NEWS OF THE WEEK.

THIS Frontier War will involve hard fighting and great loss of valuable lives. Sir William Lockhart, who, in a territory without food or sufficient water, has had terrible difficulties with his transport, is at last ready to move on his " objective," which is Tirah. To reach it he must force at least two passes so difficult that in the face of a European enemy they could not be forced at all, and there the Afridis and Orokzais—probably eighteen thousand riflemen— will make a desperate stand. Before attacking them Sir William had to clear the Chagra Pass, a hill approached by a route only to be reached by men in single file. He thought it was cleared on the 18th inst., but the brigade employed could not occupy for want of water, and on its retirement the clansmen swarmed up again, to the number, it is calculated, of eight thou- sand. They were therefore attacked again on the 20th inst. by the 2nd Ghoorkas, the Derbyshire Regiment, and the Dorsetshire Regiment. The deadly fire of the enemy was, however, too much for the attacking force, which it is clear from the very reticent accounts was repulsed. Brigadier-General Kempster therefore brought forward the Gordon Highlanders, the 3rd Sikhs, and some Ghoorkas, and this force, led by a company of Highlanders in the spirit of a forlorn hope, passed through the terrible "zone of fire" with the loss of six officers and one hundred and fifty six men killed and wounded, and drove the enemy out of their stone stockades. It was a true feat of derring-do, most creditable even to Highlanders and Sikhs.

It seems certain that the marksmanship and tactics of the clansmen have greatly improved. They choose their positions admirably, they concentrate fire on particular points of the advance, and they pick out the e offioers as their special targets. They seem, also, to have obtained better weapons than of old, though they are still without artillery. They are fighting, too, very well, though they will not meet the bayonet rush except when cornered. There is evidence nearly irresistible that they are advised by deserting Pathans trained in our own service—one of them at least understands heliographing —and they may have developed, though this is not yet proved, a leader with something of genius for mountain warfare. All this points to great loss of life, which does not daunt our best men, but does trouble men less perfectly dis-

ciplined or led with less audacity. The number of officers killed will be unusually great, and though Sir William Lock- hart is not the man to make mistakes, a severe " cheek " like Umbeyla is not outside possibility. There is nothing for it if it occurs—and we are not Forwards—except to shut our teeth and go on, be the consequences what they may. Better lose a Division than fail now.

We trust our readers will remember that they are watching this Frontier War under conditions absolutely unknown in history. Instead of hearing three weeks after the engage- ment that "our men, checked at first, made a rush and cleared the enemy from his ridge with a loss in killed of so many," they, so to speak, see the individual men die or drop wounded. The effect of this is that every " scrimmage " seems an engagement, every momentary check a defeat, and every petty loss a "sanguinary affair." They must remember that war means expenditure of life, and that if victory is worth anything—which it always is when we are once engaged—it is worth even the crippling of a regiment. What our people would do if our soldiers ever fought a real battle and won it, with a loss of five hundred officers and twenty thousand men, we cannot even imagine. To judge from the comments we hear on these hill skirmishes, they would go nearly mad with pity and horror, and the muddle between exultation and repent- ance. We trust no such event will happen in our time, but the electors may make up their minds to this, that fighting Asiatics with rifles, and in the hills, is a very different thing from fighting them armed with muskets, and in a plain. They are learning to shoot straight, as Boers shoot, and their numbers therefore tell.

The struggle over West Africa proceeds, and the German Government is intervening to get something for itself ; but there is no evidence that the statesmen think agreement is impossible. There is room for everybody, and we have got too much of the world for our fighting force.

The friendship between Germany and Turkey, which is the cardinal fact of the Eastern situation, appears to be drawing closer. The Emperor has appointed Baron von Marschall, recently Foreign Minister of Prussia, to the Embassy at Constantinople, and the Sultan has welcomed the appoint. ment with effusion. The Baron, he telegraphs, "has for many years successfully and most energetically co-operated in fostering the highly valued relations of Turkey with Germany." Baron von Marschall will, therefore, be the most influential Ambassador in Constantinople ; but there are three circumstances which may greatly modify his course of action. One is that the Sultan, being at heart a mere Asiatic, detests all Europeans alike. Another is that Russia does not intend William II. to bear rule in her own reversionary territory. And the third is that Baron von Marschall is essentially an honest man who, once immersed in that cesspool, may refuse to let his conscience be completely stifled. Moreover, although, Austria contrives to keep step with Germany, the feeling of her Court about Turkey is not the German feeling. Baron von Marschall will, of course, endeavour to thwart British policy at every turn.

