NEWS OF THE WEEK.

WE are by no means sure that the "Dreyfus Affair" is not the most important question now before Europe. Immediately after the acquittal of Major Esterhazy, amid the demonstrations mentioned below, M. Zola, the novelist, published an article in which he formally accused the chiefs of the Army, including General Billot, of crushing a man whom they knew to be innocent in order to "protect the com- promised chiefs of the War Office," and called upon them, if innocent, to prosecute himself before a Criminal Court. This accusation, which if false or wrong-headed must ruin M. Zola, has produced an amazing sensation, and on Thursday the Comte de Mun, on whose character there is no stain, demanded in the Chamber in the name of the Army that the Government should prose- cute the novelist. M. Meline consented, but M. de Mun demanded the presence of the Minister of War. General Billot, therefore, after some delay, appeared in the tribune and endorsed the Premier's promise, accompanying it with his usual rhetorical flourish about the honour of the French Army, which, "like the sun," glows the brighter for any spots on it. There must, therefore, be a public trial, and so high is military temper rising, the officers feeling that they are accused of untrustworthiness, that we suspect the Govern- ment has resolved to run the grave risk involved in making a clean breast of the whole affair. They must do it, in fact, or the Republic wilrlperish, for no Continental Army will bear such imputations as are now thrown broadcast upon the French War Office, which, if our view of the whole dangerous business is correct, has been guilty of nothing bat stupidity.

Major Esterhazy has been tried in Paris by Court-Martial on the charge of betraying secrete to foreign Powers, and has been triumphantly acquitted. The members of the Court shook hands with him, and the mob outside received him with ringing cheers. That is curious, as he had written to a friend that he hoped to see Germans defeating Frenchmen; but it is explained by the hatred of the Jews now rampant all through France. Frenchmen seem really to believe that the " cos- moi o'itan caste" occupies itself principally with selling France, where Jews enjoy all privileges, to Germany, where a Jew can hardly obtain an officer's commission. For our- selves, we still believe that Captain Dreyfus was rightly con- demned, though unfairly tried, the evidence not being shown to his counsel, and that the secret of the affair is the reluc- tance of the Government to incur some grave political danger,—not a German invasion. We note that a corre- spondent of the Daily Mail, who professes to know all details, affirms the truth of our suggestion, made three weeks ago, that Dreyfus had sold papers to Russia instead of Germany. Moreover, the Times' correspondent on Friday admitted that the full truth would be a shock, not to Germany, but to French relations with the Czar.

Another outbreak in India, this time of small importance, but still requiring troops for its suppression! A troublesome tribe in Makran, on the south-west frontier of Beloochistan, has taken into its head to be suspicious of a British sur- veying party, led by Captain Barn and Lieutenant Turner, both of the Royal Engineers. Some payment, moreover, usually made to the tribal chief has been delayed, ana he therefore early in January, just as a hint of discon- tent, ordered the massacre of the surveying party, which included, besides the British officers, about two hundred native assistants, tent-pitchers, and so on. They were, of course, slaughtered with some ease, and the officers, after doing all they could, fled to Or mara to reach a telegraph station. The message was flashed to Simla, and of course troops are in motion to put down the "rising," the Beloochee authorities aiding heartily. The offenders, after a brief resistance, will probably fly into Persia, and be cut up by the Shah's servants. The affair is evidently local, and need create no alarm; but what a strange instinct of turbulence seems to have possession of India! We shall have the camels rebelling soon.

The news from the Indian Frontier, if true, is very good. It is said that the Afridis are wearying of the contest, and have sent intimations to General Lockhart, which have in- duced that officer to postpone his departure for a fortnight. The expedition, too, against the Bonerwals is succeeding, although it has not yet crossed the really dangerous pass, Umbeyla. Altogether it begins to look as if we should get honourably out of our scrape. The accounts of the behaviour of the troops, too, as they come dropping in are most re- assuring, though the first despatch yet published does not give the impression that all our Brigadier-Generala under- stand their work.

