ENGLISH MAIL NEWS. "THE SPECTATOR'S" WEEKLY SUMMARY. LATEST BEITISH AND FOREIGN ITEMS.

Evening Post, Volume LII, Issue 169, 8 December 1896, Page 2

ENGLISH MAIL NEWS. "THE SPECTATOR'S" WEEKLY SUMMARY. LATEST BEITISH AND FOREIGN ITEMS.

INCIDENTS OF THE SOTTDAN CAMPAIGN. London, 31st October. The mails fromDongola have brought some interesting items of news as to the Soudan Expedition, collected by the various newspaper correspondents. The army is apparently without boots, and almost without underclothing. The former item is not so serious as it sounds. The native is, of course, always barefoot, and it is chiefly as a mark of distinction that the Soudanese soldier values the enormous lace-up boots in which he tramps across the sands of Egypt. Many officers believe that the sandaladopted by the Italians for their native levies — would be an improvement, but hesitate to urge the change on account of the men's feelings. Another story of boots from the front deals with the "horned vipers," whioh appear to have found the officers' foot-gear a convenient sleepingplace. A good story of pluck is that of a surgeon extracting a bullet, from the hand of an Egyptian Staff officer, both patient and curator remaining in their saddles during the operation. Colonel Colville, it is reported, though badly wounded, led the- landing party at Dongola in pyjamas and slippers, revolver in hand. Perhaps, however, the most striking item of all is that which recounts the Dervishes coming into th« Mudiriehaii Dongola in crowds, and stripping off their jibbehs— the tunics covered with pateSes which mark the Dervishes off from other men — to undergo a medical examination prior to enljsting in a Soudanese regiment. Imagine &n army recruiting itself as it goes If root, the beaten enemy — and getting excellent soldiers too ! THE BOMBABDMENT OF ZANZIBAR. An eye-witness who writes to the Daily Chroniole gives a most thrilling account of the bombardment of Zanzibar. He mentions, among other curious facts, that the St. George, the flagship, with the Admiral's wife, son, and governess on board, only arrived by accident in time to take part in the action. The Admiral steamed 19 miles an hour to catch the post at Zanzibar, and by a piece of good luck came in for the fight. It is pleasant to find the writer in the Daily Chronicle giving a most favourable account of the conduct of the marines and bluejackets. Scarcely any of them had been under fire before, yet they were both keen and well in hand, and there was no drunkenness or misconduct of any kind. " They were cheery, worked like niggers ; and after the firing was over it was good to see them pulling the wounded out of the debris. Women could not have been more gentle in their, handling of the suffering Askaris." The writer goes on to note the talk about the degeneration of the British sailor. " The behaviour of the bluejackets and marines at Zanzibar is a telling comment on the falsity of any such statement, and also furnishes valuable evidence as to the splendid morale prevailing in the Navy." THE BISMARCK BETELATIONS. Prince Bismarck has thrown a shell into the camp of the Triple Alliance. He published in the. Hamburger Nachrichten of 24th October a statement that in 1884, when the Alliance was in full force, the German Government arranged with that of Russia by written agreement that if eithertfwere attacked by a third Power the othei; should observe a " benevolent neutrality " in the conflict. This agreement subsisted until 1890, when the Emperor William, on the idvice of Count Caprivi, whom Prince Bismarck characterises as a narrow-minded statesman, suffered it. to expire, and Bussia in consequence made the approaches to France which ended in the visit of the Tsar. This statement has made a profound impression in Vienna, for it is perceived to mean that if Alexander 111. had chosen to force Austria to declare war, say, by a menace to Rou mania ami the freedom of the Danube, Germany would have looked on passively without lending her any aid. The agreement almost involves a treachery, and has been met by German officials with a refusal to discuss negotiations so " strictly seoret," and by those of Austria with expressions of confidence in the honesty of the Emperor William, which is not in question. The Triple Alliance, it s"eems clear, has received another wrench, and the Austrian Government, alarmed 'and irritated, has turned once more to Great Britain, whose policy, but yesterday denounced, is again, it is stated, taken into favour. HOW EWGLAHT) IS VIEWED FBOIT ABBOAD. The Lord Mayor of Bplfast on Wednesday entertained Lord Dnfferin at dinner, after which the retiring diplomatist made an admirable and obviously well-considered speeoh. He refused to turn " any Rontgen rays upon the doors of the Cabinets of Europe," but gave his audience two of*the general results of his experience. One is that England is not popular — first, because Continental statesmen and peoples live in a sort of agony listening to the tramp of hostile armies on their frontiers, and cannot bear to see this country sitting quietly on the fence apparently indifferent to their dangers. The other is the passion for colonial expansion which has struck both France and Germany, and induces Frenchmen and Germans alike to feel that England is always in the way. The second result of Lord Dufferin's experience — which has been wider as Ambassador, as constitutional ruler in Canada, and as non-constitutional Viceroy in India, than that of any living man — is tbat, in spite of all progress, the world is still governed in the main by force. The nation, therefore, which claim* a great position must prepare its* forces, and we should add, though Lord Dufferin does not, must he ready to use them on adequate occasion. The speech was a very fine'one.and we hope it will not be, as Lord Dufferin declared it should be, absolutely " the last." THE NBW ARCHBISHOP. The Bishop of London, Dr. Temple, has been offered, and has accepted, the Primacy of the Church of England. During his head-mastership at Eugby, when there was some question whether a boy who had committed some offence should or should not be expelled the school, the father of the boy forwarded to Dr. Temple the boy's own account of the matter, which ended with the succinct and pithy remark, "Temple is a beast, but a just beast." That was a schoolboy compliment, but it hit off at once Dr. Temple's gruffness of manner and his equity of mind. And he is not only brusque ana scrupulously fair, but he is a Hercules in his labours, and on the whole a man of very large and sagacious common-sense. He' is 15, would be far too old for the Primacy, were he nGt still discharging, and discharging very vigorously and well, the duties of a still more laborious See. Indeed, many men of 65 are greatly inferior to him in power pf work. With his singular mastery, of the whole education Question, he will probably render great services both to the -Church and to the State during the discuslion and settlement of the policy to be pursued towards the voluntary schools. The question which remains as to who should be selected for the great diocese which Dr. Temple will leave vacant, will prove a difficult one. THB ITALIAN BOTAL MABBIAGE.T The marriage of the heir to the Italian throne with Princess Helen of Montenegro, which took place on 24th October, was not a very splendid affair, only one member of a European Royal house being present, and at the religious ceremony no dignitaries of the Church of Borne. The Vatican, though pleased at the "conversion" of the Princess, and her acceptance of the

