The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1874-05-30 00:00:00

WHAT ARE THE NATIONS ARMING
FOR?
(From The Times.)

We receive daily all kinds of news from the diderent
nations of Europe. We are told in one place of the
doings of an absolute Monarch; in another of the de-
liberations of a Parliament; in a third of the absence
of any settled form of Government whatever. In one
country the finances are reported as very flourishing ;
in another there is good prospect of an early national
bankruptcy; while in another the dreaded result has

. _
has not lived to fulfil; illness and inhrnsity consigned actually come about, and the creditors of the nation
it too soon to the realms of shadows. Some twenty have been disappointed accordingly. In all, how-
thousand volumes were, we believe, lost in the conflag- ever, there are two points of agreement, and
ration of the Pantechnicon, but not, we trust, the two only. We hear everywhere of profound peace
most curious of the collection. If he knew of tills between one nation and another, and we hear every.
loss, which might have chagrined him once, he was where of a vast and increasing addition continually
silent about it; indeed, be would at any time have made to the numbers of the Standing Armies. The
dismissed it with a shrug and a smile of humorous process of turning citizens into soldiers goes on all
resignation. over Europe without any apparent limit. Up to this
It only remains to add to this brief notice of a rare time the chief increase has been in the German Army,
and noble life, and a singularly estimable and lovable which is alre ily more than half as large again as it
character a few biographical details. Born at Louvain was fifteen sears ago, but has not yet grown nearly
in 1802, the son of an old Wilily, and originally edu- large enough to satisfy German statesmen. France,
cated at the Naval College at Antwerp for the pro- Austria, Italy, and Ruilsia are all of them following the
feasion of the sea, and upon one occasien "inspected,' strange example which has been thus set them by Gee-
with the rest of his schoolfellt itts, by Napoleon. on many'. Each is, or professes to be, afraid"( all the others,
his visit to that part, the young Van ale Wesitr, at and each, therefore, is throwing its whole strength
the fall of the Empire, abandoned a course for which into providing itself beforehand with the means of
he had no predilection, and distinguished hinitelf, effectual defence, or, if necessary, of attack. Even
at an early age, as a student and a wit who cutlil Belgium and Sweden, ridiculouely enough, arc pre-
set the public talking over an anonymous ',roc) ure a-ceiling in the same course, and are beggaring them-
from his I hiring pen. Hesitating between Lan' and the , sada ,si with their puny efforts t,, ape the folly of their
Professoriate, he went to Brussels to study Law. and neighbours. Spain is, perhaps, the only country in
was at length admitted to the liar. But before he had litumpe which needs a great army at the present
begun to acquire practice he was appointed Librarian liniment, and it is the only country which is without
to the City, Conservator of the Burgundian AISS., "lie. There is some decrease shown in the armies of
and Professor at the Museum. These a opailitini itte 1 Great Britain, Denmark, and Holland, but the united
were quite after his own heart, but they did not wean numbers of all the three higether are not sufficient to
him, as perhaps the Government hoped, from political make up for the contrary movement of one among, the
int. ests. He became a member of the Natienal great military Powers. Thegeneral result is that Europe
Party, which demanded, and would have been can- seems to be returning to the traditions of an earlier age,
tent with, the local self-government of Belgium, when every free man was a soldier, and when the par-
and he wrote constantly and effectively in the I suits of industry were wholly subordinated to the
organ of the party. In consequence of his I claims of military service. The nations of Europe are,
contributions to the Courrier des Pots 800 he was ' in fact, repeating the conduct of their remote ancestore,
deprived id all his functions by the Government, and 1 and are taking their lesson literally front a page of
so driven back to the Bar, where he soon acquired I history which we hail hoped long ago had been for ever
the fame of a most formidable advocate, and defended ! turned aver and put away. That such conduct has a
the liberty of the press and the local franchises of his , direct tendency to provoke war is, perhaps, the least
fellow-citizens against incessant prosecutions. His 1 imisirtant paint that could be urged against it. War
defence of M. de Potter, afterwards one of the most I itself could add but little to the burden of the warlike
Democratic leaders of the Revolution, gave him I preparations whichare now carried on, all over Europe,
all at once a perilous celebrity, and when the 1 in a period of unbroken peace. The excuse which each
Revolution of 1830 brake out, he came to the front I nation urges for increasing its own army is, of course,
as one of its ablest chiefs, more dreaded by. the everywhere the same. The wishes and intentions iif each
Dutch Government for his moderation and his re- are nmst peaceful, but each is in perpetual dread of
sistance to anarchy, than others who discredited the very opposite intentions on its neighbour's part. Ger-
revolt by their violence of language. He con- many is arming because she is afraid of I. ranee, and
ducted with great skill the fruitless negotiations with i France because she is afraid of Germany. Italy must
the brother if the King. ; anal, finding reconciliation I have an army because she is a new Kingdom and has
impossible, accepted a mission to London, to sound the ! received very recently large additions to her territory;
Tory Ministry of the day as to its intentions with regard I while the same conclusion is drawn with equal mine'
to the infraction of the Treaty if 1815. His I ance by Austria, but from just the contrary premieses.