There has been a remarkable change of tone on the Conti- nent in reference to this country and to the policy to be pur- sued in China. The semi-official newspapers in Russia, Germany, and Austria are now instructed to say that the attitude of Great Britain is most correct, that nothing has occurred, not even the seizure of Kiao-chow, which is not consistent with "peaceful development," and that the British idea of leaving the trade of China open to all mankind exactly suits them. A douche of cold water, indeed, appears to have been thrown on all ambitions ; we imagine by the discovery that Great Britain was in earnest, and might be supported both by America and Japan. It is to be noted that France, which does not care for colonies unless French trade is specially favoured in them, does not altogether join in this chorus of approval; and that the British armoured gunboat 'Swift' has gone to Hainan just to inquire what really has occurred there. The Continent is greatly interested in a loan of 216,000,000 which it believes Britain is about to make to China, and would greatly like to share in it, not, we fear, for the sake of assisting China, but of pocketing part of the corn-

mission which she suspects will be demanded by the British Treasury. That Treasury, however, does not accept com- missions, and keeps its hands out of that dirty "cesspool of agio" which seems to financiers so nourishing.

Mr. Balfour on Monday addressed his constituen ts at Manchester in a speech which contained some statements of great importance. In home politics he touched upon the Voluntary Schools Act, the Workmen's Compensation Act, and the forthcoming Bill for Local Government in Ireland. The Voluntary Schools Act, he said, had in one respect been strangely successful, only forty schools out of fourteen thousand having shown unwillingness to accept its provisions, or to include themselves in the Associations which are to carry them out. That is a result which surpasses the expectations of the most sanguine. As regards the Compensation Act, Mr. Balfour had no such facts to report; but he maintained that the Act was most beneficial to workmen, that it benefited also employers by making it easy for them to insure, and that it was in entire accord with the social traditions of the Conservative party. And with regard to the forthcoming Bill, he declared that local self-government would be granted to Ireland on a plan as broad as that which prevails in England or Scotland, but with certain guarantees for honest adminis- tration, in consideration of which 2700,000 a year will be paid to Ireland. If the Bill so framed is rejected, the Govern- ment will understand that the 2700,000 a year is rejected too, —a gentle hint which will, we imagine, have a weighty in. fluence on the progress of the measure, Upon Mr. Balfour's references to foreign policy we have said almost enough elsewhere, but may mention here that he derided the Concert for its inability to find a Governor for Crete, advising the Governments to "toss up" rather than delay any longer. He indicated that he considered the Frontier Campaign most unsatisfactory in everything except the conduct of the soldiers, but held that it had a sufficient object, and that we must punish raids, must prevent outside interference with the tribes, and must keep open the passes leading to Afghanistan. Annexation we did not seek or require. And, lastly, as regarded China, he repudiated any intention of seizing Chinese provinces, which would require too many men to garrison, and held that our object should be "equality of opportunity" for trade. Foreign States, there- fore, must not claim monopolies, or the right of " dotting " the coast of China with stations so administered that our trade is, directly or indirectly, shut out. This last division of the speech has been received with a chorus of approval both in Great Britain and abroad, and will probably exercise a decided influence upon the temper of the House of Commons when the Session begins.

