Omaha daily bee., 1889-08-17


where, complaining Of poor health he put
himself under the charge Of the local physi-
cians. About the same time 1t happened that
the French wsrminister found himself suf-
ferlng from disorder for which the same
medicinal waters were prescribed. Natur-
ally the two futctionaries, condemned TO
pass some weeks in the same village, saw
good deal of oHe another, fact which did
not escape tho attention Of some of Bis
marck's stipehdiary students OF life and
manners. Their report keenly interested
the German chancellor, who, recognizing
the hygiene advantages Of travel, recon-
mended to his sovereign trip across the
British channel, Contrariwise, the czar
has within the last few days evinced
disrelish for sea voyages. The details
Of his return visit TO Kaiser William
ii. has been settled, and the date OF his ar
rival at Potsdam had been fixed for August
12. Now, however, we hear from Berlin
that the visit Of Alexander Ill has been in
definitely postponed. In the matter OF Eng
lands adhesion to the triple alliance, the
politicians Of the continent are in danger of
counting chickens before they are hatched.
There is little doubt that Lord Salisbury is
IN favor OF such a programme. But he will
presently be called upon in parliament to
avow exactly how far he has gone, and to
define the conditions on which he would
have England cooperate with the three cen
tral powers. The value of the British feet
to the latter is obvious enough, but what
compensation would they offer to Great
Britainl Would they agree to attack Rus
sia in case the car should undertake aggres.
sive operations against Afghanistan and
Indiai Ii they would make no such agree
ment the bargain recommended by Lord
Salisbury would be one-sded, and would
certainly be rejected. Not even the tories
themselves could be relied upon to vote for
coalition in which England would have
something to lose and nothing to gain. On
the other hand, IL the central powers would
guarantee Great Britain's undisturbed
possession of India, even some of the
Gladstonians might favor the accession of
their country to the triple alliance. But 1t
Is hard to believe that any such guarantee
will De proposed.
When Peter the Great came to the throne
Of Russia, less than two hundred years ago,
Russia was without navy and possessed
only one seaport, the frozen Archangel on
the Arctic ocean. The famous emperor laid
uuC VI u navy, eHDlUylDH NGu'
etian and Dutch shipwrights to build small
vessels on an inland lake. He also learned
practical seamanship himself by cruising on
Dutch and English ships at Archangel, and
by living the life of common shipwrieht at
Saardam. He warred with Turkey, and
taking the city Of Azof, secured southern
seaport. In his subsequent wars with
Sweden he secured possession of the mouth
nf fha Nnxyo n,,l rI,1,a i,,nl ~ 20
the Gulf of Finland. And here in the
marshes, looking westward, he LAID the foun
dations of the present capital. Before he
died he warred with Persia and extended
his empire along the Caspian. During ali
| the years that have elapsed since Peters
death, the dream of the Russian monarchs
has been to secure q seaport on the Mediter-
ranean, so that the Black sea might no
longer be an INLAND body of water from
| which her war vessels might not pass with
| out the consent Of other powers. Her many
| wars with Turkey have all been directed to
the achievement of this purpose. But so far
| she has only succeeded in creeping along
| the shores of the Black sea. Turkey, and
| her ally England, hold the Dardanelles and
| the Helespont and Russia's navy has been
| penned up in the ancient Euxine. But
| most important cessien has lately been made
| to Russia, which gives her the desire of her
| heart. The Prince of Montenegro has
| coded the Port OF Antivari to Russia, which
| thus secures a foothold on the Mediter-
| ranean, a harbor for her navy, a coaling and
| supply station, and position Of strategic
| Importance. Russia now becomes . power
| in the great Mediterranean.
| ~
L +.
is whether the czar will not regard as Of
| fensve the ostentatious appearance of his
| old enemy England, in association with
| Germany, and Austria and Italy, and come
to the conclusion that the time has arrived
to smash the treaty of 1873 as well as the
one with France and England after the Cri
mean war, which, so far as it fettered his en-
terprise in the Black sen, has long been OBJ
solete. The very fact Of the cordialty be-
tween Germany and England instead of con-
ducing to the peacefulness of Europe, may
be the provocation that will cause war, and
we must not attach too great an Importance
to the forthcoming visit of the czar to Ber-
lin. His last visit to the German capital
was not happy one. 1t will be remembered
that the young emperor of Germany, under
almost commands from his grandfather
death-bed, made visit to st. Petersburg
soon after his accession to the throne, and
the czar can hardly avoid returning that call
without substantially making declaration
Of hostllities. That he has manifested a
surly spirit, and is going to Berlin in very
formal way, is the opinion generally held in
Germany; and it will be confirmed by the
failure to secure the meeting of the czar with
the Austrian emperor. 1t is between Russia
and Austria that the friction makes heat, and
may strike fire. II the three emperors could
have been brought together the effect would
have been excellent, but the Russian waits
| until his Austrian brother has departed from
Berlin, and then goes with growl to Pots
dam. The details of the czar's Berlin recep.
tion will be regarded with anxious attention,
for the question whether the armed nations
| of Europe will seek each others destruction
and use the monstrous military machines
they have been so long preparing in gen.
eral massacre, rests with the two young men
who occupy The thrones of Russia and Ger
many.
The drift Of Europe is slowly, but it would
seem surely, toward war. The two emper-
ors may hasten the current, and ''shoot Mia
agara" with all their fortunes or they can
-l.a. Al..~ -