A remarkable statement comes from Greece. M. Zaireis, the new Premier, intends to stake his Administration on a complete reform of the services. All officials and officers are to be dismissed, and those reappointed are to hold their poste& or commissions, as in England and France, during gooil behaviour. The effect of this will be, first, that better mes. will be appointed ; secondly, that Greece, which is entirely without a natural aristocracy, will have an official one; and lastly, that, best of all, the curse of Greece, the eternal fight among Deputies over the "spoils," will come to an end. If M. Zaimis can carry that reform he will have deserved as much of his country as a successful General.

There appears to be real danger lest the Austrian Emperor should be forced to suspend the Constitution in his Cisleithan territories. The quarrel among the nationalities is bringing Parliamentary proceedings to a deadlock. The Opposition, which is Liberal and essentially German, meets the Govern- ment, which is Clerical and essentially Slavonic, with a steady persistence in obstruction that reduces business to a series of divisions, occasionally protracted for sixteen hours at a time. The sittings are scenes of outrageous disorder and abuse, which on Tuesday culminated in a kind of free-fight, during which the Vice-President, who was in the chair, was threatened, and several Members were actually struck,—a more serious outrage on the Continent than in this country. It is proposed to modify the Standing Orders, but it is believed that such a proposal could not even be discussed, and the majority are eager that the Emperor should inter- vene and declare the Constitution unworkable. He could do this with perfect safety as far as insurrection is concerned, for the Army regards the Parliament with contempt ; but it would be at the price of dangerous disaffection among his German subjects, who, considering themselves the more civilised race, hold their right to ascendency to be unquestionable. The idea is that the Emperor, if he inter- vened, would proclaim universal suffrage; but it is by no means certain that this would end the difficulty. Parlia- mentary institutions have never that we know of been tested by an avowed quarrel of race, which of course admits of no settlement by discussion.

Renter sends from the city of Benin a message curiously illustrative of British ways. Sir Ralph Moor and his assist- ants have cleaned that horrible city with its groves of trees for crucifixion, and it is now free even from external evidences of cruelty, is so safe that escort is not needed, and is, we imagine, comparatively healthy. The reign of trror is over, trade is reviving, and immediately the people 411 be selling palm-oil, gums, copal, india-rubber, and a host of other valuable products. Benin, in fact, has been transformed in a few weeks from a veritable Aceldama into a quiet and orderly town, of the African type, no doubt, but still habitable by industrious mankind. And, continues Renter's agent, "the garrison here consists of one hundred }Wises, with Maxims and seven-pounder guns and a rocket- tube,"—a force, that is, which the Beninese, if they chose to rise, could not only destroy, but eat. We are, in fact, as usual, attempting to govern the world, and for a moment actually governing it, with a corporal's guard. It is a very good system while it lasts, and a cheap, and it produces wonderful results for humanity; but some day or other, when authority cracks under the strain we put on it, we shall have a terrible lesson on the value of precaution. In Africa, if not elsewhere, it is massacre we shall have to face.

We thought it would be discovered that Lord Salisbury had made stronger proposals to the Powers than the public were aware of. It appears, for ',example, from a Blue-book just published (Turkey, No. II.) that in February the British Foreign Secretary proposed that the Powers should send ten thousand men to Crete to support a Governor-General, who might be anybody but a Turk, a Greek, or an Englishman, and that on the determined refusal of Germany and Austria to do anything of the kind, he made the following strikingly disinterested practical proposal:—" Her Majesty's Govern- ment, for their part, would consent to an occupation of Crete by five thousand French and five thousand Italians, or by ten thousand men of one of those Powers; or, again, by five thousand Russians and five thousand English, or by ten thousand Russians or English." The proposal failed, no one except Lord Salisbury caring one straw for the well- being of Crete. It is not in his policy that Lord Salisbury has disappointed us—it could hardly have been better all through —but in his want of success in making that policy effective, and much of that want must be attributed to the British people. They were afraid of opening the sluice-gates, and without his people a British Premier can do nothing.

The Daily Chronicle of Monday published an announce- ment that Lord Salisbury, oppressed by the failure of his own health and that of his wife, was about to resign. Details were added pointing to the succession of the Duke of Devonshire and hinting that the Foreign Office might be filled by a. politician whose name would surprise the public. The state- ment created little excitement, did not affect the Funds, and was denied in the afternoon on the authority of the Premier himself. It was not a priori likely to be true. Lord Salisbury is recovering, and Lord Salisbury, though former illnesses have left traces on him, and he is not a young. man for his age, which is only sixty-seven, is not when Parlia- ment is not sitting greatly oppressed by his work. His party would be greatly annoyed by his resignation, if only because it would accentuate the slight jealousies between the two divisions of the Unionists and release many ambitious which are now slumbering, while the Queen, it is rumoured, would feel his departure as that of one in whom she has long confided. It is improbable, therefore, that Lord Salisbury will resign until he is compelled, although he may by and by relieve himself of the weight of his double office. That would, in our judgment, be a wise step to take, if only because it would restore the usual custom that foreign affairs should be managed by the Foreign Minister, moderated by the Premier, and supervised by the Sovereign. At present Lord Salisbury stands too much alone, and his high reflecting powers some- times interfere with his action,—" the native hue of resolution being sicklied o'er with the pale cast of thought."