Lord Kimberley made a speech in Norfolk on Wednesday which is, we do not doubt, intended to foreshadow the kind of comment which the abler Liberals will next Session make upon the foreign policy of the country. If so, that comment will not be very formidable. Lord Kimberley, to begin with, endorses the entire policy of the Government in China, as expounded by Mr. Balfour. He also agrees with him about the Concert, only adding that he attributed the peace kept in Eastern Europe partly to the equality of the forces at the disposal of the two Alliances, and partly to a definite agree. meut between Russia and Austria, who, if united, are in those quarters irresistible. Finally, Lord Kimberley sympathised with Mr. Balfour as to the objects to be sought upon the Indian Frontier, and only sought to raise the question whether the campaign now ending there was not in large measure due to provoking action on the part of the Government. He thought it was, and made a long discourse upon the point full of references to negotiations he had himself conducted, and minute geographical details, one of which, we confess, to which he attaches importance, seems to us a little nonsensical. There is, he maintains, a State, Hama, between Chitral and Russia. Granted; but if Russia advanced, what additional force would that Asiatic Lippe-Detmold require for its subjugation ? Fifty men or a hundred ? There is plenty of room for attack on the Frontier Campaign, but the electors want simple hems to be raised, not issues which interest only diplomatists, and only them when they believe " States " in Central Asia to be structures like States in Europe.

There is little or no news to be recorded in regard to Egyptian affairs. The first detachment of the Lincolnshire Regiment, which forms the advance guard of the British brigade, has already reached the rail-head some twenty miles above Abu-Hamed, and is doubtless now marching towards Berber. It is stated, however, that General Gatacre has postponed his departure up the Nile owing to the difficulty of getting horses,—we presume for transport purposes. The Times of Friday states, in what looks like an inspired para- graph, in its column of naval and military intelligence, "that it is not the wish of Sir Herbert Kitchener to enter upon any extensive military operations for the next six weeks or so,- i.e., until the rise of the Nile will justify the hope that be may do so with confidence." Arrangements have been made to send further reinforcements if necessary to Egypt, but as yet it is not certain what will be the total strength of the force employed against the Dervishes.

On Tuesday a meeting was held in the Dublin Mansion House in support of the movement for the establishment of a Roman Catholic University in Ireland. The gathering, which was remarkable as the first formal demonstration of lay Catholic opinion on the subject, was attended by all the chief Catholic laymen of Ireland,—Lord Powerscourt, Lord Walter Fitzgerald, Lord Emly, The O'Conor Don, and many others, including the Nationalist leaders, Mr. Dillon, Mr. Clancy, and Mr. T. Harrington. A very judicious but yet sympathetic letter from Mr. Lecky was read to the meeting. After stating the abstract reasons for prefer.. ring a mixed University, Mr. Lecky hilly admitted that the question was not one for Protestants to decide, but for the Roman Catholic laity. If they were dis- satisfied with existing arrangements something ought to be done to meet their wishes. In this we most heartily concur. That something, too, must be large and generous, and incapable of being represented as grudging and half-hearted. The O'Conor Don in his speech put the Roman Catholic vies, most ably. He adopted Mr. T. W. Russell's very telling argument. How would Ulster Protestants like to send their sons to a University which, though nominally open to all, had a distinctly Roman atmosphere? The O'Conor Don agreed with Mr. Lecky that it would be impossible to do any- thing this Session, and recommended the appointment of a small Commission to arrange the details of a new University scheme. Probably nothing will be done this year, though we state this with anything but satisfaction. As we point out elsewhere, it is essential to get rid as quickly as possible of this old and very real grievance of University education.

At Ardwick on Tuesday Mr. Balfour made an interesting speech at the distribution of prizes to the local Volunteer corps of Artillery. The critics of our Army are apt to forget, he declared, that we have to solve a problem that has never been presented to any other country in the world. Foreign Powers have practically no Army problems to solve, because they raise by conscription an Army which has a clearly defined duty to perform. "They have got to defend their own frontier against a force which can be accurately gauged." We have the problem of how to raise a voluntary Army, the calls on which are most difficult to estimate. Turning to the Volunteers, Mr. Balfour dealt with their use in war. It

