Papurau Newydd Cymru

Chwiliwch 15 miliwn o erthyglau papurau newydd Cymru

The London Welshman

Nid yw statws neu berchnogaeth hawlfraint yr adnodd hwn yn hysbys.
Cuddio Rhestr Erthyglau

3 erthygl ar y dudalen hon

Notes of the Week.

Newyddion
Dyfynnu
Rhannu

Notes of the Week. A Second Moscow.—The stars in their courses are fighting against the Russians in Manchuria. Though the encircling movement of the enemy did not quite succeed, still the result to the Russians could not have been very much worse had it succeeded. The retreat from Mukden Will go down to history in company with ■Napoleon's retreat from Moscow as an example of a disaster that does not occur oftener than once in a century. Up to the time of writing the retreating army has not been allowed time to breathe. It had to evacuate Tieling almost as soon as that place was reached, and is now somewhere between Kaiynen and Harbin, with the Japanese in hot pursuit. The energy and swiftness of the pursuers is something marvellous. General Kuroki covered eighty miles in nine days and that through a hilly and almost track- ess country. For the next 160 miles towards J~iarbin he will have before him a wide open expanse of cultivated country, and his progress is sure to be much more rapid. Two things are ecoming pretty clear now, that the aim of the Japanese is to get possession of the railway running from Harbin to Vladivostock so as ° isolate that port and fortress, and that the Russians will not be able to make a stand at any Point south of Harbin. Changes and Prospects.—If any further evidence were needed of the lamentable state of confusion into which the long series of disasters have thrown the Russian authorities, it is to be found in their manner of dealing with the desperate situation. General Kuropatkin, who, in spite of his failures, is undoubtedly the ablest general of the Northern Empire, has been called home, and the command of the army in the field given to Grand Duke Nicholas, as Com- mander-in-Chief, and General Linievitch, an ill-natured old soldier who was a thorn in Kuropatkin's side, as Director General of Military Operations. The brief notice an- nouncing General Kuropatkin's dismissal, which appeared in the Official Messenger at St. Peters- burgh on Friday, contained not the slightest reference to his distinguished services. This shows what little conception the Czar and his advisers have of the real cause of his want of success. What course Russia proposes to follow henceforth is quite a mystery. On the one hand, it is stated that a fresh Army Corps of 400,000 is to be organised and sent to the front at once; on the other, that a Grand Duke is to be sent to the Far East first to report upon the state and strength of the army with a view of deciding whether another army should be despatched or not. If the latter rumour be true, it looks as if a way towards peace were being sought. In the meantime, the Baltic Fleet, under Rodjestvensky has left Madagascar for somewhere; but whether it is on its way home or making for the coast of Manchuria no one can tell. All that can be said is that every- thing Russian is in a state of complete chaos. But, when the whole situation is considered, the prospects of peace are decidedly brighter than they were a few weeks ago, and we hope that our own Government will not hesitate in bringing whatever pressure it possibly can to bear upon the combatants, so that the bloodiest war of the ages may be speedily terminated. < In Parliament.-Like Tennyson's "Brook," the Government is going on, and were it not for the seven years law, one would almost be justified in coming to the conclusion that it would go on for ever." Ministers may resign, others may change offices, fresh scandals connected with jam and other sticky things may continually crop up, still the Government is going on. Its majority dropped One day last week as low as twenty-one, but since then its supporters have pulled themselves together. In order to avoid the danger of snap divisions at inconvenient hours to those who prefer the pleasures to the business of life, the Prime Minister has adopted the plan of closuring the supplementary estimates by compartments; so that his followers will know to a certainty when their attendance in the House is required. However one may be disinclined to agree to the policy and the methods of Mr. Balfour, it is impossible not to admire the skill and subtlety that he shows in playing the game. For politics are a game and nothing else nowadays. Of legislation beneficial from any point of view there is none. And yet the House, when left to itself, is evidently anxious that something should be done that will help the people. On two occasions lately democratic measures have been given a second reading by substantial majorities. The right of Trade Unions to combine has been reaffirmed, and the necessity of limiting the working hours of boys under sixteen in coal mines to eight per day has been unmistakably declared. So far so good, but we are afraid that there is not much prospect of these Bills getting much" forrarder" this Session. SEVERAL of the Welsh M.P.'s were black- listed last week. It was not, however, because they were frequenters but because they were "habitual abstainers." And we were simple enough to think always that abstaining was a white virtue. But it seems we were greatly mistaken—according to an anti-brewers' news- paper too.

Am Gymry Llundain.

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