conduct of the long series ef negotiations which after , Russia now must be stronger than she used to lie, in
long and weary years terminatea in the recognition of I order that she may counterbalance the increased
Belgian independence and in the acceptance of the j strength of Germany', while the new military activity
Belgian throne by Prinee Leopold, was maeterly in its ' of Russia becomes, in turn, an additional argument for
energetic firmness its indefatigable activity, and its arising still more German soldiers. If we link, how-
inexhaustible fertility if resource. Ile gained the ear ever, at the precise numbers of each army as it exists,
and the confidence of the Duke of Wellington and his we shall find that most of them are already quite large
colleagues; but it was not until after the 'teasing of enough for defence, and that each nation can oppose a
the Reform Bill and the accession of Lord Palmers- greater farce than its neighbours can bring into the
ton to the Foreign Office that le had the policy as well field for offensive purposes. Germany has a tutal army
as the public sentiment of England on his side. of 1,261,000 men, and this is very nearly twice as large
Excepting for a brief interval in 1845, when he became as the entire offensive army of European and Asiatic
Prime hlinisterof a Liberal Cabinet in succession te the Russia, and falls very little short of the combined
clerical cabinet of M. Nothomb, he remained in Rug- offensive forces of France and Austria and Italy. The
laud ever since. In 1a46 he resigned office after a defeat French army, again, is much larger than the army with
upon the question of publiii instruction, in which which Germany could make the attack. Nor is Italy
he declined the domination which the ecclesias- less well defended against all possible assailants. Within
tical authorities demanded in the name of liberty. the last fifteen years she has almost doubled her Stand-
In 1851 he was re-appointed Plenipotentiary in ing Army, and has increased the available offensive part
London, and held the post until declining health and of it in an even larger proportion. She has now
the advice of his physicians led him to seek repose. lie 605,200 soldiers with whom she can defend herself, and
had man-let! an English lady, and become the 322,000 with whom she Can attack her neighbours. If
honoured head of an English house and the beloved we measure her defensive forces against the offensive
father of an English family • and in these capacities, forces of any other nation whatever, we shall find that
as and the owner if an Etylsh estate, he identified they do not fall far short of any, and that they are
himself heart and soul with is adopted country; not, considerably in excess of most. The very pretence of
however, loving the land of his fathers less, because reason Om altogether disappears, and the jealousies
he had grown to love the land of Ids children more ;mil suspicions of the nations of Europe with regard to
and more. It is no secret that he was often each other's future movements are shown clearly to be
consulted by the Queen before her marriage, and as baseless as they are ruinotie,
in later years by the Prince Consort. Her Majesty If we wish to estimate the cost at which the Standing
held him in the most affectionate respect, and baile Armies of modem Europe are kept up at their present
him a most touching farewell on his death-bed. Shortly numbers, it will by no means be sufficient to confine
before Ids death, we believe, indeed, on the very day our attention to the mere military Estimates. Large
preceding it, he received a visit from the Prince of as these are, they represent only a small portion of the
Wales, with whom he conversed on public anal social whole expense which is entailed. It is not only the
topics with unabated interest and intelligence, cost of the arms and maintenance of the soldier that
Vi hether in thechair of the Royal Literary Fund, or as has to be taken into account. We must remember
a most zealous member of the Council of that institu- that, with few exceptions, every soldier is with-
tion, or as an occasional speaker at public dinners, or as drawn from industry, and that the entire wealth of
