Los Angeles herald., 1891-03-12
EUROPE AN ARMED CAMP.

are being kept up? Germany an d
France are looking across their frontiers
with angry eyes, each backed up by an
army which far outnumbers anything
ever before maintained in time of peace.
Italy has exhausted her resources in
equipping her army and in building up
a navy altogether disproportionate to
her means or her Importance as ma
ton. Austria is armed to the teeth,
and Russia has force of over a million
men that can be modified at mo-
ment's notice.
Nor is it alone the tremendous cost of
keeping these immense armies on a war
footing that the people of Europe are
groaning under; but every successive
improvement in arms of precision neces-
states re-equipment of the men. Add
to this the new machine guns contrived
to suit newly invented missiles and to
use effectively smokeless powder. Then
take into consideration the increase Of
Notifications, the construction of bridges
and the extensions OF military railroads,
and we shall still have only partial
idea OF the way in which this armed
peace is pressing upon the people of
Europe.
The young emperor of Germany,
whose erratic and hotspur nature is a
dangerous factor that may at any mo-
ment throw spark into the European
magazine, has lately conceived the idea
that he must build up navy equal to
that of Great Britain. But this is the
hair that breaks that camel's back, and
strong and welldefned opposition has
shown itself against the proposition.
DIR. Windthorst, the able tribune of the
people, has boldly declared in the
reichstag that the country cannot bear
any more exactions to increase the war
footing of the empire. The exhausted
masses, through this popular states
man, cry halt, but it is doubtful whether
the headlong kaiser will pay heed to
the admonition.
1t seems hardly possible that all these
immense armies can be kept up to war
standard for any length OF time without
provoking actual hostilities. Indeed
the fact that such armies exist is con-
slant menace to peace ,and provocative OF
war on the slightest pretext. Even SC
small a matter as proletariat demon
stration in the streets of Paris, because
of the presence of the ex-empress of
Germany, was enough to create war
craze in Berlin, and to draw from the
young kaiser the most vehement
threats.
Should war sbreak out, it will un-
doubtedly have its initiative with Ger
many. France is guided by wise and
sober counsels and will hold herself on
the defensive. The longer France can
preserve peace, the stronger will she be-
come; whilst every day is adding to the
tremendous and exhaustive strain upon
the resources OF Germany. frances S
powers OF recuperation are the marvel
of Europe. The quickness with which
she recovered from the effects of the
destructive war OF 1871, with an added
fine in money such as no modern or
ancient nation could have paid on the
nail, demonstrated the almost exhaust
less resources and rebounding qualities
of the French nation. She is now, even
with the loss OF Alsace and Lorraine,
infinitely stronger in all material re-
spects than she ever was before. Her
financial ability may be inferred from
the fact that she recently readily came
to the assistance of the Bank of Eng
land with twenty-five tons of gold to en-
able that great government institution
to tide over dangerous crisis. 1t is in
this very important respect that France
is strrng and Germany weak, and in the
event of war between the two powers,
that is an element which should not be
lost sight OF.
If the peace OF Europe should be un
happily broken, it will inaugurate the
most far-reaching and destructive war
that has yet been seen. The triple ALI
ance, consisting of Germany, Austria
and Italy, will doubtless appear on one
side On the other will probably be
France and Russia, which powers can
place more men in the field than the
other three combined. England will
stand aloof until she sees on which side
her greatest interest will lie, for that ma
ton has no moral sentiment in her
courses towards other nations. She is
Turk today and Russian tomorrow. She
was the great champion of emancipation
up to the breaking out of the American
civil war. when she at once and with
alacrity threw the whole weight of her
power into the scale in favor OF slavery.
Such a war as the tremendous arma-
ments OF Europe seem to foreshadow
cannot but eventuate in rearrange-
ment of maps such as would puzzle the
most prescient statesman OF the day to
outline with even faint degree of ac-
curacy.
TENNY'S OWNER.