It is stated on good authority that the Cabinet decided at its meeting on Saturday not to go into any Conference about bimetallism, and, in fact, not to touch the currency question. They will listen to any suggestions and receive any informa- tion, but will do nothing, not even reopen the Indian mints, a step to which the Indian Government, harassed by the cost of the Famine, of the Plague, and of the Frontier War, is earnestly opposed. For reasons stated elsewhere, we hold this decision judicious, and even inevitable. It was only necessary to discuss the matter because the American Government, in fulfilment of certain pledges to the silver men, asked for a Conference, and it is doubtful whether Washington is in earnest about that request. Certainly Mr. McKinley is not. At home, on the other hand, the earnestness is considerable, but in favour of the gold standard. A memorial to the Premier praying him, in the interest of English credit, not to interfere with the currency, and not even to reopen the Indian mints without an exhaustive inquiry, has been signed by a large number of bankers, financiers, and first-class business men, and, we need not say, is as acceptable as advice to abstain from action usually is. No Government would take up such a question unless it were forced, and there is no force visible. The British people are not clamouring for silver, and the Indian Government wishes to wait. Then why move?

The Northern Union of Conservative Associations, repre- senting four counties, held its annual meeting on Friday week, and considered a letter from Lord Londonderry proposing to resign their presidency. He considered that in passing the Compensation for Accidents Bill the Government had aban- doned Conservative principles and pursued a disastrous policy. They had caused a serious split in the party in the North of England, and would lose many seats. The fault was due to the subordination of Conservatives to the dominating will of the Colonial Secretary, and if the Union condoned it they became virtually an organisation for promoting Radical views, and he must decline to remain connected with them. The same views were expressed by his Lordship in a speech, in which he attributed the result of the East Denbighshire election to the Compensation Bill, and they were "unani- mously" endorsed by the members of the Union, who re-elected Lord Londonderry to the chair. We have said enough about Lord Londonderry's revolt elsewhere, but may ask here whether be seriously thinks Conservative principles will be advanced by weakening the Government, or whether he expects better terms for coal-owners from a Radical Home Secretary.

A new step forward is believed to have been taken in that successful war with pain which many observers believe will be the predominant feature during the next century of the advance in physics. Two scientific men in Munich, named Eichhorn and Heinz, who are devoted to medical research, think they have discovered a new anwsthetic of singular power. It is a preparation of " benzamethylic ether," for which they publish the formula, and to which they give the name of orthoform." They maintain as a result of careful experiment that it will, if need in the form of a powder, in a few minutes extinguish the pain of deep burns, at present the despair of surgeons. The relief lasts for many hours, and the application can be renewed with safety from time to time, orthoform being so little poisonous that when a patient suffering from a terrible form of ulcer had been sprinkled for a week, and pain for that time suspended, no evil result could be observed. Indeed, it has been administered in large doses to arrest the frightful pain of cancer in the stomach without injury to the patient. So many of these anaesthetics are now written about that it is well to be suspicious; but there is good evidence for the truth of this story, and the discoverers, it will be noticed, do not claim for the new drug, as quacks always do, any cura- tive effect, except such as must always follow a cessation of nervous disturbance. It is the pain of a large burn, not the .actual injury, which kills.

The Government is doing its best to end the struggle in the engineering body. Sir C. Boyle, the permanent Under. Secretaryto the Board of Trade, has addressed a letter to the masters' " Federation " and the men's Union, formally in- viting them to a conference for the settlement of the quarrel. He suggests that in order to clear the ground the men should give up their demand for an eight-hour day, and that the employers should disavow any intention of interfering with the "legitimate action of Trade-Unions." That is a most sensible proposal, which would change a war into a negotiation, if the men are secretly inclined to give up the demand about hours, but otherwise it must come to nothing. It is quite possible that the time has arrived when both parties, tired of their losses, will tolerate diplomatists, and the intervention of the State makes a truce dignified for both.

Mr. F. Greenwood writes in the Pall Mall Gazette of Tuesday a fine protest against the almost hourly improve- ment of killing machines. He thinks they add a new horror to war, and wishes that they could be forbidden by the shrinking of humanity, which has prohibited the explosive bullet though it has allowed the explosive shell, and that most awful of weapons the fish torpedo. "It would be a blessing if the faculty of producing any weapon more hellish than the old Brown Bess could be paralysed." Would it? We understand Mr. Greenwood's feeling, and should sympathise fully but that we doubt the truth of the underlying assumption. Does science increase either slaughter or wounds? The evidence is that the slaughter in modern battles is far leas than the slaughter in the old world, when, as in the wars between Rome and the barbarians, entire nations perished on the field amid horrors which, because the weapons were clumsy, we can scarcely realise. Since the invention of gunpowder dispersion has taken the place of extermination. Moreover, Mr. Greenwood must not forget that with every scientific invention the victory of intelligence over brute-force becomes more certain. The Afridis would annihilate the English if the latter were armed with swords only or old muskets, and had to fight in the open.