was argued : the Fleet is sufficient, the Volunteers will be no good because they will not be needed. If it is not sufficient, they will be no good because they will not be able to meet the armies of foreign Powers.' In practical life, said Mr. Balfour, he distrusted a clear-cat dilemma of that kind. The critics say a fleet is either effectual for your defence or it is ineffectual. There is a third alternative, which they forget. There might be a period in which the Fleet could give no adequate protection to our shores, and in which we should have to depend, I therefore, upon land military defences. "That possi- bility, remote as it might be, has never been absent, and less than ever at the present moment is absent, from the minds of those who are responsible for the military defences of the Empire." This we have always admitted to be a sound argument, even though we fully agreed that our protection from invasion is the prime and essential duty not of the Army but of the Navy. If the Fleet were temporarilY disabled a raid would not be risked if we had a sufficient

military force at home. A raid, however, would be risked if we had no large armed force in England.

At Birmingham on Thursday Mr. Chamberlain made a very interesting and very sensible speech at the first meeting of the newly constituted Mason College, now become a Univer- sity College. Mr. Chamberlain pressed upon his hearers the need for gradually enlarging the already enlarged College into a real local University. In doing so he took, as it seems to us, exactly the right ground. He did not profess that non-residential Universities founded in great industrial centres could supply the place of Universities of the type of Oxford or Cambridge, but he pointed out how much Universities on the Scotch and Continental pattern might do for the towns in which they are situated. Such a Univer- sity ought to be "a great school of universal instruction not confined to any particular branch of knowledge, but taking all knowledge as its province, and arranging regular courses of complete instruction in all the great branches of information." It must also use that knowledge "so that the professors and teachers should be associated with the students and all should be students together, and so that those who came to teach should continue to learn, and so that the most important work of original research should be continuously carried on under the most favourable circumstances." Lastly, a University should be a body which should have power to control the courses of education, and to confer degrees which should test the value of its instruction. Of the three objects of the University, the last was, however, the least important, although it was necessary to a University, and without it Mason College had lost a number of students. Unquestion- ably one of the best results of seating a University in a great industrial centre like Birmingham—Mr. Chamberlain men- tioned incidentally that there were some two million people within a twenty-mile radius of Birmingham—is the example afforded by a number of persons whose minds are set on non- materialistic ideas. The professors and students are a standing proof that man does not live by machinery alone, and that a'ar increased product and higher profits are not the only objects worth striving for.

The polling at York took place on Thursday, and the figures were announced on the same evening. The result is a victory for Lord Charles Beresford, who carried the seat by a majority of eleven. Lord Charles Beresford obtained 5,659 votes, and Sir Christopher Furness 5,648. As the former suc- ceeds Sir Frank Lockwood in the representation of York, the Unionists gain a seat, and York is now represented by two Unionists. In 1895 Sir Frank Lockwood polled 5,309 votes and Mr. Butcher 5,516. It is always a somewhat futile proceeding to analyse the returns of by-elections, but in this case it would be specially useless. The main fact is that a Home-ruler gives place to a Unionist. It is difficult to say whether Mr. Barns's appeal to the engineers and other Trade-Unionists not to vote for Sir Christopher Furness had any result, or how far that appeal was discounted by the subsequent declarations by members of the Engineering Unions, who declared that they were satisfied by Sir Charles Furnesa's position. Lord Charles Beresford, who is fifty-two, should prove in the future, as he was in the past, a useful Member of Parliament. In spite of his "breeziness," sometimes rising to a gale, he is at bottom a man of strong common-sense, and he really has the interests of the Navy at heart. At present, however, he should give his best attention to the Army. He can speak with more authority than a civilian, and yet is capable of taking up the outside point of view.

