St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1888-11-25
STRONG ON LAND and SEA.
That Is the Condition in Which Emperor
william Will Put Germany.
WAR PREFERABLE TO PEACE.
It Would Result in the Disarmament
Of the Mighty Armies Of
Europe.

Special Gable to the Globe. =
BERLIN, Nov. 24.-The pacific tone Of
of the Emperor Williams speech in
opening the reichstag Thursday has not
allayed public feeling regarding the
dangerous aspect of European affairs.
On such occasions emperors ordinarily
gave a brief and colorless survey of the
European situation, from which it is
difficult, if not impossible, to extract
any definite information. but which is
read everywhere with interest. When
the usual reassuring words have been
spoken men breathe more freely. They
say to themselves that there will prOba.
bly, be another year of respite. The
German emperor does not be-
lieye in the imminence of an out
break, and he ought to know-but
they forget the assertion that there was
not cloud on the political horizon
which was made a week before the
declaration of war between France and
Germany, and lose sight of the fact that
emperorS are not accustomed to tell the
public all they know, still less all they
conjecture and suspect. In diplomatic
circles it is suspected that ii he we're
u,
admit that his optimism was very
superficial affair, justified mainly by
the conviction that it is always we'll to
make the best of bad business. When
armies are counted by millions, and
when the means of destruction have
reached the frightful perfection they
have attained.
1.-THE MOST RECKLESS PAUSE.
The worst of it. however, is that un-
der existing conditions peace is nearly
as formidable as war. To maintain
100000 soldiers is so appalling bur-
den that even war may be welcomed
as putting an end to. an unbearable
state of things. and definitely establish
ing an interchangeable superiority on
this side OF that. Moreover, there are
absolute antagonists of vital interests
at work, and race hatreds more virulent
and irrecOncilable than ever. In real
ity, the European outlook is as black as
can be. The Germans have evidently
made up their minds to be strong at sea
as we'll as on land. In the construction
OF armored ships they have for some
government at Berlin appears to have
been Influenced by Admiral Aube'S
theory that iron clads were mistake
and that the really effective work in the
wars of the future would be done by
swift vessels of less cumbrOuS type
than that now prevailing. 1t is now
announced that the German authorities
have decided to revert to the old policy,
and the imperial parliament has been
asked to sanction the construction of
eight armored ships of the first class.
Germany aims at being naval factor
of importance not only in the Baltic,
but also in the North sea, and this pro-
posal to adopt immediate measures for
swelling the list of
ARMORED BATTLE SHIPS
will undoubtedly influence the building
programmes of several governments.
Emperor William has hardly improved
matters by his attempts to explain what
he meant by his recent surprising
speech to the burgomaster of Berlin. 1t
to the organs of the Freisinnige. OF
radical untramontane parties. The lat
ter have spoken pretty freely about his
visits to King Humbert and the pope,
but it was chiefly the Radical papers
which gave Offense by their illusions to
Emperor Frederick, which Emperor
William found painful to his feelings
as sin. The explanation will appear
all the more odd when it is added that
the illusions were nothing il not eX-
tremely laudatory, and things have
come to strange pass if the emperor
regards all that is Said in praise of his
late father as reflection upon himself.
1t is not yet clear why the complaint
was made to the burgomaster and his
colleagues, except that the Berlin mu-
niclpal authorities are known TO be Lib
erals. But they have Nc more to do with
the Liberal press of Berlin than the
mayor and the board of aldermen have
to do with New York papers.