We wonder if a man who has every qualification to be a Bishop has a right to refuse a bishopric. The question is suggested by the career of Dean Vaughan, whose death we deeply regret to notice this week. A man of the deepest piety and broad learning, a consummate administrator, as he proved in his revival of Harrow, and with a representative position as a defender of the Church who had no " isms " or attachment to a school, he rejected the mitre not once but many times. Was he right ? The answer, of course, is known frilly only to God and himself; but we would deprecate the easy praise of such men for their disinterestedness. It may not always be a soldier's duty to be disinterested. If by accepting a high command which he has not solicited he can make it easier for his country to secure the victory, his disinterestedness hurts that which is infinitely more valuable than himself. It is possible to say with truth that no man is indispensable ; but there are a great many who can facilitate success ; and when the success is fully admitted by them to be desirable, are they not under obliga- tion to facilitate it ? Humility is an admirable quality, but the humility which leaves duties to inferior people needs some justification. Dean Vaughan's may have been—

probably was—most ample, but "Nob Episcopari " is said in our day a little too frequently.

Mr. Balfour made on Wednesday in Edinburgh a speech on the home industries of Scotland which was not dull. He said that the problem we had to meet in the congested districts of Scotland and Ireland was in no respect the same as the one which arose in thickly populated towns. In the latter the problem was not economic, in the former it was exclusively so. In the Highlands the question ran not one of sanitation, but of maintenance, the people having no means of support except agriculture and fishing, for which they were too numerous. Another means of support was required, and as it must be a supplementary one, it should be a means with which machinery could not successfully compete. It was best, too, that it should be a means with which the people were familiar, and he preferred, on the whole, the manufacture of homespun, which the Society he was addressing Loped to promote. That is sensible enough, but is it quite true that it is so difficult to create a new industry in a place unaccustomed to it ? We should like very much, if we had the management of one of these societies, to send an acute traveller through Europe to report on the household industries, and see whether there were not some which it would pay poor Highlanders to attempt.

Sir William Roberts, M.D., was selected this year to deliver the annual Harveian Oration before the College of Physicians, and made it a kind of hymn to science. He thinks modern civilisation will last, though all ancient civilisations perished, because it is based on science, while they were based only on literature and art. By " science " he does not mean mere improvement in knowledge, but the use of the Baconian method, instead of the " haphazard " method of deduction from that knowledge. "We may be quite sure that exact thinking leads in the main to correct conduct,—an evil deed is not only a crime, but also a blunder." Science makes it im- possible for the nations to be conquered by the unscientific races (have Turks, then, scientific minds ?), and prevents the insidious peril of decay and stagnation. The deadliest disposing factor hi the ancient civilisations was mental inanition arising from the want of fresh intellectual pabulum. To-day life is varied, abounding, and full of news, and it may well be that it will be productive, as periods of storm and stress have formerly been, of men of light and leading. It is all very nice, and quite right that that side should be pleaded, but the race which has lived longest, which 'saw and survived the Pharaohs," has been rather remarkably prone to prefer idea to experiment, and to make great leaps in thought without induction.

The New Hampshire Paradise for the preservation of vanishing American animals created by Mr. Austin Corbin has proved an even greater success than we anticipated when it was first enclosed. The total area is, roughly speaking, one of eleven miles long by four miles broad, and in this the animals turned out by the owner have increased beyond expectation. The wapiti-deer, red-deer, black-tailed deer, and even the "big horn" sheep have bred and thriven in the Paradise, which now contains twelve hundred head of deer alone. No artificial feeding is needed except a provision of salt and water. Heaps of rock-salt are laid on every square mile, and big water-troughs are kept full in the waterless parts of the park. Wild boars have also increased so fast that it is necessary to keep boar-hounds to capture those which escape beyond the wire fences. But the great triumph is the multiplication of the bison. Those kept in Yellowstone Park are the only animals which do not increase, but in the Corbin Paradise they have, according to the Century Magazine, increased from twenty-four to eighty-five head, and the race will now be preserved. Mr. Austin Corbin recently died, but the park will probably form part of the family inheritance and be transmitted like an English estate. The idea has already attracted the fancy of other millionaires. There is a "Gould Park" in the Adirondacks, a "Vanderbilt Park" in Massa- chusetts, and Dr. Seward Webb has enclosed a third, also in Massachusetts. The beavers in Corbin Park escaped through the wire fence and disappeared.

Bank Rate, 3 per cent.

New Consols (22) were on Friday, 1114.