Omaha daily bee., 1889-06-22


home rule. IL indeed any compromise would
be accepted now.
How long the present peace Of Europe will
last Is question about which even the most
competent observers differ. Prince Bis
marck said not long ago that Germans must
| prepare themselves for war in 1890. But he
| Is accustomed TO cry, "wolfl'' when, as on
this occasion, he wants something from the
| reichstag. Besides since he uttered that
| note Of warning the situation in France has
| somewhat changed. Then, no doubt, he
| took for granted, as did everybody else, that
| the Paris exposition would be closed before
| the next election of the chamber of deputies,
| which under the French constitution must
| take place on or before the last day of Oc-
| tober. But M. Constans, the minister of the
| interior and the ruling spirit of the Tirard
| cabinet, remarking that the exposition has
| temporarily, at least, extlnguished Boulang-
| ism, is said to have decided to keep it open
| until after the new chamber Is returned. III
| the programme believed to have been
| formed by the Tirard cabinet under the i'm
| pulsion of its dominant member, can be car
| ricd out, and the outcome of the next gen eral
| election shall be republican majority
| nearly Us large as that exhibited in the pres
| ent chamber of deputies, there seems to be
| no reason why the peace OF Europe should
| not remain unbroken for n year or two longer.
| For nothing but the mminence of the ap-
| peal to the people, the uncertainty about TIL
| strength of Boulangism, and the fear that
| the whole system of parliamentary govern
| ment may be in jeopardy, holds back the
radicals and opportunists from flying Mt each
| others throats. Should the next cabinet be,
| like the present, indisputably republican, we
shall witness the same strife of factions and
the same impossib,lity Of establishing dur
| able government. A defuite foreign policy
| and a binding engagement with foreign
power will therefore be no less impractic-
| able than they are now. The triumph of
| Boulangism seems condition precedent TO
the Franco Russian league, without which
| war in Europe is improbable.
| ~
The story of the revival of the plot to seize
| the throne of Servia for Prince Peter Kara
georgevitch may come from the previous
news that the Montenogrn army will be re-
organized and put in readiness for service at
| short notice. And that announcement also
had thrown possible light on the czars ia
| nous toast to Prince Niltita. Very possibly
proposal to take this military step with a
1
cas.on of the outbIrst of affection. There Is
| something rather comical about this close al
lance of the bulkiest and the smallest power
| in Europe. But of its sincerity there can be
no doubt. 1t is founded in Russian aid ex.
| tended centuries ago and continued to this
! day. 1t is strengthened by race, family, and
| religious ties. 1t is made continuous by the
| need of Russia to have one trustworthy foot
| hold N the Balkan peninsula, and by little
| Montenegro's desire for an enlargement of
| its frontiers beyond those permitted by the
| Berlin congress, which seemed TO her SO ut
| terry dIsproportionate to her services and suf-
| ferings in the common cause against Turkey.
| So far reorganization is concerned, Mon
| tcnegro is in need of it, since, although
| all her male population are trained
! to arms and ever ready to march, she really
| has no regular army beyond the body guard
| of the prince, amounting TO perhaps one hun
| dred and fifty men.
| 1t Is reported that the Italian government
| is greatly worried over the increasing mgra-
| ton from that country. In spite of the
| stringent laws which have been passed lately
against emigration agents, 1921 Italians
| left in 1888, as against 127,74 the year be-
| fore. The government IS annoyed because
it loses so many men who are liable for mill
! tary duty, and in the present threatening
| state of affairs in Europe it thinks it may
need every man it can raise. We're it not
| for this there is no reason why the govern
ment should not be relieved at the departure
of 50 many of its subjects. The country Is
| terribly overcrowded, and not food enough
is produced for the peoples sustenance.
There are no manufactures worth mention to
| ornplOy cpr,,luS labor and m Of the
| laton are On the verge of starvation all the
| time. There is nothing to keep them in Italy
| except their ignorance of the fact that they
can do better on the other side of the At
| lantic in South America. They are now be-
ginning to learn what the Argentine Repub-
lie is Offering to men who are willing to work,
and that hundreds of thousands of their
countrymen have accepted those offers and
are thriving there. Doubtless more Italians
will leave their native land this year than
last. The possibility of war, which makes
their king so desirous to keep them, will
make them all the more anxious to get away.
The musket and the knapsack have no at
fractions for them. The popu laton of Italy
is close on 30,O0),0O0, and the productive
arabic land does not much exceed that of
| Illinois. The whole trouble there is over
population-too many mouths for the maca-
| roni supply.
The little republic of Switzerland has man
aged to get into the bad graces of Austria,
! Russia, Germany and Italy, from tho fact
that it is an asylum for political refugees.
These nations have joined in demand that
| Switzerland shall in the future refuse to
allow this class to seek safety in her noun
| tain cantons. The Swiss assembly replied
with an appropriation of over $4,000 for
| the purchase of army rifles. IL Will be cur
ious to observe what attitude France ana
| England will take in the matter. The Eng
lisn people are probably in favor of support
ing the Swiss IN their maintenance of the
right of asylum, right which England has
always maintained, against the desire of the
continental empires. Lord Salisbury, how
| ever, is not always influenced by public
opinion, and he may refuse to side with
Switzerland. France will perhaps hesitate
before putting herself in sole opposition tc
the united powers, yet it would have much
| for drend If SwitZerlanl should be