New-York tribune., 1885-03-27
W5R IND PEACE.

The Queens Proclamation Is distinct, pue
not an unmistakable, menace of war. Inc
reserves and the militia are never called out Tor
holiday parade, but only in crisis OF foreign
affairs. Nevertheless, peace is often the out
come even of the most serious preparations LOT
war, The calling out of the reserves and the
militia is the English method Of emphasizing an
utimatum and informing Continental
pejghbor that the Government and the nation
are determined to fight rather than compromise.
This is the real meaning of the Proclamation.in
the present instance. England is preparing 10
enforce its demand for the retirement OF the
Russian troops from the Afghan frontier ana
the completion of the labOrs OF the JOINT
Boundary Commission. The decision whether
there shall be war or peace now rests Win
Russia and while the Car and his advisers are
apxiously celebrating and possibly waiting for
some sign from Berlin, tho preparations Tor
war will be conducted with energy in England
and India. But this inflexible tirmness and
apparent indifference to the Gears decision,
whether it be for war or peace, may prove IN
the end the speediest method OF averting hosul-
tiles and restoring harmony. The menace OF
war may be in reality an assurance OF peace.
Critical as are the present relations between
England and Russia, the situation is not appar-
emily so hopeless as it was in 1878, when the
English reserves were last called out. The
Russian staff had approached Constantinople
and dictated the Peace of San Stefano. Great
Britain had given the Car notice that 1t could
not recognize the validity of that treaty unless
it should be laid before the Powers and consid-
e1ed article by article. In order to enforce this
If ipnr r nls spuf tD Con-
stantinople, vote of credit for war prepara-
tions was carried through Parliament the
reserves were called out, Indian troops were
sent to Malta from Bombay, and there were
active preparations for war at every dockyard
and arsenal in England The diplomatic dead
lock lasted three months, during which Lord
BeaconsGeld exhausted his bill of credit in
military and naval expenditures and Russia
was recruiting its victorious army and intrigu-
ing in Afghanistan for n campaign against
India: and at the close of this ominons Storm
and-stress period, the two Governments con
sented to send delegates to the Congress oil
Berlin and TO register in lpubllc the decisions
which they had reached in secret agreement
The summons to the reserves and the move
ment of the Scpoys were aggressive measures
which drew attention to the military resources
of Great Britain and tended to moderate the
war feeling in Russia. In like manner the
present augry omen of war may become IN time
an auspicious augury of European peace.
The factors of the two problems are dlsslm-
liar. In 1873 Russia was exhausted by the
campaigns in The Balkan and in Armenia {;
whereas now the army is reorganHed and
recruited and the nation invigOrated by seven
wears of peace. Great Britain, which was then
fresh and tinglng with long -repressed activity,
is now weary of campaigning in every part OF
the world, and is harassed alike with the vcxa-
tions of Egyptian finance and the burdens oil
warfare in the Soudan. Alexander H. was
surrounded with aged councillors who were
satisfied with the results of the war with
Turkey and disinclined to prolong the period of
hostillties with q new adversary against them.
Alexander Ill. is influenced by the Judgment OF
Younger and more impetuOus advisers, and in
the innermost Government circles at st. Peters
burg war feeling predominates. These and
other considerations count strongly on the side
of war; and although there are Offsets to them
in the lack of adequate railway communication
between the Caspian and the Russian .ontposts,
in the alliance between England and Afghan
star,, and especially in the pacific attitude OF
the same German Chancellor who seven years
ago grimly muttered Beati Possidentes," the
situation must be regarded as alarming War
is result fraught with so many dcplorable
evils that Americans with their pacific instincts
| cannot help hoping that it will yet be averted
either by diplomatic means by sober second
| thought in st. Petersburg or by the command
ing influence of Prince Bismarck. What noblcr
office can there be for the arbiter of Europe
than that of peacemaker2