Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-01-21

/ OF tne past two years snail prove 70 nave
paved the way to general reduction of the
vast military establishments of Europe,
William III. will have demonstrated his
title to broader and nobler grade OF states
manship than any one credited him with at
the inception of his reign.
As to the possibility Of reaching an agree
ment by which the European powers shall
reduce their armies to peace footing, that
is to be solved only BY the most thorough deiib-
erations. Some students profess to see in it
necessity for the reconstruction of Euro
pean governments and their territories.
Thus, it is said by one commentator that
before we could see the abolition OF stand
ing armies, we must see the resurrection Of
Poland into country with distinctive au-
tonomy; Courland into duchy, with a
separate legislation; Finland into self
governing country, and the government of
Ireland based on the principles of home
rule, with a separate national Parliament
Of course any such requirements are out Of
the question. 1t might as pertinently be
said that it would be necessary for Germany
to restore the Rhine provinces to France;
for Austria to let go her clutch on Bosnia,
and for Italy to restore the temporal power
of the Pope. Before any European Govern
ment would submit to external dictation on
these points, it would appeal to arms.
But there is no reason why the proposal
to disarm should raise any such questions.
The only possible proposition to reduce
armaments would be on the basis of leaving
matters just as they are and mutually cut
ting down the military establishments of all
Powers. The doubt in connection with such
proposition would be whether Russia and
Austria would give up their dreams of ex-
tension toward the Bosporus and the
Egean, whether France can renounee her
hope of revenge and Rhenish frontier or
whether Germany is prepared to offer COM
pensations which will induce the other
Powers to surrender long-cherished am.
bitions.
The most difficult question is the DISPOSE
tion of Turkey; and that bids fair to be an
insuperable obstacle. For while all the
Powers are ready to fly to arms against any
one who disturbs the status quo, that is only
on account of the fear lest some
one else shall gain an advantage.
All would be equally agreed that
the present condition of Turkey and
the Danubian provinces is make
shift. The proposition to make their pres
ent political constitution permanent would
provoke an almost unanimous negative.
But when it came to the question what
shall take their place, the difficulty of an
agreement would become monumental. To
either erect a number of small governments
like those of Roumania, Bulgaria, Servia
and Greece; to reconstItute a Grecian en-
pire with the capital at Constantinople; or
to divide the territory of Turkey among its
hungry neighbors, would be equally dis
tasteful to one party OF another. The result
is likely to be that the present state of af-
fairs will be left as temporary expedient,
for inability to agree upon any other; and
while the recognized makeshitt continues
the European powers are certain to keep
themselves under arms.
Nevertheless, the attempt OF the German
Emperor to secure a disarmament, if it goes
to the length of any proposition, deserves
recognition as carrying out high ideal. The
world will acquit him of being stimulated
to this proposition by the discovery that
either France or Russia can put more men
under arms than he can. For while the
numerical weight may be with the armies of
his opponents, the central position of the
Triale Alliance, and the perfect organiza-
ton of the German army give him an ad-
vantage that cannot easily be offset BY mere
numbers. Philanthropists everywhere will
be ready to accord William II. the highest
praise and the most earnest wishes for sue
cess, if he makes an earnest effort to reduce
the military burdens of Europe.