POLITICAL POINTS.

Evening Post, Volume LXVII, Issue 150, 25 June 1904, Page 12

POLITICAL POINTS.

Speuking at Fromo recently Loid Londonderry said he saw no leason to anticipate tho near approach of a geneial election. When it did come it would not be fought under the sime favourable conditions as in 1895 and 1900, but ho trusted it would bo fought by a United Unionist paity. lie depiecated (ho unduo condemnation of fiee lances, who must not, however, air their particular fads and \ie\\s to tho extent- of endangering the Unionist' party. Regarding tho two questions which had created schisms in tho party ranks — -namely, lineal policy and the Chinese labour problem — he considcied, in reference to the former, that tho Government should be given power to retaliate in the best interests of tho country. Coloured labour was necessary for the development of the Transvaal. The cry of slavery had been put forward by their oDPonents for party purposes. Tho Now Yoik Press thinks that the war news proves that living, nations have left Russia- blundering far in tho lenr. "To give bailie jusl when and where you choose, and then to bo onfiladtd, outflanked, and routed, is to prove your gro?s inferiority in warfare. Count Casoini's appeal for American sympathy j should not be made in vain. Humanity I calls for mercy as well as sympathy, and [ soon common decency will inspire all tho ■Powers to stop this cruelty towards Russia." i It appears (says Router's correspondent) thut tho purpose of the Tibetan Mission is well understood by the common people, of whom a larger percentage aro able to read and write than in India, and who follow quite intelligently the progress of the foreign policy of the Dalai Lama. They say they know we havo no desiro to annex their country. If wo made- the attempt every man would die in defence of it. Even as it is, tho Lama forced ono man in every family to go and fight. Their fighting was of poor quality because tho army disliked tho Lama's foreign policy. Mr. Eugene Victor Debs, tho wellknown Socialist leader, has boon nominated as Socialist candidate for tho United States Presidency. Mr. Debs, who was nominated in tho Socialist interest at tho Presidential oloction of 1900, was tho leader of the great railway strike of 1894. M. do Plehve's peculiar methods of crushing Iho opposition movement aro being rapidly developed to the point of perfection in St. Petersburg. His agents provocateurs aro at work in various circles of society, and persons \vb\) show any tendency actively to oppose tho present regime are -in constant danger of arrest and banishment. The fear of what tho Minister of tho Interior may do, added to the anxiety caused by tho war, creates in St. Petersburg an atmosphere of nervous excitement which even Russians from tho provinces find it difficult to appreciate. There was a livoly debate in tho United States Senate recently over tho naval appropriation, which ( is larger this year than any previous year, and which provides for an addition to the nation's battleships. Senator Halo attacked tho battleship project, and said that he hoped the President would defer tho construction of the battleships already authorised. "Tho war in tho Far East," said Senator Hale, "has shown tho vulnerability and \iftsafcty of these lurgo warships. Ono hundred and fifty million dollars (£30,000,000) in battleships is a. bad investment." Several members defended tho programme ; bub Senators Stewart and Gorman supported tho contention of Mr. Hale and declared that battleships wore obsolete, insisting 1 that torpedo-boat destroyers and swift cruisers wero of far more use, as tho present war had already shown. Russia's circular repudiating the suggestion of mediation is ridiculed in Japan, where the press points out that tho idea tff mediation originated with a Russian journal, and that consequently tho circular seems to bo part of* a, deliberate scheme to oreato n favourable impression in domestic circles und upon foreign capitulishJ. Commenting on Emperor William's recent bellicose speeches in Germany, tho Paris correspondent of Tho Times said : "At tho same time two such demonstrations, following each other so rapidly, furnish ground for reflection as to the moro or loss precarious nature of peace on tho Continent, notwithstanding tho new essentially pacific grouping among the Great Power*. Of course, it must not bo forgotten that Prince Bismarck himself was wont to havo recourse to alarmist speeches when ho wanted (Parliamentary sanction for fresh military credilH, and nothing would bo surer to fortify tho resistance of the Opposition in the Reichstag than to see tho danger of war with Franco gradually diminishing and tho extension of peaceful ententes in so many directions." The German press (says The Times) continues to draw as dark a veil as is compatible with tho barest needs of journalism over the Japanese victory on tho Yalu. Tho papers publish the. news in bock parts of their editions without special headlines, and in tho way of comin out they advise their readers to regard . these reports .with scepticism, as they emanate from English sources. Reuter's Agency is particularly attacked in this connection. The military critics aro silent. The military Kroaz Zeitung says nothing, meVely publishing two short tologroms under the heading "Tho War between Japan and Russia," so that tho casual render would hardly gather that any battle had been fought at all. To those who remember tho manner in which every incident of tho Boer war was served up by the Gorman press tho prosent well-ordered reserve is highly significant. The Russian papers have been discussing tho possibility of better relations between Russia and Great Britain, through the intermediary of France. Tho Novostt continues to insist that tho abj sence of conflicting interests is bound to briii{j Great Britain and Russia together, as their alliance would be of enormous advantage to both. Bnt the Novoo Vicmya declines to bury the hatchet, saying that G:eat Britain has "been trying to fasten her interested friendship upon all tho European nations in turn, but that all saw through tho game." The Bourne Gazette fays sarcastically that while Russia is strong Great Britain will nut movo, her attivndo toward Riiftshv becoming friendly in proportion oh tihe leceives news of the strengthening of the Baltic ports, and tho reinforcement of tho Russian army near the Indian frontier. Tho Official Mesiepgor of St. Petersburg publiuhes the following circular, dated Z7th April, addressed by the Ministry for Foreign Allans to Russian representatives abroad :' — "You aro empowered to denj this statement most categorically. Russia, did not want war. Everything within the limits of possibility was done to solve tho complications that had arisen in tho Far East in a peaceful manner. But after (he treacherous surprise on tho part of Japan which forced Russia to take up arms no Icieiuily media (ion enn evidently havo any success. Similarly, tho Imperial Government will not admit the intervention of any Power whatsoever in the direct negotiations which will take place between Runsia and Japan after tho termination of tho hostile operations in ordw to establish tho conditions, of poaw." *