Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1888-04-12
War Situation.
TBy DR.. F. B. Robinson. !

hung over Europe. 1t has chang
ed from month to month in aspect
but its unknown quantity, the
thunder and lightning, remains
quite uncertain. Local disturb
ances have arisen with dangerous
symptoms but have been apparent
ly settled by diplomacy, the art Of
deception. But there exists wide
spread conviction that European
affairs are in a more imminent
danger Of open rupture than ever.
Hostile foes are erecting their
bristles for ofense and defense.
The war malady, originally and
finally territorial aggrandizement
and rule, lies spread to almost
every nation in Europe. To be
short the first bait expected from
the family broil was that France
would recover Alsace and Lor-
raine. The next bait was and is
that Russia would get control Of
Bulgaria and thus have a road to
tbs east. Naturally the central
interest has been toward Germany
whose policy and geography is
very important among the puga-
lists of Europe. There will be no
war between France and Germany
unless the attack comes from
France. Germany wants nothing
better than to rest in peace in the
possession ofconquered Alsace and
Lorraine But before Germany
will give back those provinces to
France she will stand clad in armor
with her hand on her sword. The
watch over the Rhine can only be
bought by the blood of battles.
On the side of France the pros
poets of attack have some what
subsidized. The renewal of hostile
action would seem to lie mainly
in the return of Gen. Boulanger to
power. Boulanger was deposed
from the ministry of war by his
war like aspirations. However he
is the most popular man in the
French nation since the days of
Gambetta. Even Bismark the
arch-diplomat and iceberg philoso-
pher couChed considerable hattery
but more decision in the idea that
he admired the gallant Boulanger
but Alsace and Lorraine could not
be gwen back" Boulanger's
popularity can be seen substanti-
ally when in the late elections of
France he was not candidate,
made no speech, issued no address
and was Ineligible to office yet
received $1,000 votes. He will no
doubt again return to office. The
people remember he improved the
condition of the private soldier and
lessened the honor Of the conscrip-
ton. His popularity increases
and his fighting ambition grows.
The other day he made a speech
to the students Of Paris in which
he described in glowing eloquence
that France was one of the first
nations and that they should see
to it that it gained its old prestige
which it never ought to have lost
Germany'S Attitude to France is
one of watchful care that the
Napoleonites step not on "fair
Bingen on the Rhine" The dead
emperor whose body lies now on
the Catafalque said few bad things
of the French. Will his demise
change existing relations? King
Frederic III is now on the throne
but he is a man of peace and
though grave differences are
asserted to exist between him and
Bismark whom he SO eloquently
called to be his minister yet his
physical debility will prevent any
rupture. He comes to a throne
with life that is supposed to be
fast ebbing away. He is almost
voicelesS and the sands Of life are
running low. AT best his life is a
climax of hoplessness. The
crown Prince William is the one
feared. He IS a man of war and a
bitter enemy of France. War
need not be looked for in this
direction only under conditions
because France is not as strong as
Germany and is especially without
allies. Bulgaria is at present the
bone of contention. The coming
war will be war between Russia
and Austria for the ascendency in
the Balkans in which other states
will join. 1t will be caused by
Russian pressure in Bulgaria. If
IT comes it will likely be the
present summer. The original
cause of the present trouble arose
a number years ago when Russia
in war with Bulgaria defeated
them. Russia advanced toward
Constantinople when she was
stopped by the English. Then the
Berlin congress of 1870 decided
that Bulgaria should be governed
by Prince elected by the Bulgar-
ians themselves. The powers