappy conditions obtaining in the Congo Independent State," a copy -has; been sent to us of a correspondence that has taken place between' M. Edouard Seve, Consul Generatfor Belgium in the United Kingdom, who is stationed at Liverpool, and Mr.

Alfred Emmott, M.P. Mr. E. D. Morel had published in the West African Mail the following as a translation of a passage in a letter addressed to him by MT.

Seve. last month: "The report I "should say the libel of Mr. Casement has been noted by the Federation for the Defence of Belgian Interests Abroad." Casement being a 'British Consul, Mir. Emmott asked in the House, of Commons. whether it was in-accordance with international courtesy for a representative of, a foreign Power to.

characterise a report of His Majesty' Government as a libel. Lord Percy replied- in effect that it thai "the attention of the Belgian Government would be billed to it. On May 9, M.Seve wrote to Mr. Emmott, in French, complaining that Mr. JBmmott had made himself echo of an odious calumny by Mr.

Morel. -Mr. Emmott requested an explanation', and M. 8eve referred him lto a published interview, which' ac. 'Sisve is represented as denying -that he used any-word that could be translated, hbeU" To this Mr.

Emmott replied i1. understand. you deny, in the interview to which you refer roe. that you. used any word which could by any means translated tlibel I have- seen -youT original -letter to Morel." I cannot find in it any -such" words as Je devrais dire, n'est: pas The words -1-do find are Le rapport, je deyrais dire le.ilibelle;u de M.

a ete-. releve-'par eration pour la Defense dea" Inteffiti Beiges l'Etranger I shall "be glad to know if you desire to make any further- -X-intend to'sendthe' correspondence to the preas." Seve answered French the effect" that he-is a man of work and study and desires his correspondence to retain its private cbaracter, '-antMhat ifnMr. Morelycontinued to pursue him i.ahould." appeal to-the; British Government or oriproteetiohi Eminbtt immediately (on-; Tuesday) telegraphed vback You l-maae pttDUC ana stated had dt'tnen leplied. You caif t.ruake correspondence apologyand 'with-A T9ws1 rf of odionflt. Cftlnmnv' ftffninftA' with those temporising spirits who followed Sir Michael Hicks-Beach into the lobby or -simply walked out when -the division was called.

But it' is argued on behalf of the less openly militant of the Unionist Free-fooders that they are playing a very difficult game in their constituencies. Even where they are satisfied that tariff reform is played out for the purpose of winning votes, they have at the same- time to guard themselves against the suspicion of anything like general disloyalty to the Government as it is now formed. It is in this way that Balfour's amendment may possibly count with his own party, and it is certainly, the way in which it was intended to count. The Unionist elector who is with vhe Government on such questions" as education and even licensing but against them on the taxation of food is naturally only too glad to believe that the de cision, on the question of tariff reform has been indefinitely postponed. The fact that Mr.

Chamberlain and his supporters are taking advantage of this delay to make the running in the country is lost sight of in the anxiety, to" maintain outward party harmony as long as possible. Such forebodings as those to which Lord George Hamilton gave expression in last night's in regard to the effect on the prospect ot the Unionist party of the dissension which exists within their ranks are undoubtedly having a very important influence on the action of a great many prominent Unionists outside the House who have neither the courage nor the logical faculty of Free-traders like Lord H. Cecil, for instance, and who will do anything if the evil day can only be postponed. Perhaps, the most inter esting- clause in the Chinese Labour Convention is the sixth, which provides that for the better, protection of the emigrant and of any other Chinese subject in the colony to which emigration is to take place the Emperor of China may appoint a Consul or Vice Consul with all the rights and privileges usually accorded to consuls. It has hitherto been the contention of the.

