fair way to be unravelled. The difficulty! There has been a truce to political Great Britain that Russia should give an vexed question of the Liberal leadership has arisen over a request on the part of; agitation during the festive season. The undertaking that there shall be no system, has been allowed to rest in abeyance, and of preferential rates on the Manchurian we have given ourselves up to feasting and Railway which might interfere with this! amusement. There are some thirty-five country's equality of opportunity in the, pantomimes running in London and the Chinese market. Russia declares on her Suburbs at the present time. The fact part. that she has no intention of marks a marvellous change in the direction establishing any preferential railway tariff, of decentralization which has come over but she objects to this stipulation being London during the last five or six years, embodied in the treaty by which Englan Last. in th e matter of amusements. is willing to recognise that Manchuria isin Every few weeks we hear of another the Russian sphere of influence and that ' theatre springing up in one or another Russia has the first right to the construc- London suburban district, Many of them tion and control of rail in that region, are exceedingly handsome buildings prettily To insert such a proviso would, the Rus- decorated and fitted up within, and consian representative contends, be tanta-; structed on the most approved scientific mount to admitting the right of Great principl-s, with every protection against Britain to interfere in a question which, danger from fire, and so arranged that concerns the internal administration of every seat commands a good view of the Russia, On the other hand the British, stage—in this respect they present a very Government feels that it is justified by past pleasant contrast to sume of the older history in distrusting any Russian guarantee West End theatres. There are frequent which is not plainly set forth in black and changes of programme at these theatres, white in the form of a treaty. There are, for they are served by the regular pro-indeed, a good many English politicians vincial touring companies; and there are who are not disposed to trust Russia very; thousands of dwellers in the suburbs now far even when she has bound herself by; Who never think of coming to town for the treaty. But that sort of feeling is passing theatre. At the same time the West away on both sides, Since Russia declares; End theatres do not seem to have suffer-herself willing to concede in practice all ed very severely at present for the that Great Britain asks for, the diticulty to ths terms of the treaty' will easily he overcome. Indeed T hear on the highest authority that Russia has now been asked to formulate her wishes; her representatives are now engaged in this task; and the strongest hope is entertained that they will prove in the main acceptable to Great Britain and a lasting agreement will be arrived at.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.