Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1882-03-30
The European War Cloud.
The Drovsrs Journal.

The Drovsr Journal.
There is no Disgusting the fact that
a war cloud now hangs with rather
threatening aspect over the largest and
fairest portion of Europe. Whether it
is to burst in the near future is the
question of chief interest. The insur-
rectiOn now fairly begun and proceed
ing In Herzegovina against Austrian
rule this time is an exact counterpart
1f the insurrection which was begun
among the same people against Turkish
rule, and which led to the war between
Russia and Turkey. We see it stated
that number Of distinguished Rus
sian oficers have recently gone to the
seat OF disturbance in Herzegovina,
and this is just what was done in the
former lnsurrcctiOn-tO our mind it
does not seem to be at all likely that
so small nationality would undertake
to brave the power of Austria without
having some kind of powerful support
to fall back on. Since the war be.
tween Russia and Turkey was closed
we have seen it stated that Russia has
been engaged to an extent never before
seen IN that country in the manufac-
ture OF all kinds of arms and wal ma
terial, also in the building of railways
of the greatest possible strategical ina
| pOrtance and since the war between
Germany and France has closed, the
latter country has been engaged in very
much the same direction on vast
scale, Notifications of stupendOus ex-
tent and strength have been built, and
the military strength of the nation
has been improved in every possible
way.
General Skobeleff, the great Russian
general, has lately been giving utter
ance in the most public manner to SEN
timents that have arrested the fixed
attention of the whole civilized world.
1t is true these utterances were given
to- a lot of Servian students, but the
General has reaffirmed them in Paris.
France, where he has been stopping of
late. The most marked of all the SEN
tlments expressed is the one in which
the opinion is expressed that con-
fiict between the Sclavs and Tuetons is
inevitable, and that it would be long,
sanguinary and terrific. General Sk0-
belief closes his address as follows:
81 will not express all my meaning.
My heart aches. But our faith in the
historical mission of Russia is our con.
ISOLATION and our strength" If we turn
now to glance over the whole situation
it is easy to see that in such a conflict
Russia and France could make a per-
fectly natural alliance, while Germany
and Austria would be driven into an
alliance just as natural, but these two
powers would lie between the upper
and the neither millstOnes.
The military force of these four
powers stand at present as follows
Germany, 100000 men; Austria, l.
100000; Russia, 1882, 126, and France,
1890, OOO-tbus giving Russia and
France good deal the largest number
of armed men for the great conflict.
But these two powers would likely be
the invaders, while Germany and Aus.
tria would stay in their own countries
and defend, a condition that would 90
far towards equalizing the strength of
the two sides.
Italy has 664, 105 men which she
would likely throw in upon one side or
the other according to circumstances.
The division of the "Sick Mans" estate
and the old balance of power question
would, in the nature of things, be the
great leading matters to be adjusted.
there would be of course some minor
side issues. Turkey would be drawn
into the conflict of course; but as a
military power she has no hope in any
direction, except through a religious
war, and she may have influence
enough left to rally the Mohammedan
population of the world around her
standard.
The condition of Turkey is desper.
ate one, and she is more than likely to
move in this direction the next time
she engages in war. The Moslems
number 180,OoO,00C. This vast horde.
when once reused to high pitch of
religious frenzy, would quickly become
fanatical to the last degree. Africa
has 100000 of these Moslems.
India has 100000. There is to-day
a violent state of excitement through
out the Moslem world. All the Turkish
newspapers demand resistance to the
death against the great powers who so
crowd the Turk. The Mohammedans
expect their Messiah on the 18th of
November next. He is to rule all ma
tions. Nothing else is talked of in the
Mohammedan world but their soon-
coming Messiah and his Universal and
glorious reign over all the earth &C
cording to their faith, and violent ap-
pea!s are now everywhere made among
these people to rise in their might and
destroy their in6del oppressors and
there is already good deal of wide
spread alarm over this matter in all
those countries that would likely be
overrun and devastated by these fan
atical hordes in case Of general relig-
ious uprising.