document of renunciation, is still so much at variance with King Humbert that there was difficulty in selecting either a church or a prelate to read the service, which was at last performed in a comparatively obscure building by a "mitred abbot." The aristocracy of Italy, moreover, think that the Montenegrin family is scarcely Boyal enough for the heft of so long descended a line. The marriage, however, seems popular among the people, who are pleased with the unusual beauty of the bride, who had noted with alarm the chance of a failure in the direct succession, and who believe that the wedding is as acceptable to Bussia as if the Princess had been a member of the Imperial house. THE KIDNAPPING OF STJN TAT SEN. Sun Vat Sen, the Chinese doctor who was, as he alleges, kidnapped by the Chinese Embassy on 17th October, was on Friday week released. He had contrived to send notice of his imprisonment through an English servant of the Embassy to a friend, Dr. Cantlie, who informed the Foreign Office of tht facts. Lord Salisbury thereupon made enquiries, and, finding tbat the fact of detention was admitted, sent for Sir Halliday* Macartney, the English Secretary of the Chinese Legation, and addressed to him a remonstrance in such terms that Sun Vat Sen was immediately hustled out of a back door and restored to his friends. N.o force was employed or was needed, but it is stated that the police officer who watched the liberation of the captive would, had it been necessary, have overborne any resistance. It seems clear that Sun Vat Sen is really Sun Wen, a leader in a secret.society hostile to the Tartar dynasty which reigns in China, and that his capture and execution were greatly desired at Pekin, but those facts do not justify so astonishing a breach of the comity of nations. A technical right, even if it exists, has been so stretched as to constitute a grave affront. Strong representations as to the necessity for apology will doubtless be made to Pekin, where Li Hung Chang has just been appointed Foreign Minister, and we may hope that the Chinese Ambassador and his English adviser will be at once recalled. It is clear that while the Embassy is occupied as at present relations of confidence with it are quite impossible, ii httng's new dignity. This appointment of Li Hung Chang as Minister of Foreign Affairs is supposed to constitute a new departure in Chinese practice, there having hitherto been no single officer in Pekin responsible for foreign affairs. It is riot certain, however, that the new Minister is independent of the Tsung-li-Yamen, the Counoil which has hitherto controlled al\ negotiations, and in the very Gazette whioh announces the appointment, .Li Hung Chang is publicly censured for intruding into the Summer Palace in order to pay/ a visit to the Empress Dowager. This is supposed to be a warning to the world that the Envoy Extraordinary is not yet restored to full favour, but it is more probably an indication that China is now, as ever, governed by meaningless etiquettes, against which Li had in some way or other seriously offended. We expect no change in China, whoever is supposed to be in power. .