Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1883-03-22

General Shermans testimony In the star route
case yesterday was very good, so far as It went,
but it didn't help the defendant any, nor did it
reflect much credit upon the General OF the Army
as an administrator OF public affairs He testified
that In his opinion the expeditng OF given route
was necessary, inasmuch as, to use his own Ian
guage. "its increase to daily service saved the
army the expense OF line of couriersn Very
likely 1t did; but since 1t cost from ten to twenty
times as much TO expedite mail route as IL did
to run line OF military couriers, It is difficult to
see where the advantage TO the country came In
Lady Florence Dixie Is probably fraud. In
stead of throwing any light upon the affair." her
account OF the alleged assault upon her at Wind
sor the other day adds to its puZzling features.
She says that she struggled with the rufians,
aided by ner dog ana that passing cart fright
ened the would-be as5assns away just as one OF
them was aiming another plunge at her breast
with his knife. Yet the driver OF the passing cart
Neither heard nor saw anything Of the attack. A
gardener, who was pOtting plants but a short dis
lance from the scene, equally Oblivious of all
that occurred 1t Is as diff ult TO conceive of any
motive for the assault as to account for the mar
Vicious escape OF the lady, according to her own
narrative, from bodily injury. Several fierce
strokes OF knife only cut small hole In her
dress and sliced finger or her glove. 1t Is singu.
Lar, TOO, that the $uffiins should have escaped
without leaving any trace behind them.
The plan devised and put In operation by the
Baltimore and Ohio railroad company for taking
care OF employees who are injured or fall sick and
OF providing for the families OF those who lose their
lives, has worked admirably. Last year the dis
pursements In payment OF benefits, including
oeatn losses and expenses OF Caring for sick and
injured members, amounted to the very handsome
sum OF s3O2, 6l7.6a
III France seriously contemplates the day when
she may recover Alsace AMI Lorraine, and wipe
OUT the humiliation OF defeat by administering a
druobing to Germany, her statesmen and people
might obtain some idea of the magnitude or the
undertaking by comparison of the increase of
population in the two countries. The continual
tile or emigration from Germany, large as it ap-
pears when represented In figures to ITSELF is but
hurop In The bucket when compared, not with the
total population alone, but with the increase. In
the i've years. from December 1875 to 1880 Ger.
many added 2,5O6, $50 to her population DESPITE
emigration while from 1876 to 1891 the increase In
France was but aS9673. A half century ago
france numbered 3s,569,223 persons, while the
territory OF the present German empire had but
2s'ols,l25 In 1850 Germany had increased to 49,
x5iOol, while France, in 1881, had but g. 32I 1856
During the five years preceding the last census
tne increase OF population In Germany was LA
per cent; In France p; In Austria Hungary 047:
Ia Italy 06O; in Great Britain 1.O4, and In the
United States s. Between 1871 and 1880 the
excess OF immigration over emigration in Ger.
many was 1OO9R The French Illusion of sumo
nority IL military skill and soldierly qualities
over the Germans was dispelIed BY the Franco
German war, and as numbers must count In any
war between these nations, the chance of q re-
turn OF Alsace and Lorraine to French alleriance
grows less year by year.