The Church Weekly from London, Greater London, England • Page 13

MAY THE CHURCH WEEKLY. 371 $ritwipat Page Tones OF THE HOUR 361 AT HOME AND ABROAD London The Second Heading of the Education Bill; The Boys' Mrigade; The Vaccination Centenary; Motor Carriages The May Meetings; The Zululand Mission New York Chicago Canada; The Mexican Episcopal Church Queensland 363 Off THE MAIN ROAD 366 SHORT MEDITATIONS FOR A YEAR 3 6 7 LKADERKTTES The New Diplomacy In Matabeleland The Shah's Assassin; Cuba up to Date South A fricanComplications; The Debate on the 372 373 373 374 Education Bill Page THE EDUCATION BILL 372 THE LONDON SCHOOL BOARD CHURCH NOTES Rogation Days CHURCH TALK RETREAT NOTES RELIGIOUS SOCIETIES INSTITUTIONS The Church Extension Association Methods of Attack on the Kilburn Sisters EDUCATIONAL FEW WORDS ON FOREIGN MISSIONS SCIENCE LITERARY INVALIDS' CORNER HELPFUL WORDS CORRESPONDENCE CHILDREN'S PAGE Kitty's Visit 379 CHIPS 380 CASUALTIES 3S0 374 375 376 377 377 373 378 378 Weekly LONDON, FRIDAY, MAY 15th, 1896. THE NEW, DIPLOMACY. In these days of the New Journalism," the New Woman," the "New Ethics," the "New" everything, it is only in keeping with the order of things that there should arise a New Diplomacy." It is a strange and perplexing world, more especially in'that corner of it which is known as the domain of diplomacy, where of late some unpleasant developments have been talcing shape. And people who are not initiated in the mysteries of that very profound science or very difficult people who are impelled only by common honesty and guided only by beginning to ask the why and wherefore of the spirit of international antagonism which is very much alive just now.

What is the source of the trouble Why these never-ending misunderstandings, these policies of irritation, these provoking tendencies to pour grit instead of oil among the wheels, of international politics The New Diplomacy is at the bottom of all the mischief. From this source spring the bickerings and animosities which have been troubling England ever since the new year set in. America, Germany, France, and Russia have in turn played at cross-purposes with us. Nor are our troubles anything like over. At the present time the Government journals of Russia are following up the "nagging" policy, Great Britain and Italy being the objects of most insulting onslaughts.

It is a pity that in all her efforts to shake off the torpor of ages Russia has found herself arrayed against England, who, had the facts been read aright, was her one natural ally. Why should England and Russia be always at daggers' ends, instead of loyally standing by each other in dangers and difficulties, and thus preparing the way for an indefinite period of peace and prosperity In view of the Czar's coronation, which is now almost at hand, it would indeed be a happy thing if a more friendly attitude were to be taken up towards this country on the part of that mighty nation owning the Czar as its head. Buluwayo continues to be quiet, IN and although the town has not yet been relieved, the ability of the garrison to defend themselves has been so abundantly demonstrated that there need be no further apprehension in regard to the safety of the place. The latest news from Gwelo is not so reassuring, for the Matabele, who seem to be well informed as to the movements of the reinforcements, are apparently endeavouring to check the march of the Gwelo and Salisbury columns which are under the command of Mr. Cecil Rhodes.

It seems, indeed, as if the troops now going to the relief of Buluwayo are likely to be harassed a good deal by the rebels massing thickly on the road along, which Mr. Rhodes intends to lead his forces. A Cape Town telegram states that the Matabele are sending their women and cattle across the whither the fight ing men are to follow and form a new nation be yond the reach of the white men. The gallant Spaniards who left their CUBA native shores some months ago to UP-TO-DATE administer a "dressing" to rebellious Cuba, have been woefully disillusioned. Not only has Spain failed to quell the insurrection, but, even after a terrible expenditure of life and money it can scarcely be said that things are any better than they were.

What is likely to be the outcome of it all is more than anyone can say. No right-minded person can, however, help hoping that a settlement may be arrived at, one way or the other, before many more months have elapsed. It may be quite true, as the Spanish journals have often told us, that Spain will continue to fight so long as she has any soldiers left; but then has not Cuba resolved to do the same Certain it is that the report which has just come to hand from Madrid is very sorrowful reading. It appears that since the beginning of the campaign the Cubans have lost 4,300 men killed, 1,988 wounded, and 556 prisoners; while the Spaniards have sustained the loss of 4,500 rank and file, three brigadier generals, three colonels, and 105 other officers, killed in action and by disease. News also comes from America to the effect that public opinion in New York is greatly excited about the fate of the American filibustering party who fell into the hands of the Spaniards.

It is felt that if the extreme penalty should be carried out on the prisoners, a spirit of indignation will pervade the United States that will most probably lead to trouble. At the same time our own view of the matter is that the Yankee filibusters in being captured have only met with the fate that might have been expected. Nevertheless, it is to be hoped that the captives may be let off with a fine and a warning. An authority well informed in THE SHAH'S matters concerning Oriental sects ASSASSIN and societies states that the assassin of the late Shah Nasr-ed-Din is an adherent af the Babists. It appears that Babism is a communistic movement widely spread over eastern countries, though it is in noway connected with western forms of the same character.