The Plymouth election, caused by the death of Mr. Charles, Harrison, has resulted in the return of the Home-rule can- didate, Mr. Mendl, by a majority of 164 votes. Mr. Mendl polled 5,966 votes, and Mr. Guest, the Unionist, 5,802. It is not very profitable to compare the results with the election of 1895, as Plymouth is a double-membered constituency, and was, after the last General Election, represented by a Home- ruler and a Unionist. At that election Sir Edward Clarke, who was at the top of the poll, received only 5,575 votes, or :391 less than Mr. Mendl, and this though the names on the register have decreased by 234. The fight was a very fierce one, and Mr. Guest proved a very popular candidate. Mr. 31endl, who is thirty7one years of age, ,and a Harrow and Oxford man, is the son. of the–head of a firm of grain

Sir Herbert Kitchener has issued an Order forbidding the war correspondents of all newspapers to enter the Soudan beyond the limits of the last railway station, alleging as his reason that he finds it difficult to provide for them. That is not the true reason, as war correspondents can keep alive on dates and millet like anybody else, and it should not have been alleged ; but, as we have shown elsewhere, there are much more serious reasons. The newspapers are very angry, and have memorialised Lord Salisbury ; but they do not propose, that we see, if a French, or German, or Egyptian correspondent wrecks the campaign by premature revelations, to pay the expense of renewing the preparations. Although, however, we sympathise in great part with Sir Herbert Kitchener's horror of uncontrolled onlookers at war, we believe it will be expedient to request him to allow their presence, and to rely entirely upon a censorship and his abso- lute control over the telegraph and the post. Indeed, it is stated that Lord Salisbury has already promised this con- cession, not to the Press so much as to the democratic spirit, which insists not only that it shall be informed of everything that interests it—a, fair claim—but informed at inopportune times,—a claim in which there is no reason. Still, if we want a despot's help the despot must be conciliated.

On Monday Mr. Selous, the African hunter and explorer, lectured to a large audience at the London Institution. Mr. Selma described how, when he first visited South Africa in 1871, it was a land practically without railways. His object was big game, and he at once started, by ox- waggon, for the interior. In August, 1872, he found his way to Lobengula's country. On one occasion Lobengula visited his waggon, and asked him for what object he visited the country. He told the King that he bad come to hunt elephants. Lobengula laughed and replied, "Why, you are only a boy." Lobengula at the time made no answer to his request, and as the King passed among his followers he was saluted by various titles, such as "Thou that art black," "King of Kings," "Thou calf of the black cow," and "Eater of men," the last title being equivalent to "Destroyer of men." The following morning he had another interview with Lobengula, and permission was given him to hunt elephants. Mr. Selous went on to describe how at one time he was three years with- out seeing either newspapers, telegrams, or any kind of coin, and paid his way, as it were, solely by the products of his rifle. Mr. Mons ended by denying that the natives of South Africa had no good feelings or that they were incapable of gratitude. "He had fought against them, but he had many friends among them; and he found that if they gave a Kaffir reason to be grateful he would in all probability be grateful." Mr. Selous is an Englishman and a South African of whom we may all be proud. He is a standing proof that the Empire may be expanded without cruelty in Africa or stock-jobbing in England.

The Times of Tuesday announces some interesting changes in regard to the Royal parks an(. palaces. Fifteen acres of land formerly belonging to the Ranger's Lodge at Greenwich Park are to be thrown open to public use, the old Palace at Kew is to be utilised as a public museum under the manage- ment of the Kew authorities, and the grounds of the Queen's Cottage at Kew are to be added to the Gardens,—a change which will decidedly enhance the charm of Kew. More important is the decision to throw open the State Rooms at Kensington Palace, which are situated in the central block of the building. These rooms, which have been closed since 1760, together with a banqueting-room built by Sir Christopher Wren, will, however, be first carefully restored, and a grant fer the purpose will be asked from Parliament. The proposal as to Kensington Palace is a most proper, one. A large part of the Palace is full of architectural charm, and it would be a great pity to allow it to fall into decay.

Bank Rate, 3 per cent.

New Consols (21) were on Friday, 1121. merchants and shippers. Mr. Mendl stood for Plymouth in 1895, but was then at the bottom of the poll. Doubtless the notion that it was "time he had a turn" influenced, as it always does, a certain number of minds in the constituency.