The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1887-12-17 00:00:00

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SATURDAY, DECEMBER 17, 1837.

THE OUTLOOK ON THE CONTINENT.

As the year narrows down to its close the
outlook on the Continent is not so bright
and calm as ‘,..wishers for the concord and
prosperity of Europe would have it.. The
old 'sore in Bulgaria has ceased its virulent
rankling for a time, but no one feels sure
that it will not break out again at any
moment, ugly as ever. The old Eastern
i
i;uestion of Russia and Tarkej is n quies-
cence, but another East European trouble,
with Russia involved, is springing up. Dis-
quieting rumours have been flashed back-
net: ds and forwards over the wit es between
all the Continental capitals, and at times
diplomacy seems to have carried those who
have juggled with it into dangerous prox-
imity to aetion which might easily end in
war. It is more than probable, however,
that all this movement of Russian troops
towards the frontier, of which we have
heard, and all the military activity of-neigh-
bouring nations, means little more than a
State-theatrical display by way of justifying
the existence of costly armament on every
hand. Armies which eat up countries and
keep their masters and handlers in power
over the people must, for decency's sake, do
something now and then to keep those who
have to maintain them out of the more
violent stages of grumbling. There is grave
danger, too, that these demonstrations of
professional militaeyisrn may drive a nation
into needless war, and perhaps wreck the
peace of a whole Continent. Just now
nearly every countly in Europe is engaged
in a hot competitive race as to which shall
have the best and most effective weapons,
and a great proportion of the wealth earned
by the taxpayers is being diverted into
entirely wasteful and unproductive channels
to the incalculable injury of all. And
though this is lamentable in the extreme in
the eyes of every thoughtful man, there
appear no signs of a change for the better.
Year by year Governments go on arming;
getting deadlier engihes of war, and discard-
ing as obsolete and useless others for which
but a short time earlier they had paid dearly.
At present all Europe is waiting delivery of
one or another sort of new magazine or
repeating rifle. It is saddening to see this
mad and universal arming, bat there is one
crumb of comfort to pick up. The nations
are ever preparing, never ready ; and not one
would to-morrow care to enter into a
decisive conflict for supremacy. They mast
wait for the new guns. On this r<round,
therefore, we do not see a likelihood of any
immediate rupture of magnitude on the
Continent. Affairs may look dark and
critical in the !extreme about the Polish
border, and the Aastro-German allies may
Send diplomatic " stingers " to Russia, or
viee ners(7,; but beyond that we do not see
how either can go in the near future. And
winter war in Eastern Europe is not an
undertaking to be lightly entered into ; so
much to the contrary, indeed, that we trust
that true patriots would now be able to out-
vote the desperate, and so avoid a great war.
Besides not being ready for fighting, and
having men at once mighty and prudent in
council at command, all the Powers, almost,
have quite enough. to do to discharge their
obligations, without reverting to ruinous
hostilities. War could not, as it were, be
afforded by any of the European nations ; and
though an empty treasury sometimes makes
an autocrat reckless, want of means will
often prevent a conflict.. Looking intently
at the quest ens involved in the reputed
disagreement between the governmeats of
the Austro-German allies and of the Czar of
Russia we can see no cause for a rupture,
and certainly no justification of war. Then,
notwithstanding the raticinations to the
contrary of thoee wild wire-pullers with
whom the wish is doubtless father to the
thought, we are not without trust that the
gloom which is shadewin the coming
Christmas in Eastern Europe will ere long
be lifted. We regard with regret, however,
the rancorous illfeeling, in Vienna and at
Pesth against St. Petersburg, a feeling
which has sad reciprocation in the Russian
capital, and which cannot but be considered
as a standing menace to the peace of Europe.
Berlin, too, has just added a jarring note to
the international discord which sereeps
the Continent as 1887 lies at eternity's door.
Bismarck asks for the addition of half a
million
rmore men to the German war foot-
ing. I here are many who look upon the
prevalent war scare as being of the Iron
Chancellor's creation and cultivation, in
order thaf he might get his Army Bill
through the Reichstag without such a rebuff
as his restless railitaryism experienced early
in this year. Whether this be so or not
Germany's continuous arming on a gigantic
scale contributes a good deal to European
unrest; and France's activity in the same
direction, commoely estimated to arise from
a Gallic determination to keep pace at any
eate with the neig!iboar nation, is equally
extensive and eq Rally fraught with inflam-
matory pessibilities. It is well that the war
party in France did not get the upper hand
in the poli,ical crisis which seated M. Sad.i
Carnot in the place of honour held of late
by M. Grevy, or we should soon have been
facing the awful prespect of a Franco-Ger-
man war of''such proportions as would have
appalled the world. The Parliament of
France, says the new President; in his some-
vrhat optimistical Message, " has already
proclaimed the resolution to put aside all
cause of tlisagre-ameat." If the future sees
this proclaimed resolve continuously acted
on, it 1339,y be well for Prance; but one does
not build to confidently upon the surpris-