a country gentleman addressing his neighbours at an a nation is lessened by the whole of what he might
' agricultural meeting during the crisis of the Crimean have product d if he had still continued to be en-
war, Ids utterances, like his thoughts, were English to gaged in the pursuits of peace. National defence must,
the core. A few years since however, he paid a la.st visit to of course, be pros-bled for, and it would be
Belgium and to the scenes of his earliest straggles and , poor economy to neglect it; but, when this is once
triumphs. He had served the country of his birth with done, every new conscript added to the roll not
all his heart and strength, and earned the gratitude only increases the yearly burdens of the State, but, at
of his fellow-countrymen. His second country has the same time, more than equally diminishes its power
raved to bun a great example of public and private of sustaining them. We shall, perhaps, best judge to
virtues, and mourns for him as for a statesman whase what extent this twofold result has been brought about
patriotism was not divided, but doubled by a double if we compare the number of men contributed for
allegiance, and who was deservedly beloved in life as military purposes in the principal European States
he will be lamented in death, and lamented, as the with the total number of the inhabitants, and so arrive
good are, most by those who knew him best, at the percentage of soldier in each of them. We our-
selves, for every thousand of our population, maintain
about three soldiers available for offensive pur-
poses. Italy and Belgium maintain more than four
times as many, France and Austria about five
There are no religions bodies which are so careful to
times and Germany nearly seven times as many. In '
tabulate and report upon the various departments of
. 1 1. 1 H • t
this matter Germany ea, st le way. Her army is no
their work as the Nlethodist Churches. Especial. at- ,
, only numerically larger than that of any other Power
tention is given to the statistics of inembershtp. There
are 641 circuits in Great Britain. In each ad these, at , xcept Russia, llut it bears also a larger proportion to
the Whole number from which it is drawn, and consti-
the March quarterly meetings, reports of the numliers I
tutes, whether intentionally or not, a standing menace
"in society '' are presented. These include none but'
• ler nerg tb ours. It is in vain for her to pretend that
class-meeting members, although there are many who I hto
would gladly recognise coninomicants. 'rhe returns slue cannot defend herself with less. She is well aware
that she is in no danger if attack. France, her great
—which include tables showing increase or decrease,
rival, may have given her a fair enough excuse in the
f (lie Second E t• but France has had a
time o le mi tre, . deaths, removt.also,f sun trial.
citirce.—uiatsret.setyite
superintendents i . • , lesson since which she is not likely to have forgotten,
la
It t itilewt I
meetings, which are held yearly at various p men ti
anal has at present as little real intention as she has
each of thAe 34t
the distresent time many of these distriricts Into which the country.
ct ie
ability of ci
re-commenng the game of war, at which sho
divided. p
las been so heat y a loser. Nor is the suddenness of
meetings, which extend usually over the I,trea par d t 1)
ter t
of
lattack
sa week, are now in memion, and the statistics e late on Germany any reason why large
otd be kept continually in the field.
her matters are under careful revi di ew, the strict meet-
German forcee shoul
It is true, of course, that the actual notice feete
mugs being a sort of minor Conference. Oreleveral
years, while as there h been growing prosperity in every war was very short ; but it Waa known loag before to
I impendin and the storm did not burst finally until
other respect, the membership has either decreased or
shown a very small advance. In the year 1870, and there had been full and ample opportunity of preparing
for several years previously, there was reported an in- -
duly to encounter it. The spectacle we now witness is
f neeill s • re aration an all sides where no
crease of 3,000 or 4,000, in 1871 a decrease of 1,300 ; hi , !II
1872 a decrease of 300, and in 1873 an increase of about ' .
