The Helena independent., 1894-11-17
ACROSS THE WATER.
The Principal Topic OF European Speeua
ton Is the Character Of the New
Car, Nicholas u.
STRUGGLE FOR A CONSTITUTION,
Comparison Of French and German Military
Forces and Expenses; the Financial
Condition OF Italy,

The principal topic OF European spec
ulation naturally continues to he the
character and policy of the new car.
The dead Alexander has been eulogiAed.
criticised and dismissed with as kindly
n farewell as may be- Ills services ms
prcscrvcr OF the peace FOR Europe are
greatly recognized, and his narraw orl-
cntallsm. his determination Ia crush
out from Russia everything that was
not Slav. the tyranny und oppression
with which he treated his people, "a
positively condemned, But Alexander
IS dead his reign ended. his pet nmbi-
tions dead with him. and his policy do
nestle and foreign, a thing OF the past
unless his son and successor secs fit TO
revive them-aud this Is the very point
upon which Europe is cropping for light
II Is not known whether Nicholas Is a
religious blgot as Alexander wns-a
prosecutor of Jews and Stundists and
all outside thc national church OF which
he WAS the head; or a rcaciunist and
Zoe of reforms or a repudlator of pied
ges like those to Firms and Llvonians
which Alexander broke, To whom will
Nlcholas turn IN friendship among the
rulers OF EurupeG What countries will
ae cultivate an alliance with and 10
which win he be- Indifferent or un-
friendly? VIII he be Tor peace. or Will
no be greedy 10 extend Russian power
n he invites war by ~ duingH Ii would
be comparatively easy Ia answer like
questions about the successor to any
other throne ln Europe, but the absence
OF any authentic Information about the
character the predictions, or the
probable intentions OF Nicholas IL.
make prophecies concerning his course
as a ruler Of the Russians principally
guess work.
Agitation FOR constitution will CON
tinue In Russia I'M one is obtained. The
people are not yet qualified for any com
siderable degree Of self-goVernment,
and. whatever We may think Of an alb
sulute monarchy In the abstract, We
must admit that In the past IL has been
the best form OF government for Russia.
But the cEar can make many changes
I'm the interest Of liberty without yield
ing any Of his powers There Is great
need OF a reorganza tion of the bureaus
through which the government is car
ried on. The young cZar may conclude
20 attempt some reforms. IL the nihi-
lists. however, keep him In continual
fear for his life. they will prevent the
reforms which they desire. IL Is i'm
pOrtant that the cZar should be familiar
with his country, but IL he cannot leave
his palace without fear of assassina-
tion, he Will find 1t difficult TO obtain the
Information necessary. IL Is not likely
that there will be any change during
the period of mourning, whatever may
be done afterward.
NJ Jules Roche. reporter for the bud
get committee Of the French Chamber,
furnishes In the Paris Matin an inter-
esting comparison of the French and
German military forces and expendi-
turei He says that the French ordi-
nary war budget is about SIS, 900 600
francs Of 563 100000 francs with the eX-
traordinary war expenditure. The mum
ber Of men provided for in 1895 is 509-
800. or 81 900 below the minimum fixed
by the organic law Of the army The
German ordinary war expenditure, he
says. is fixed al 600027 jSl francs, and
the extraordinary at lS7,93O,257 francs,
the total being 1881 S3S francs. As II
contains no eXtruneuus expenses. moth
ing has 10 be deducted from that total
That fact, however, II not, in NJ
Roches opinion the most significant
difference between the two budgets
Compared with the war budget Of 1894
France augments her ordinary war ex-
prndlture by l0O00O00 francs, and d.
mluishcs her extraordinary eXpendl-
turp by 100000 francs. The Germans
diminish their extraordinary WAl
budget by q 100000 francs. but II still
amounts % the euormuos sum OF 1885,
OUO 900 francs whereas In France II is
A. 600 900 francs. What is more impor-
tant. says Nj Roche, the Germans in
crease the permanent ordinary was ex-
pcuditure by 6j,O00000 francs BY the
financial law pf March gG. 1898 this was
fixed at -2i 000 000 francs. but In March
Is was raised o. con 600 900 francs. Con-
tiuulug the comparison, NJ. Roche de-
claros that the cfr, ctivp strength ~ the
army fixed by The German military law
Is amply provided for. The 31S com
pHnics ~ German infantry are main
tained at a strength Uf at least l50 men,
whereas the 2i28 companies Of French
infantry rarely roach. the effective of
1s5 men each declared in the French
organic military law to be indispcns-
able Ia France. he says. the military
law Is made gubscrylent to financial ne
cpsstics whereas In Germany the Mill
tary law is paramount, and is enforced
regardless IT cost.
= The correspondent " tho London
Times iu Rome takes n hopeful View ~
the financial situation in Italy. He
says "lhe absolute sincerity with