Omaha daily bee., 1889-10-19

iuE AuI NpliptitS NiNll lhtlt CuuullN Az ootu-
brity and possibilities Of development. The
fact that Abyssinia has come under Italian
influence is more the result of good luck than
of policy. Italys enemy, King John, was
killed at fortunate moment for her
schemes, and it happened very conven iently
that Count Antoneli, during his long resi-
dence AT the court OF Menelik, had been able
TO persuade the new king of Abyssinia that
Italy would be his best friend. The Mahdists
will think the ways of Providence are very
mysterious when they hear that their butch
cry of King John and his army has helped TO
fasten great European power on their east
ern border.
NsTxas -,
The South African republic presents n
queer spectacle. Here are G0,000 Beers,
about quarter of whom are adult males
qualified to vote. They elect the president
and the members of the vollisraud or parla
ment. Within few years 100 900 white
men, mostly English, have moved into the
republic, and have opened mines and built
two towns, in comparison with which the
capital, Pretoria, looks mean and soody.
These now comcrs have not been admitted to
citizenship and so 5000 Beers are making
all the laws that govern 100 900 adult imml.
grants. These new Comcrs thought while
ago they would like to build a railroad from
Pretoria to Johannesburg, but the solons IN
the vollSsraad voted the project down. The
miners are building city hall to cost $780,
900, but the forty five lawmakers at Pretoria
won't let them have a railroad. OF course
this state of things cannot last forever, par
tlcnlarly as there promise to be 250, 900 i'm
migrants in the Transvaal within the next
ten years. There will be an explosion some
day unless the army of new comers find some
peaceable way of making their voice heard.
~
Persia's concession to Russia to build a
railroad from Askabad to Meshed will tend
to neutralize the commercial advantages
which England has secured in the south of
Persia during the past twelve months. Aska-
bad is q station on the military railroad built
by Russia from Michaelovsl on the Caspian
sea eastward to Nerve and thence across the
| Oxus valley to Samarcand. This road skirts
the Persian frontier as well as the Afghanis-
| tan border, and will enable Russia to for
| ward troops TO almost any point where a
| British demonstration might be made in
Afghanistan. If Russia should now build a
| road from Askabad through tho mountains
| south to Meshed, the most important COM
| mercial town in the northwestern part of
| Persia, she would be in u position to flank
| Herat, the gateway to India as it is called
| and thus turn the tables upon England in
| case of war. 1t is very evident that Persia
| is doomed to be caught between the Russian
| and British lines of aggression, and must
| sooner or later yield to one or be divided be-
| tween the two. European tours by the shah
| and plentiful distribution of jeweed pres
| ents can not save Persia, for it lies directly
| in Russla's path to the oriental sea board
~
| The west coast of Africa is likely to give
| the Germans almost as much trouble as the
| east coast. The possessions on the former,
| south of the equator, claimed by them are
| in Namaqua land and Damara land, the two
| provinces which occupy the coast between
| Cape Colony and the Portuguese possessions.
| One point there, however, Walfisch Bay, is
| British. The principal port of the Germans
| is Angra Pequcna, in NamaQua. A few
| months ago ii was reported that the Germans
| were preparing to sell out ali their rights and
| interests on the southwest coast to the Brit.
| ish. They seem to have been disheartened
| by the policy of Bismarck, which evidently
| is that of not wasting on South Africa re
| sources and cXertons which are more needed
| IN Europe. But now it begins to be doubtful
! how much they will have to sell. The head
| chief of Damara has given the Germans no
| ticc 10 quit the country and to go back to
| NamaQua. There seems to be no doubt that
| the English and the Germans have both
| made overtureS TO him for his mining lands
| The British have come out ahead. and the
| native chief has even seized some of the
| German missionaries as hostages. Possibly
| this measure NAV induce Bismarck reluc-
| family to intervene, but if the British are
| wise they will exert their influence with the
| chief against any resort to violence.
| ~.
The speech of Premier Crispi on the atUi-
| tude of Italy toward the vatican does not
| hold out the promise of amicable relations
between church and state. 1t is evidently
| Sgnor Crispi's aim to complete the scheme
that was begun by the lllustrious Cavoul
| and 10 establish such confidence IN Italian
| unity that that couhtry may again be recog
nized as political factor in Europe. "Oul
task he says, lis to fight in the cause Of
reason" but his whole policy has shown thai
he proposes to use Bismarckian armamcntE
as weapons, and to take advantage of the
antagonisms and rivalrles of Russia and Aus
trla in southeastern Europe. Such extreme
and wasteful measures can only lead to th,
social dlsorgauzatOn which he so loudly de
| nouGceS.
~
People who think of Finland as sub-arc
tic country of bleak and forbidding aspec
may be surprised to hear that several rail
roads have already made a large part of the
region accessible. new line, 100 mile
long, has just been opened to the heart OF th
country in the midst of great forests anC
| perhaps the most wonderful lake region il
the world. Sportsmen are now within les
than days journey from st. Petersburg o
central Finland, where there is the best o
bunting and fishing and twenty hours of sun
| light every summer day. The most unique
of railroads, however, is still the little lin
| in Norway, north of the Artic circle carry
ing the product of far northern mines TO tn
sea, and famous as the only railroad that ha
yet invaded the polar regions
-.
The necessity for n reformation of tn
Servian cabinet and the probability of M
Paschics becoming premier throws anothe
cloud on Bsmarks apparently sincere hop
of maintaining peace in Europe, With NJ
Paschics the restoration of the Karageog
evics is not only possible, but probable, an
| Austria would certainly be provoked unde
| the circumstances 10 use force. Seryla is al
ready too pro-ltussian to make Austria feel "A
ease, and the placing INTO power of the pre-
| ~ * "a