New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-07-28
RUSSIA AT ANTIVARI.
THE FRANCO GERMAN TREATY-THE sEAMy
SIDE OF ROYALTY


negro concluded a military convention with the
Gar according to the terms Of which portion
OIL the Day OF Antivari is coded by the Back
Mountain Prince to Russia for the purpose Of es-
tablishlng there great fortified seaport and naval
depot. while the large sum OF money paid ~
the Muscovite Government in return for this
grant OF Montenegrin territory exceedingly
welcome at Cettinie, where the Trpasury-except
when border raids and cattle rObberies have been
more than usually productive-is in state OF
perennial emptiness, the members of the Triple
Alliance, as we'll as Great Britain and the Porte,
are much disturbed at the idea of the Cars thus
obtaining foothod on the shores Of the Medit,r-
ranean. The Importance of the acquisition to
Russia Is almost ncalculable Hitherto it would
always have been possible by means of the great
krupp guns at Gallipoli, and chain of torpedoes
stretched across the Dardanelles, TO bar her out
OF the Mediterranean in case Of hosiilitics Cut
off in this manner from her base of operations at
Sebastopol, and prevented from obtaining coal,
ammunition or supplies at any of the neutral
ports, it is difficult to see how Russia could ever
have maintained feet between the Hellespont
and the Pillars OF Hercules in time OF war This
possession by the Gar Of great naval depot az
Antivari, however, alters the entire situation.
The bay in question is only few miles from the
Austrian frontier, and within a couple OF hours
sail of the Dalmatan port of Guiana The press
ence Of a Muscovte fleet there will necesstate an
enormous increase of ornaments both naval and
military on the part of Austria, Italy and Eng
land, none of which three Powers can afford to
leave its ports and arsenas exposed TO the danger
of a coup de main on the part Of the ever-restess
and aggressive Giant of the North. The garrisons
of Malta, Cyprus, Gibraltar and Egypt will have
to be supplemented, the route of the overland In-
dian mail changed from Brindisi-which is almost
opposite Antvari-to some less exposed harbor;
the Notifications of Ragusa, Pola, Trieste, Venice
and Ancona will have to be considerably strength
ened, and powerful coastguard service established
along the Australian and Italian coast line of tho
Adriatic, so to prevent any unheralded attempt
on the part of the enemy to effect landing;
and, lastly, the disturbances in the Island Of
Crete will become more active than ever, now
that the chief fomentor thereof the Russian
Consul, General Niaga, prominent member of tha
Panslavst party, is able TO feel himself supported
by the prestige of having Russian feet within
call.
Indeed, the acquisition Of Antivari is one of the
most notable strokes of Russian statecraft since
the annulment, in 1870, of the Black Sea clauses
of the treaty of 1s56; and, viewed in the light
thereof, 1t becomes easy to understand why ths
Car should have referred effusively 20 the
Prince Of Montenegro as being his best friend"
and also TO appreciate the true reason which led
the Emperor Of Austria TO treat the Il0sp0dar
with such marked and freezing GOODNESS on the
occasion of his subsequent visit to this city.
Notwithstanding the bitter feelings which this
step on the part of Russia has aroused at Berlin,
London and Rome, as well here, it is scarcely
A. G,it at
war until 1914 year which is being looked
forward TO with dread by all statesmen interested
in the maintenance of peace 1t is in 1891 that
the political and commercial treaties now In force
between Germany and France will come TO an end!
When these were negotiated and signed at Frank
furt, in 1871, at the close of the great war,
Prince Bismarck took advantage of the crushing
defeat inflicted on the French 20 constrain the
latter to agree to a commercial convention most
advantag eous TO Germany, but so disastrous tn
Gallo trade and industry that President Theirs
shed tears when afiixing his signature thereto.
Indeed, many of the French statesmen of the day
made no hesitation of declaring that the cons
mercal portion Of the Frankfurt treaty was even
more deplorable than that relating to the sur-
render of Alsace and Lorraine 1t Is the most
one-sided and unfair agreement of the kind IN
existence, and while French products are kept QUO
of Germany by the almost prohibitive tariff I'M
posed by Prince Bismarck on all foreign imports,
those of German origin are able to enter Franco
well nigh free of duty. The termination of these
special advantages enjoyed by German trade and
industry cannot fail to bring about widespread
financial and Industrial crisis on the east side of
the Rhine. The Berlin Government Is deter
mined TO make powerful struggle 70 obtain an
extension of the treaty rights in question: and the
French authorities equally decided that un-
der no circumstances will they give their consent
thereto, not even if the demand by Germany Is
nuJ forward in the form of an ultimatum. For,
rightly wrongly, the French are hrmly con-
WINGED that their army Is fully equal IL hoo
superior to that of Emperor William, ana they
claim that victory must ultimately remain on
their side since ii is they, and not the Gerinahs,
who possess the greatest amount OF the Nervus
Rerum for the 1t Is believed both here and
be forced upon Germany by the economical crisis
created by the refusal the part Of France "a
renew or prolong the Frankfurt treaty
The German Ambassador here Prince Reuss
who is married TO the sister OF the relgning Grand
Duke of SAKE Weimar, has been subjected To a
considerable amount of worry and annoyance
during the past week. In the first place, the
palace occupied by the Embassy has been ths
scene of terrible crime, the head coachnan haN-
ing murdered the steward OF the household last
Saturday night by cutting his throat from ear %
ear and by inilicting on his body no less than
fourteen wounds, six of which at least were cal
cIluted TO produce immaculate Qcdtu luc
weapon used was long Bosnian knife, and the
motive drink and mad desire TO be revenged on
the steward, who had had occasion to report him
to the Prince for misconduct. Arrested within
quarter of an hour after having committed the
deed, he demanded to be set at liberty a. soon as
he had reached the police station, on the ground
that being a member OF the household OF for
cign Ambassador, he was exempt from any power
which the tribunals or police might posses. AZ
he was fully justified by international law In
making this plea, the authorities were obliged, al
4 "a
They however caused him 70 be sladowed while
they communicated with the Ambassador, who
Immediately informed them that they were per-
fectlv free to take the murderer into custody since
no was no longer in the service of the Embassy
The other source of trouble TO the Ambassador
has been the difficulty Of eirecting sati factory
mother of Young Kaiser Wilhelms natural
daughter, beautiful little girl, some three years
of age. The child in question is the issue Of an
intrigue OF the EmPeror-while only PRINCE WIZ