Omaha daily bee., 1885-01-31

the river by way Of Abu Hammet and
berber, will dispense the small detach-
ments OF Arabs in his vicinity. 1t is evi.
dent from this that the whole British
force will be in Khartoum before long
and that Ell Mahdi will either have to
give battle at Omdurman, his headqusr,
tiers, In the vicinity of Khartoum, or re-
tire Into the Soudau Desert further south,
When the Tonquin expedition wa'
uuder discussion for the first time, it was
suggested that e%xtensive military opera
tions in Eastern Asia would result In
weakening the army maintained for
national defense at home. The strongest
assurances to the contrary were given.
No drain of troops would be permitted
to an extent that would make France lees
capable of self.defense in a great Euro
pean var. In these pledges M. Ferry
united with General Csmperon, the
latter declaring that he would resign il
they were broken. His resignation
emphasized the fact that they have been
broken, and that France is not in q
position to maintain herself against al
attack from any tirst.rate power.
This discovery has made a PROFOUND
sensation In France, and has strengthen
ed the hands of M. Clemenceau in his
opposition to the war. 1t Ia true that
Frenchmen do not feel the sort cf in.
%dignation which a breach of faith would
arouse in England or America. There is
no such contempt for lying In Latin as In
Teutonic countries. But they are pain
fully alive to the danger which attends
the gripping of their armies, and while
at present Germany is all smiles and
good will, no one can tell how soon Prince
Bismarck's attitude may be altered, or
how much his smiles may have been in
tended to lull M. Ferry into confidence.
A few kind words and a little sympathy
in the buarrel with Englsnd were well
invested if they led France to unfit her
self for any act of aggression, and even
for self.deferse.
1t is said by the Russian correspond
ents of English and continental journals,
that ever since Queen Victoria assumed
the title of Empress of India a
desire has existed in st. Peters
burg to have the Gear of Rus
sia crowned Emperor of Central Asia.
Precisely as the new title Of Victoria,
seemingly only a sentimental addition to
her dignlties, really made India desrer to
the British heart, 80 the assumption by
the white Gar of a more conspicuous
sovereignty over his Asiatic dominions
will not only weld them closer to his Ed
ropesn empire, and make him, in the
eyes of his Eastern subjects, more their
their own, and less a foreign ruler, but
will, 1t is believed, stimulate the pride of
Russians in the Asiatic conquests.
Those who desire the emperor to take
this new title are the men who encour-
age him in adding to his Asiatic posses
sions, and In holding Russia in Europe
under an iron rule. They are the jingoes
of Russian politics; r%eactionists, haters
Of the people; worshippers of absolute.
lem. 1t is their influence that holds back
the %posthumous DEGREES of Alexander
the ii, which would give Russia the be-
ginnings of representative government.
They encourage the march towards India
and China, and under their methods the
debt of the empire IL said to be rising
rapidlp to the point where reputation
and national discredit will be inevitable.
The party which controls Russia, natu-
rally extravagant, is forced to make enor.
nous involuntary expenditures. Nihiliam
requires to be met at every point. The
military and police systems of the empire
are draining away Its life blood. Count
Tolstoi, the imperial minister of the in
ternal affairs, Is under a nihilist ban, and
liable to be assassinated at any moment.
He never leaves his house without pre-.
partitions to insure his safety, which are
said to cost the treasury $500 In every
instance. If then, in a state of peace,
Russia is cramped for funds and overrun
with enemies, what would be its condi-
ton in time of war? This consideration
Is the strongest guarantee of the safety
of India. Much as the Russians and
their allies may desire Its plumber, the
risk they would run In making war upon
England will cause them to hesitate.
Turkey Is becoming a prominent ele-
ment in the European complications tend
ing toward war. In Arabia there is a
revolutionary movement requiring con-
slant care and heavy outlays Tor troops.
France is kno IN to desire the Arabian
coast of the Red Sea. In Egypt Turkish
rights are wholly ignored, yet the pro-
posal Is made to send from six to twenty
thousand Turkish regulars to Join in the
occupation of Cairo and the pacifcation of
the Soudan. Italy, backed by England,
said to be looking towards Tripoll with
envious eyes, while the Porte threatens
to send 10000 men to defend. Greece,
especially friendly to England, is desir-
GUS of extending it's frontiers at Turkish
expense. Austria waits but q favorable
moment to absorb more of western Tur-
key, and Russia Is certainly not a neigh
Dor to be counted ON to defend the Porte.
While there is nothing in these facts to
promise hostllities, there is much in them
to justify the belief that if war once be-
gins Turkey is likely to suffer partial
Acknowledgement as its consequence.
General Lewal, the new French minis
ter of war, is clearly a man of action. He
that troops to the number of
$4,000 are to be sent to Tonquin before