Colonial Office that under existing treaties the Chinese Government has no right to appoint consuls. This was the attitude taken up when there was a movement for appointing consuls at Hong Kong and Singapore in. -the end of the when Sir Michael Hicks-Beach was at the Colonial Office. It was f.eared that the consuls would acquire iiiegiuiiuHe icnuence- uirougn the numbers ot the Chinese residents, and also that the consuls would be subject to blackmail and undesirable pressure from their having relatives in China who would be at the mercy of ill-disposed In fact the Chinaman-was regarded as too much of an unknown quantity to be safely entrusted with an office invented by the Western for his own purposes. The difficulty was got over at these "places by the appointment of weaitny merchants known nublic smrit.

and since, then the appointments been con sume, anu tne present (Jonsul (ieneral at Singapore, Fung Tee, is" a man who was well known in London when he was attached to the Chinese Legation, here. The attitude of the Colonial Office has been somewhat relaxed latelv. but this clause in the Convention establishes Chinese consulates as a right in colonies to dentured- labour is sent. As an instance of the general attitude -of the British Government towards the question I may say that I believe a commission for a Chinese Consul General in London was sent here from. China thirtv vears ago, but that it has.

never -been thought of any rase to. apply to the British Government for au exequatur. L'Entente Cordiale is, very properly, much before us in these days. An important mani festation of it was the dinner at the National Liberal Club last night to M. Joseph Caillaux, the French ex-Minister of Finance, and M.

Yves Guyot, ex-Minister of Public Works. Lord Crewe was in the chair the company numbered two hundred, and included many women. Lord Crewe's speech, which had brevity as well as the other qualities of wit, raised the interesting point Did anyone still believe. that the French were a frivolous people? We could easily, see wnat quality they surpassed us the quality of seriousness. In the seriousness of life and in the knowledge and privilege' of citizenship we had a good deal to learn from them.

Be congratulated Lord Lansdowne. and his colleagues on tne nappy arrangement tney nave arrived at, Liberals took their own share in these happy events all the more, perhaps, because they were not unaware of the political opinions of guests. Among the jjoints of M. Guyot's earnest speech was the accusation that has been raised against the Cobden Club that they have been supported by foreign members. After the Treaty of Commerce of 1860, which made a date in the economic history of the when the French Protectionist party began' to have the 'predominant influence (and the Anglophobe influence), they miscalled the treaty and accused the makers of having been suborned by the millions or the Cobden Jlub.

The Protectionist intellect was the same in all countries. Les Protectionnistes -a moins-de vouloir faire de la Protection pour la Protection comme certains artistes font de Part pour Tart ne peuvent en demander le main- tien." M. Guyot' said that there were few reiichmen to-day who thought Anglophobia should be an article of faith. The civilised world could only hope to prosper and develop mutual combined action. This applies with greatest rorce to the relation between capital and labour, upon which industry and commerce vitally depends.

Touchiug on the imminent question of the costly armaments of Europe, he mentioned that Uambettamany years ago under stood the danger and warned his countrymen that at the present rate of expenditure every European -nation will become a beggar at the barrack door." Therefore let us take this cordiale to heart for the' sake of humanity, and not -for selfish motives and let ns take the initiative of a common action which will force-the hand-of Europe and compel other nations to follow us in the path of justice. One of the great map sellers of London has been telling me that the course of the war in the Far East-is not very satisfactory from his point of view. There is ho great passion "at present for buying maps and sticking little flags all over. them. This is a little difficult? to explain, for one would have thought' that every "morning lately, one might have risen" from the newspaper lo a perfect carnival of flag The map seller was'indined to think that the general belisf 5 hat no1 news would come through checked, the sale of may also have been an" idea 'such maps as existed of that part' of; the iworld, would--'hardly.

contain enough names to give' colour to. Both ideas are rather-wrong, and one suspects that it-is, after all, merely ajphase of the curious vagaries of- popular interest. Map" pricking just hap- -pensVnot to havecome with, this war. v. It -seems a-pity that'people-sbould miss the glow of 'satisfaction at handling a haughty emblem as crowned black eagle, Lord Stair has arrrved.m-London, to' deliver up.