Omaha daily bee., 1889-11-02
oTupB NnS ruAN orps

OTHER lands THAN OURS
! II would ssem that Prince Bisma-ck per-
suaded the czar to temper his aggressive
| policy pending an attempt TO settle the east
| ern difficulty by calling another Berlin con-
ference. The visit OF the German emperor
| to Constantinopie will, therefore, have unus-
ual sgnificanec, as he will be preceded by
Count Herbeft Bismarck, who is commits
stoned to negotiate upon the lines OF the
chancellor's project. The next step wall be
the conference OF Italian and Austrian pre-
miers with Bismarck. England, Turkey and
| perhaps Spain seem destined TO torn second
line of defense about the central European
alliance. II may not be pleasing to the aver
| age Britsher,to, be classed with the odds and
ends of the continent In this gigantic league
of peace, but everything points in that direc-
tion. Tho British liberals continue to doubt
Lord Salisbury's diplomatic assertion that
Englands hands are free. Assuming that
the car has really yielded to Bismarck's
desire TO bring about another conference, the
developments of the scheme, step by step,
| will form one Of the moat interesting studies
IN public affairs. The genius of Bismarck is
nothing IL not bold. The alternative of a
new treaty or war puts many clements in his
favor. No other diplomat in Europe is in
| position to formulate another combination or
method Of adjustment, and Russia, the only
power ready to begin hostilities, has been
fairly entrappcd in the net Of her own weav-
ing. Europe Increased its armaments be-
cause Russia did, ana she has been beaten at
her own game.
| ~.
| 1t appears evident that Bismarck proposes
| to make permanent the legislation against
| l. l.
| porary. Should the bill to this effect be
| passed by the reichstag repeal Of it here
| after will be almost impossible owing TO the
| extreme difficulty of obtaining under any
| circumstances liberal majority in the bun
| desrath or upper house Of the German par
| Lament. When the new law is placed upon
the statute beck, a considerable fraction of
| the German people will find Itself deprived,
not for brief term of years, but for an in
| definite period, of privileges shared by all
the other subjects Of the kaiser. Among
| these privileges are those which Americans
| count most precious, viz, the right of as
| sembling, and right of free speech from the
| platform or through the press. These rights
hundreds of thousands of German citizens
| are to lose for no better reason than because
| they profess the principles of state socialism,
| principles which Prince Bismarck has in no
| small measure carried out in his worlSmen's
| insurance acts. Against such discrimiuative
| Legislation the progressists or New German
| liberals (as the uncOmpromising opponents
| OF the chancellor now prefer to call them
| selves) are certain to protest. 1t is also ex-
pected that many of the clericals will join in
] remonstrance, seeing that they have often
| combined to with the socialists in districts
where neitherparty has been, single-handed,
| strong enough to elect its candidate I'm
| fortunately, the genuine liberals were re-
| duced to remnant at the last general elec-
| tion, and even with the help of all the
| clericals, Us well as the Poles and Danes,
| would still form only minority OF the
| reichstag. If the national-liberals deserved
| the latter half oftheir double name, they
| would not permit the permanent disfran-
chisemenJ Of lar ge part of the electorate.
| ~
| Whatever the wisdom of the plan of in
| creasing her defensive force, France is fully
committed to it. Since 1874, when she first
| begun TO build defensive barrier on her
eastern frontier, $675, 900, 900 have been spent
! on the work; and further large credits must
! yet be voted. The proposed doubling Of the
Sixth army corps at Nancy, thus bringing
| it up TO war strength, shows determination
| to carry out the plan; and if it is to be fol-
| lowed up at the various camps a declaration
Of war would see at least 25O000 men immo-
| bile on the eastern frontier alone. The ques-
! tion, therefore, is whether the army can
| stand this drain. In time of war the French
| staff could count on the services of no less
| than i, l0S,655 men, of whom g 025, 253 would
be fully trained soldiers who had served in
the standing army for periods varying from
| three to five years. On the 1st of January
| next the new recruiting law, which was
| passed by the chamber in July last, will go
| in force BY this law service in the active
army was reduced from five to three years,
and its eventual effect will pc to give the
country more fully trained soldiers than are
under arms at present. The organization
necessary to bring such vast masses Of men
in the field is identical with that which exists
in Germany; and experiments have shown
that the work of mobilization would not be
attended by any great difficulty. The rail-
way problem will be the chief factor; but the
railway rolling stock is so efficient that, if
properly distributed, the concentration and
strategical deployment of all of the French
field armies could be carried out simultane-
ousy directly after the mobilization of each
corps in It's own district.
The young king of Siam is ruler with
ideas of progress, and he is likely to make
fame for himself by bringing his country
into line with the march of events. We
have reason to regard this young eastern po-
tentate with friendly interest, for he seems
to have special liking for Americans, and
greatly admires our enterprise and inven-
tions. A while ago he told our consul at
Bangkok that he hoped before long to see u
line Of American steams plying to his cap-
tai. He was sure there were promising op-
portunlties for trade, for Siam would be
glad to buy many of our manufactures, and
he believed We could purchase rice cheaper
in Siam than elsewhere. The king is more
fortunate than some potentates, for his peo-
pie are loyal and peaceful; he has no debts,
public or private, to mar the pleasure OF ex-
isrence; his annual revenues have invariably
exceeded his expenditures, and there is no
prospect that any greedy western power will
gobble up his country. His little state is
wedged in between the British and French
possessions in Asia, and those powers are
glad TO be separated by neutral ground. In
the words OF French diplomatist: "If
| tbere had hean Ro Siam wa sbnnId hov va bad