The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1891-12-21
THE LION AND THE BEAR.
Little Prospect Of the Two Big Ma
tions Fighting just at
Present.
The Englieh Inclined to Peace and
the Gear Not Pre-
pared.
Still ir 1t Comes the English VIII Be the
Best Prepared Other For
eiYn News

LONDON, Dec. 2O.-Europe has seer
another of her war scares this past week
This time the storm centre has swung of
from the vicinity of the Bosphoros and
now impends over Asiatic plateau Of the Pa.
mir. Since that brush between the de
pendents of Victoria and Alexander Al
Gilgit, military men in London have beer
hotly discussing the situation from mil
itary Point of view. Youngsters who have
spaulets to win are loud for war. An
English officer has shed his
blood in defending India against
the tribesmen of the czar. That il
enough. These fire eating youngsters must
forthwith polish up their accoutrements
and pore over the field maps of Cashmere.
Grizzed veterans. who have spent years of
service IN India, are not SO eager for the fight
Tor they realize that war in Russia means
war upon tho Rhine, war upon tho Bos-
phorus and perhaps upon the soil Of Eng
land. They do not therefore cry for war.
Whilc the Muscovite undoubtedly Graves
the possession Of Enpland's Indian empire.
1t ls not probable that he will attempt to
grasp the prize to-day. The cz r really de-
slres peace and ia not prepared for war.
Famine now rnges in his lands and millions
of his people are dying of starvation. The
Russian peaaantry is eating pounded bark.
leaves of trees and roots. Even now tales
OF canniballsm leak over the frontiers.
The Russian treasury is also depleted
and affairs have become even worse since
the Hebrews secured the failure of the Rus
sian loan in Paris. The paper rouble OF
Russia is nominally valued at so CENTS. To-
DAY it is worth little over 80. Russia has
sixty millions of gold deposited in European
banks. This is regarded as war fund, but
is said now that it must be withdrawn to
save the Russian peasantry from starvation.
Neither is Russia liable to prscipitate u
European war during the winter months.
Still less likely 10 she to inaugurate war by
a dash upon the Indian frontier. Russia
has not yet completed her Siberian railroad
system, and it would be difficult for her to
wage successful war upon the bleak and
sterile plateau Of the Pamir. Hero she
would find both China and EnglGnd united
to resist this movement.
Continental military men who have been
in London of late say that the English in
India are now nuch better prepared for
the great struggle over the keystone to their
empire than is the Russian. The years that
have elapsed since that great scar o over the
Afghan boundary have not been wasted. If
anything England has enlarged her from
tier. At the same time she pressed it out
beyond the Himnlayas that she may fight
upon the plains and have the fortified passes
as a refuge in case of defeat. Since the
Mongols ruled in India, it has been.
maxim that battle inside the mountain
barrier meant defeat. England knows this
we'll and northwestern India is now sup
piled with railroad facilities for the sud
den massing of troops upon any portion of
her frontier. Outside of India tho British
empire ls thoroughly prepared for war. Her
naval over has never been more pre-emi-
nent than 1t Is to day. Russia has some
great war vessels but her naval power is
mall compared with England. Then her
yreat ships are shut up in the Baltic or the
Black sea. The powerful Mediterranean
lect of England cruises continually off the
3osphorus, and her channel fleet is but
orty-eght hours distance from the en-
rnncs to the Baltic. These Russian ves-
es can hardly issue forth to prey upon
3ritish commerce. AS to Brittania's land
orees they are small compared with the
'ast afmaments that eat into the vitals of
he continental countries. Yet her soldiery
y pIafS uuu eiliCleAts Iler OluC6TS nave |
cen almost continuous service in India, |
africa and the east.
In India alone, where the decisive land |
truggle must be fought, she has an effec-
i've force of 100000 men-not all of them |
nook and lowly Hindoos from the sub
quatorial belt, but many thousands of
hom staunch and feroeious fighters en-
oiled among the foothiil and Himalaya
ribes
This docs not mean that England will
ght. On the contrary it ie believed upon
he continent that she will avoid strife
nless forced to fight or loss her prestige as
nation. This has been hsr policy for two
and this accounts for her over
'helming financial strength to-day. While
ther nations have poured out blood and
in fighting disastrous wars and
standing armies. England has
'alked the paths of peace. Occasionally
he has reached out and suddenly Strnngled
ome defcnseless peoples in Africa and Asia,
ut she has taken good care to avoid Euro
eau complications which might affect her
or industrial prosperity. To-
uropean destinies. She has tho money,
ne has the ships, she has the supporting
olonies, in fact she has her hands upon the
,na end Of the European lever. Her sons
10 brave, but they are commercial and
'lf-seeking first Of NIL. They will fight
AeE pleY HNN5 10 HBuG, put nov DsIQfe.
since Waterloo nearly three generations
Englshmen have lived without expert
long u great and decisive war. There was
10 Crimea to be sure. Yet the Crimen
ns but n holiday compared with war to-
AZ, where the Maxim gun discharges it's
10 balls per minute and u vessel may drop
s great dynamite shells some fifteen miles.
hero is no army to-day that can succoess-
lily storm u fortress against the continu-
IL aheets Of lend and IRON that may be
ado TO issue from the Frenoh and German
doubts along the Rhine.
War, TO be sure, must come, or tho stand
4 army will bankrupt Europe. Yet all
,tions dread it-even the Frenohman, who
yes only in hopes Of regaining his faie
ovinces OF Alsace aud Lorraine In heart
g Enelishmen love peace. They are no
wards, but their parliament will not pre-
pitate war except upon some great and
grant proyocntion.
Germany Supports Bulgaria.
PARIS, Dec. co. --Herbette. tho French
inister at Berlin, has advised Foreign