Elmore bulletin. [volume] (Rocky Bar, Idaho) 1889-1906, 1894-05-05

see In II anything hut war There are two
distinct forces making for open war--the
financierS ON the one hand and the taxpay.
ers ON the other
THE European governments are between
! the deep sea Of popular discomfort and the
devil OF financiers. The cost OF the enor.
nous military establishments II so great
that there Is only the alternative OF war
or national bankruptcy. Russia, Austria,
Germany aud France might be able 20 car.
~ for some time yet the burden Of the mill
itary budgets, but even In these cases the
difficulty h. only shifted.
Then comes In the danger Of the grow
ing power of socialism aud the anarchistlc
parties. For these internal disorders the
only remedy that European statesmen dis
cover il the blood letting of a general war.
Tbs very causes that make war inevitable
Will make IL long and fierce struggle a
war in Europe and Asia that shall do away
with any need OF Malthusian precepts for
scores of g~nerations.
But, loi with exactly the same facts to
guide him, one OF the optimistic sort fore
sees far different outcome and attunes his
Pans pipes to a dulcet song Of peace:
~ cannot think that war II now looming
over the Immediate horizon. The two hos
tile nations, France and Germany, which
are really ready are determined not to be-
gin what would he duel 10 the death.
Germany would scarcely wish To begin hos
tilities without the aid Of its allies, and, as
for Italy, any issue short Of absolute vic.
tory In "A war would be Its ruin. Austria,
on the other hand, insufficiently prepared,
with n temper undecided, though rather
pacific than otherwise, would certainly re :
fuse to fight unless she were absolutely
forced to do so.
| Finally, France. whatever bellicose eie-
ments 1t may contain. and whatever mo-
tives might drive IL TO hostiiities, does not
care at present TO undertake war without
the help OF Russia, an ally upon which It
counts, and without whom II must expert
ence great discouragement and disappoint-
| ment. Russia, however, IN not ready. IL
would require several months to mobilize
Its forces IL must still spend millions OF
rubles in the construction of strategic lines,
and this process will take some years.
Hence, In all likelihood. save for unexpect.
ed Incidents Europe will continue for some
time still increasing it's armed forces aud
interchanging mensces Of war, always alert
and anxious, but never really coming Ia
blows
1t looks like another case of doctors dis
agreeing. These gentlemen, each supposed
TO have his finger on the pulse OF the pa
tient. post contradictory bnlletins of hi.
condition and the probable result of ths
malady, and how Is the poor layman. with
nothing but his common sense to guid,
him. to know which IL the more worthy o
credencei He will most likely not bother
his head about II NJ all, but let result,
speak for themselves and take them quiet
ly when they come.
OF entIrxsa ~ trfta huf fl.s t..as.. 80 r.,
rope may depend upon small and apparent
ly insignificant occurrences. But whethe
the daily happenings Of which the CORE
spondents make 80 much shall be classes
among those pregnant events must be lef
for history yet unwritten To decide. A
present il II game Of diplomatic chess
and even those who know the rules canno
venture 10 predict the outcome 1t il lik
one Of those games in which one exper
blindfolded plays against several other
seated at different boards, and To a man u
tree IL locks as IL N. de Giers, the Rus
sian premier, sat in the seat of the expert
only there Il a shrewd suspicion that no
he. but the other players, the premIers q
the other nations, are blinded
Whether this Is 80 or not. NJ. de Giers wi
certainly give them a good game unles
some OF them get excited and kick over III
boards. or unless his imperial master, Oh
czar. gets tired OF waiting and kicks theI
over himself. DE Giers niay reasonably /
supposed TO have learned all about th
game In the "a years Of his life and the I
years of his active service In Russian dipl,
macy. His skill even while serving in snl
ordinate positions contributed not q littl
10 the advancement Of Russian interests I
various directions, and since he succeede
Gortehakof-in lsS2-Eurnpe has foun
him powerful factor 10 be reckoned witt
, No doubt he could give the contradictor
|. correspondents pointers that would enah
them all TO tell the same story but |
knows how to lie silent In many language