River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1879-10-30
THE COMING STRIFE.
England, Austria and Germany Siding
off Against France and Russia


Paris Correspondence Of the New York Tribune.
The Prince of Wales, for the first time
in his life, has run through Paris with
out halting to dine with gay French
friends at a restaurant, and finish the
evening at theatre. Various reasons
are assigned for the flying nature of his
visit. The only good one is that of
Lord Salisbury's new diplomatic depart
ure. To avoid appearing circumvented
or defeated by Prince Bismarck, who is
now the master of a vast agglomeration
of military force, and 20 some extent
dominates the continent Of Europe, the
English cabinet wishes to pass fer his
ally. The German chancellor, who is
much more afraid of English soldiers
and sailors than of the personal inhn-
ence of Queen Victoria at the Court of
Berlin, is not sorry to draw Great Britain
as well as Austria into his orbit, and to
assist the former power in arresting the
growth of Russia. Not to be exposed
to the hampering effects of the auto
graph letters from her Brittanic Males
ty to the Emperor of Germany, who
holds in aifectionate esteem, and. in
deed, veneration, his good sister Of EGG
land, it is agreed that, il Great Britain
folds her arms and holds her tongue In
the event of France being attacked and
beaten, she is to be helped by Germany
to take Egypt and to keep it. This re-
public will have too much to do in look
ing after her own defences to get in the
way of Lord Beaconsfield at Cairo and
Alexandria. Official England is far
from desiring the overthrow or dismem-
berment of France, hateful to it as is
the form of government under which
the French people choose to live; but,
with his hands full in Asia and Africa,
and an agricultural crisis and CONNER
cial depression at home, it is important
TO prevent hostile collision, which is
more imminent than is generally sup
posed. On the principle of the half
loaf being better than no bread, Down
ing street will console itself with Egypt
for what it cannot help; and, as the
general elections approach, Lord Bea-
consfield will 90 to the country with
new jewel, which he has obtained by
means of the Ausho-German alliance,
to set in the crown of the Indian EN-
press. France and Russia allied may
give Bismarck and his new ally harde,
nuts to crack than their teeth are equal
to. If they do the powers which seem
ready to assume an antagonistic atti-
tude may mutually balance one anoth-
er.
The proposal to hand Egypt over to
a syndicate of European powers, which
the Downing street organs now think so
monstrous is four years old. AT the
same time II e Cabul instruction gave
a dangerous importance, in Lord Sauls-
bury's eyes, to the plan | have men,
toned for dealing with Egytian affairs,
which it did not earlier present Bis
marck had discovered that if Russia
were member of the syndicate-and
she could not be excluded from it-she
would insist upon the Suez canal being
neutralized-that is, open only to mer-
chant vessels conveying merchandise,
or to ships of war not bound on hos
tile mission. Hence it would follow
that transport vessels laden with Eng
lisl troops on their way to India would
be stopped, inasmuch as France draws
closer and closer toward Russia, and
would not oppose her proposals in the
Egyptian syndicate. At Berlin it was
adroitly given out, and it was believed
at Downing street, that Gen. Chanzy
was sent as ambassador to st. Peters
burg to enter into communication with
the Grand Duke Michael and Gen.
Todleben; and when he had proved to
them that France and Russia would be
more than match for Germany, to So
licit an alliance between President
Grevy and the Gar. A report of this
nature could not but exasperate the
royal family of England against the Re-
public; and it may in degree account
for the immoderate show of official
grief at the funeral of the late Prince
Imnerial