'dangoeii threatens, or tri. rather where the only danger
'necessarily from mistaken efforts
2,000. This year it seems likely diet the average in- I I
fsirSts'eeCurit .an There has been, we are well aware,
members will be reported. The returns from many of . a
crease, as it may be termed, of between 3,000 d 4,000 i
' n.eAt deal of foolish language on the part both of
the districts show a considerable advance. The two 1 "_ _ Fristrichnun and Germans, and not unnaturally, a
gr.eat deal of angry feeling. No nation submits
district, 295 ; Liver?ools 460 ; lllancliester, 331 ; Halifax
London districts have gained about 540 ; 'Macclesfield I
Iscilalninegely
has
such humiliations as those which
h nderoone, and it is neces4arily some time
and Bradford, 398 : Sheffield, 439 ; Nottingham and l'
hefore men have le'arnt to accept facts and to acquiesce
cannot be avoided. But France as she has tra,stiOleJ, ;31.111I0„,yit
!;airliet,biyroaudTlh)aer Ilitocilsldle;
'TOWn calmer too and all accounts
in as-hatt
h.
creases are in the Bedford andltiorthampton, Norwich I grown.s ronger,
tin 6her &sent sentiments a-4 much
and Lynn, Devonport and Cornwall districts, and are, I agree in re re.
1 f i re on account of aericultural labour
remove o mem ie s ame time that
past, whde there is no ou it, at the s ,nO doubt, to a considerable extent accaunted for by the more peeeePableenth.ang thdeyPlhave been for many years
difficulties) or depression in mining. , her apprehensions are really excited by the spectacle
lof an armed Germany, and that she is askiwg
_
I anxiously against whom so many new Krupp guns and
• t read and is beginnin” to
are being go y. . . , ~, .
PRINCE BISMARCK'S PRIVATE LIFE. Nlanser rifles
doubt whether her neighbour. not satisfied with his
Some details concenting the private life id Prince late triumph, may nit even now be seeking occasion
Bismarck are published by a German journal. Since
the Austrian campaign of 1866 the Prussian Chancellor fever,
for a new quarrel in which she is to be ag,ain the oaf-
has, it says, laid aside his civilian's dress, and out of Our present Peace is ouch literally as the world hats
personal love for his eovereig-n has donned the unifionn never known before. It is a Peace not only full of
of a major in the Curassiers. 'This attire has given mutual suspicion and mistrust, but one which entails
him a truly martial stamp. The Prince has been in as great a burden as Europe collectively has ever borne
the It ,bit of retiring to rest after midnight, and as the cost of war, and which weighs accordingly on her
drank regularly one or two battles of champagne as a resources and impedes her progress until a war which
sleeping potion. Prince Bismarck dotes on a corn- would give a real Peace has almost come te lie the lesser
fortable home, and only in the most Rebhan eases evil. The worst feature of the case is that the process
attends balls and assemblies. Respecting science shich is now going on may go on apparently without
and the theatre Bismarck evinced chiefly an inch- end, and each new year may only add to the evils of
nation to the comic muses, and thus it is that those which have preceded it. Our talk still is of peace
the Wallner Theatre, the place of Berlin hi ical and progress; but Peace has men shorn of its aceustonaed
farces was almost the only theatre that was honoured blessings, and progress has chiefly enabled us to devote
with his company. All the cartoons and comic more money and greater efforts to the prepalation
sketches respecting him are carefully collected by his for mutual destruction. Is the Europe of the present
daughter and placed in albums. The more absurd the ' day, we may well oak, wiser and better than the
caricatures in the Berlin comic journals, such as the , Etirope of our forefathers? Are her nations now less
Kladderoda,tseh, Wespen, Uik, and Rumor are, the ' addicted to war than in the past? Are her statesmen
more he laughs. Nevertheless, the somewhat grotesque 1 less chargeable with the grie..ous crime of encouraging
nature of the Jupiter of the Wilhelmstrasse knows I her worst propensities and of prom thing mutual
only too well how to resent the attacks and criticisms 1 misgi sings and apprehensions, which are not the
of the little Mjunke, the chief editor of the clerical I team pernicious because they are absolutely base-
Germania or of the enfant terrible of the "social. ! less? The evil is so great already that it is scarcely
democratic," and Lassallerian line, Herr Hasselmann. ! possible to exaggerate it, and there is no near
Prince Bismarck is on the whole not very favourably I prospect that it will is away or in any important
inclined trovanls the press, the expreseion which degree diminish. Rather it seems likely to increase.
passed his lips several years ago that "the journalists The causes which have produced it are still at work
i
are a people who have entirely failed in their calling," unchecked. The new military organization of Russia,
i
is stall his opinion at the present day. which promises to bring into the field three million