The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1891-04-12
A EUROPEAN
WAR FEARED.
RuSsia'S Hostile Attitude EX-
cites General Alarm.
London Newspapers Discuss The Merits Of
the New American War-ShipS-Ready
10 Borrow Ideas.
speciai to THE MORNING CALI

New YORK, April 12--Smalley, in his
cablegram to the Tribune, dated London.
April 11th, says: That ominous heading
"1he Peace of Europe" has begun to reappear
in the papers. 1t is seldom used except
when there is fear that peace may be broken.
This time. as so often before, it is Russia
who rouses these fears. II she wished to
pursue, unobserved, her plans for new
campaign in the Balkans she had better
have held the hands of her agents who muir
dered Baltcheff week before last. People
may look OH idly at the movements, or re-
ported movements, of troops. but planned
political assassination, with Prime Minis
ter as the intended victim, engages the at
tention of the dullest. kilograms from
Vienna. Sophia and other central points
show that the excitement in those quarters
continues. Rumors of fresh plots abound.
Prince Ferdinand, next after Stambouloff,
is deemed the chief obstacle to Russian an-
bition. Hence the sensible suggestion that
the Prince should designate an heir to the
throne.
EMPEROR WILLIAMS CoNCEIT.
II the powers could make up their minds
to confirm Prince Ferdnand's election that
would b. still more sensible. 1t would be
done if Germany would consent, but Ger
many still waits on Russia in Eastern poll
tics. Russia. in the meantime, is believed
to be continuing her preparations for war,
which she intends to choose her own time
for beginning Troops are moving south
ward and westward, and reports of their
concentrate on on the Galician frontier are
rather more precise and hostile than usual.
Alarm Is freely expressed lest Austria be
caught mapping. The German Emneror be-
lieyes in peace, but the German Emperor
has convinced himself that nobody can fire
o shot in Europe without his leave. 1t does
not occur to him that others may have
different opinion or that guns sometimes go
of Of themselves.
THE AMERICAN NAVY.
Naval experts in England have for some
time been aware that an attempt toward an
American navy was iu progress. The En-
giSh public is just beginning to take an in
terest in this effort. This interest is stimu-
lated perhaps by that Italian talk about
sending Italian irOnclads on trip to New
Orleans The Times prints an account of
what 1t politely calls The New American
Navy" and discusses it edtorially.
BRIToN's OPINION.
The editorial is worth attending to because
It is the work of an authority on ship-build-
ing, whoever he may be. He thinks it right
that the United States should have a navy.
He admits handsomely that we have dlslln-
guished, even glorious, naval traditions ;
that we are renowned for the novelty and
audaciEy of our mechanical inventiveness.
We are however going ahead rather too
boldly and light-heartedly IN building ships
which, good as they are, do better on paper
than in the water.
TINF-OF-RATTI l. SUJpS
The best of them, indeed, we have copied
from English designs, but growing tired of
this state of dependence, We are now tryin 9
to improve on our cousins. Secretary
Tracy's belief that the equal of the Indiana,
Massachusetts and Oregon, three seagoing
coast lIne-of-battle ships" (whatever that
may mean) does not exist, is treated Sbep-
tically. The Britou is commonly skeptical
about other peoples merits. He will not
even agree with Tracy that armOred cruiser
No. u, popularity known as the Pirate,
| is absolutely without q parallel" nor that
she could catch the Teutouic Nay, he more
| than hints that at least one English cruiser,
the Blake, could catch the Pirate.
CRITICISM OF THE PIRATE.
White, chief constructor of the English
| Admiralty, expressed a critical opinion on
some of the technical points about the
| Pirate, and asserts with confidence that
much weight can be put on board for so
much displacement. He adds, / fear
| cynically, that the Jaws of nature will not
| alter, even to oblge the most accomplished
| ship designer. There are other criticisms
not less distrustful in spirit. Yet they do
| seem to think that Secretary Tracy is
| getting some pretty good ships built, and
England will be quite ready to borrow from
him when lie has anything new to lend. No
| nation now has monopoly of new ideas.