The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1870-11-14
THE WAR NE VS..

THE WAR NEWS.
SEVERAL events have recently been reported
in the cable dispatches from Europe which
may exercise great influence upon the final
issue of the war between Germany and
France. Up to this moment the latter power
has derived no assistance whatever from other
European nations, but the probabilities of a
diversion, if not of direct intervention in her
behalf, are steadily increasing. The Empire
was q standing menace to Europe, and the
nations which had suffered by the arrogance
displayed by her Napoleonic rulers
for time regarded the humiliation of France
with ill-concealed satisfaction. Austria was
not unwilling that the victors of Sadowa
should punish the people who overthrow
her armies at Solferino. Italy, although
partially reunited by French assistance, re-
membered how long her thorough unifca-
tion had been postponed through French
jealousy. Spain could not forget that the
present war was precipitated by unwarranted
French interference with her choice of a
sovereign. England smarted under the con-
viction that she had been oajoled by
the ex-Emperor and under the threats
repeated from time to time that Waterloo
would yet be avenged, and Russia was
stung by the recollection that French armies
had checked her designs against CONSTANT
nople, and humiliated her armies at Sebasto-
pol. Although these things had been done by
the empire, the parties offended held France,
as a nation, responsible for them, and they
were by no means certain that her aggressions
might not be increased by the substitution of
a republican for an imperial government.
Up to certain point, therefore, they
were willing and anxious that France should
be punished for what they considered past
offenses and shorn of the strength necessary
to infict future njuries. But at the same time
they are not blind to the danger that German
dominance may prove more ineonvenient and
damaging than French ascendancy. France
served, in their judgment, as useful check
upon the growing power of Prussia, and the
course of events is now forcing US to gravely
wonder whether they can safely afford to have
this check completely destroyed. They were
anxious to see France badly whipped
in a two months war, but they were not pre-
pared to see her reduced to low and uninfu-
ential rank in the scale of nations, to have
her territory disintegrated, her towns and
cities burnt, her provinces devastated, and her
proud capital demolished. Caring nothing
for France, for Republicanism, or for the
general interests of humanity, but intensely
anxious for elf-protection and self-aggran-
dizement, the unexpected completeness of
the German victories and the continued
weakness of French resistance are now in
citing in their bosoms many active hopes
and fears The military activity
displayed by Russia during the last few
months is explained by her formal demand
for an abrogation or revision of the treaty of
1856. She is determined to embrace the pre-
sent opportunity for destroying the sick man
of Turkey and getting free outlet to the
Mediterranean. Now that France is no longer
able to resist her ambitious designs in that
tluarter, she bids defiance to England, and
England, in turn, is tortured by the fear that
German acquiescence in the Russian policy
will be purchased by the transfer of Russian
ports and the Baltic to the triumphant Ger
mans. This programme would involve
q double menace to Great Britain. 1t would
vastly increase the power of Russia to harass
her possessions in British India, and at the
same time make Germany more clamorous
than ever for free sway over the Baltic aud
for control over its outlets to the ocean.
France had a common interest in checking
these designs, and her humiliation
will rob Great Britain of her
only effective ally. British statesmen
are therefore becoming intensely anxious that
peace should be established before France
is irretrievably ruined. Austria, too, has
lately displayed an intense desire for the
conclusion of the war, and it is reported that
feeling of deep hostility has sprung up be-
tween Won Beust and Bismarck. If France
is thoroughly humbled, Austria fears that she
will be more completely than ever at the
mercy of Prussia. Whether these
fears and jealousies of England aud
Austria, and their common interest in pre-
venting the prostration of France, will lead to
armed intervention in her behalf remains to
be seen, but there can be little doubt that
they will give France all the diplomatic assist
ance in their power, and if protests and pro-
tocols prove utterly unavailing, the day may
be noar at hand when they will extend mate
rial aid. Meanwhile, the French have at last
won a victory of respectable proportions, and
if this is followed by one or more similar
achievements the Elong-looked-for uprising
may come at last, and fair show of French
strength at this juncture would have po wer-
fal influence in attracting foreign assistance.