The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1889-12-12
THINGS IN EUROPE.
A Talk with Hx-President White,
Of Cornell University.
What an American Scholar Saw During .
Long Absence Abroad-The Wonder.
full Material Progress Of Conti-
mental Cities and States.


Of Cornell University, who has just re-
turned from extensive travels and
prolonged residence abroad, was inter
viewed by a representative Of the New
York Times. In the course of his talk
ex-President White said:
"As to q great European war, 1t may
break out at any time, but differ from
the great majority Of observers who be-
lieve 1t will come soon. The fact is that
war has become 80 terrible and its results
80 uncertain that every statesman
worthy of the name breads 1t more and
more and does his best to put of the
evil day. The very immediateness Of
the danger Of war gives me hope that q
general European conflict can be kept
of fer many years, and that 1t may pos
sibly, though not probably, be pre-
vented.
GAS to material progress abroad, I
must say that few Americans have any
adequate conception Of it. The mate
rial, and, indeed, moral progress in ev-
cry European country except Turkey,
since 1 first knew Europe, is simply
amazing. The leading cities have grown
wonderfully and in the most magnifl-
cent way. To every one Of them new
suburbs have been attached, filled with
beautiful public and private buildings,
ard there seems to have been constant
study to make the streets, sewerage,
docks, parks, and all other city necessi-
ties as perfectly fitted to the public
health and comfort as possible. This is
essentially the case throughout Germa-
ny. Berlin, Leipsic, Stuttgart and
multitude of cities have grown with
the greatest rapidity, splendor, and
with economy in administration. At
Frankforton-the-Main there has just
been erected great general railway
station unequaled in the world, COM
pared to which our own vaunted Grand
Central station in New York is but very
poor thing.
"As to Austria, Vienna has been made
perhaps the handsomest city in the
world. AS to Hungary, the new city Of
Buda-Pesth, having about 500, 900 inhab-
itants, is, rs can Judge by my own OBJ
servation and as am informed by the
foremost American authorities on the
subject of city government, the most
perfect specimen of its size on this
planet. AS to Italy, the cities under the
old regime were vile, full of dirt, filth
and squalor. Now they are clean and
admirably organized. Rome is in every
way vastly improved, Naples the same,
and so, too, are Florence, Genoa and
Milan. In France the lesser cities do
not show development so rapid and
substantial as that Of some Of the other
nations. But Paris has kept on in WON
derful career Of growth.
"In England more progress is seen.
London, since I first knew 1t, many
years ago, has been wonderfully devel-
oped. The great Thames embankment,
perhaps the most important single city
work in human history, and the great
avenues which are now being cut
through various parts Of the metropolis,
with the splendid buildings going up
along them, are an honor to the Anglo
Saxon race.
SIN Egypt, in spite of the wild ex-
travagance Of the late Khedive, there
has come new era. The present Khe-
dive is o sensible, careful man, and al
though his country mas to pay an enor-
nous tribute to England and other ma
tions in the shape of interest upon past
loans, Egypt is unquestionably in bet
ter condition than it has been for six
thousand years.
GAS to Turkey, matters seem to be
steadily growing worse. Constanti-
nople, throned upon the most magnifi-
cent site for city on the globe, is in oil
Its recent civic buildings and its general
municipal system vile. know of but
one other city which can beclassed with
it in these respects. As went through
its muddy, badly-paved lower streets,
saw the evidence Of bad sewerage every
where, and looked upon Its tumble-down
quays 1t all fairly made me homesick,
they resembled 80 strongly those of our
own city Of New York. As Q simple
matter Of fact those districts of New
York somewhat remote from the main
avenues and centers have the vilest ar
rangements have ever seen in any part
Of the world, with the possible excep-
ton OF Constantinople, and New York
seems to resemble stantinople, too,
in wastefulness and prodigality Of ex-
penditure, and both differ from the great
European cities in thesa reanacta -