Here is an account of the original founder of the Babists, one of whose followers attempted the life of the Shah forty years ago. The Bab was an extraordinary personage. Condemned to be shot at Tabriz, he escaped by almost a miracle. The bullets of the soldiers told off to shoot him, instead of piercing his body, merely cut the ropes by which he was bound, and when the smoke cleared away, instead of a corpse, there was nothing at all to be seen. Had the Bab, instead of running away and hiding in a butcher's shop where he was eventually found and killed, had the presence of mind to proclaim himself a prophet to the soldiers, there is little doubt that he would have carried the whole of Persia with him." The death of Nasr-ed-Din will certainly add one more to the many questions of Foreign affairs which face Lord Salisbury's Government, and emphasises anew the necessity of directing our attention to Eastern questions.

There is no quality which more THE CULTURE needs cultivating at the present OF THE day than imagination. Nor should IMAGINATION anyone undervalue those.means which tend to keep alive this faculty, that in these days of "cramming" and examinations is in danger of being degraded from its high post. For consider what torpor or extinction of the imaginative faculty means. A dormant imagination means a diminished power of understanding our fellow creatures it involves a narrowing of our human sympathies, and this in turn implies a contraction of our whole mental horizon, with some consequent loss of efficiency for the work of life. In fact an enfeebled or an undeveloped imagination is a much more serious evil in practical life than is commonly recognised.

Happy the school and household whose library- shelves are replete with poems, adventures, romances, good "light" literature, whereby the. young imagination is stretched ere it becomes acquainted with the cares and the meannesses of life. Lack of imagination, poverty of deeply indented ideas and sympathies' do assuredly make many virtues all but impossible, and, what is more, they leave the heart open to many possibilities of vice. For self never departs us, and always tends to shut out other influences- Hence it is that those who have no high inner no rooted ideas, no fixed principles to counteract the perpetual influence of self, grow inevitably and intensely narrow and selfish. What is sympathy but a form of imagination, the power of imagining the joys and.sorrows of others and of realising them as one's own Undoubtedly in some minds defect of imagination combines with other causes to induce men to cast away all trust, all thought, of any ideal of humanity.

Those who do this make shipwreck of their own lives. But those who, while not rejecting the sobering admonitions of experience and reason, can nevertheless so far obey the promptings of imagination as to retain in their hearts an ever fresh, expansive, and healthful view of life and life's ideal, find themselves led on by it from hope to hope, from effort to effort, along the gladsome way of unselfishness. Negus Menelik has apparently THE ITALIANS begun to realise the fact that Italy IN has a powerful ally in the valley of ABYSSINIA the Nile. If this is so, we can well understand that the Abyssinian monarch should be anxious for peace. Already news comes from Massowah stating that the King wishes to resume peace negotiations, and promises to liberate all the Italians who have been captured by the Abyssinian forces.

It is further stated that Colonel Slade, the British envoy attached to the Italian army, may shortly visit the Abyssinian camp, an event which, if realised, would most likely tend towards the conclusion of peace. At any rate, it is a fact full of significance that the Negus should himself be moving for the resumption of peace negotiations, and we cannot easily set aside the notion that the presence of our forces in Upper Egypt has had a salutary effect upon the King of Abyssinia, who has probably made up his mind that it would be wise to conclude peace with Italy. The South African story is evi- SOUTI-I AFRICAN dently one of many chapters. COMPLICATIONS Not six months ago the serial opened with the Jameson raid, which sent a thrill of amazement through the civilised world. Then came the Kruger episode, beginning with the eager inquiry "Will he come and ending with He cometh not." And, now a chapter of humiliation is opened before our allude to the cypher telegrams, which place Mr.

Cecil Rhodes and others of the Chartered Company in a singularly awkward position. It has been admitted that the telegrams are genuine, and this admission really means that Mr. Rhodes and his colleagues have, to say the least, a great deal to clear up. It is quite obvious that the Jameson trial will not be the closing incident in what, in more senses than one, has been a most disastrous business. Mr.

Rhodes has done all that he can do for the present- by placing himself unreservedly in the hands of the British Government, and has, of course, resigned his position in the Chartered Company, although many people are inclined to the belief that the future of the Company, and even the future of all South Africa, will be tempestuous without Mr. Rhodes. Be that, however, as it may, there is another side of the South African question which is of fundamental is the Uitlanders' claim, the cause of all the disturbance. Without doubt, if President Kruger had given attention at the proper time to the grievances of the landers, there would never have been any Jameson raid or any treasonable rising in Johannesburg. The settlement of the Transvaal question is now alrnost entirely in the hands of Kruger, and, therefore, we are hoping great things from the present session of the Volksraad.

The President's opening speech was distinctly pacific in tone, and we cannot think that so claver a statesman and diplomatist as Mr. Kruger undoubtedly is, will dally with so vital a matter as that which now calls for prompt legislation on the part of the Volksraad. As was expected, the House of Commons witnessed a crowded assembly of members and visitors when the debate on the Colonial Vote opened on Friday last. Sir William Harcourt made a laboured partisan attack upon the Government, whom he identified with the Chartered Company and Mr. Rhodes.

Never was a speech more ill-timed than Sir William's "speech for the prosecution," as the Colonial Secretary described it. But Mr. Chamberlain rose equal to the occasion, as he always does. In reference to the cypher telegram, he frankly acknowledged that the current feeling was one of condemnation. Neither side was without its faults.

If the.