Omaha daily bee., 1888-06-23
THE OMAHA DAILY BEE: SATURDAY JUNE %. 1888


him and his widowed mother, which have
been so long the scandal Of the German
court, have been healed No one expects
| him TO earn at once a tribute like the one
pronounced upon the dead emperor by Mr..
Gladstone in the British commons, for he
| does not come into power with ripe mind
and purpose solemnized by the thought of
| death but there is nothing in his proclama-
tions TO show that he is not alive to the bur
dons and responsibilities resting upon him.
~.
| Europe is looking the possibility of war
| squarely in the face, and the preparations on
all hands for what is generally believed must
sooner or later come do not lag. Austria has
! habits military expenditures on a war foot
ing for six months. 1t has to-day as many
troops IN Gallcla as would be there to meet
| war So has Russia on the other side of the
line. The Russian railroad to Samaracand
has greatly shortened the trip to India Whore
| Russia was once fencing with England with
a cavalry sabre at arms length, it has now
crept close with dagger. Italy and France
| get no nearer an agreement on their tariffs,
and the former has began to fortify its ex-
posed posts. The English panic over an in
| vason has for its first cause a belief in those
| high in place that great war is near in Eu-
| ropo. The new war cloud may all he only
turn to the screw by which the Austrian and
| German governments expect to squeeze out
| new credits. There seems to be no doubt that
| in both lands the troops must have a new rife.
| The new French arm, the Lcbel, has made
/ all the rest old. 1t is light, kills at two miles,
| it burns smokeless powder and carries a
| light ball so that the soldier can march with
| twice as many rounds. This arm will give
troops big odds when the French army all
| have it. The German staff may feel it safer
| to fight before this is done.
~
The boycotting of the Paris fair of 1889 by
| the monarchical governments of Europe is
| more distinctly signalized than ever by the
| continued refusal of Russia TO take official
| part in it. Russia has abundant reasons for
| keeping on friendly terms with France, the
| only great country on the continent of whom
| she has much to hope in the event of a great
war. But the hatred of popular government
| and the unwillngness to seem to forgive the
| memorable uprising that overthrew the Bas
| tile IN 1889, which the Paris exposition is de
| signed to celebrate, are motives too powerful
| to resist. Our government has taken de-
cided and conspicuous steps to be officially
represented there, in common with nearly or
1
is matter of history that the political ex-
cesses in France during the closing years OF
the eighteenth century excited strong cen
| sure here, but it is not these that are com
memorated, while the government by the
| people, as eXcmplified by the French repub
| lie of to-day, we can have only the heartiest
| sympathy. AS European countries are max
ing provision tor the private display of their
| products at Paris, the exposition is not likely
to lack in real value.
Hi ~.
| The rumor that Stanley has been wounded
| in fight with natives and has been aban-
| dOned by half of hismen cannot be called alb
| solutey incredible, since it is clear that some
unexpected mishap must be assumed in order
to account for the'long lack of authentic It'd
| ings from him. AS one of the charges
| brought against the gallant explorer by his
enemies is that he is very ready to fight the
| Africans, and as he has taken a route of
| which a large part has never been explored,
| it is quite possible that he may have been en-
gagged in battle. But it is difficult to imagine
| where his escort would go on abandoning
him. They are wholly dependent on him,
and, ignorant as they must be after their
| long journey how they could reach their
homes, they are more likely to be utterly
ana abiectly dependent than disposed to ex-
plore on their own account. 1t was in Feb
, ruary of last year that these people We're en-
| gagged by Stanley, and accordingly they have
| been with him too long to make their re
| ported detection very probable Last No
| vember there was story from Congo that
"there had been fighting between natives
| ana Stanleys force, and that the rear guard
| of the latter had been cut off, so that the
| present rumor may be revival of that old
| one.
THE Charente election for a French deputy
shows an ebb in General Boulangers
strength. NJ. Deroulede was his candidate,
a man conspicuous in his support of the
Boulanger movement and aided by the
strongest personal endorsement from Gen
eral Boulanger Instead of heading the list,
as was feared or expected, NJ. Deroulede
polls the smallest vote cast for the three
candidates running. In other elections the
l3onapartist vote has gone TO General
BOulanger or his supporters, for Boulangsm
is simply Imperialism in a new FORM and the
departments in which General Boulanger
has been strongest have been those in which
the empire was once strong. Charente is
one of these, and if on the second ballot,
which the lack Of an absolute majority rem
ders necessary under French law, the Bon
apartist vote is cast for NJ. Deroulcae and
he is elected, General Boulanger would still
win decided success.
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