New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-06-22
CTrPOpES FOLLY AND PERIL.

Seldom has more impressive picture OF the
evils Of European mliiarism been drawn thah
that by General Turr in a recent ISSUE OF the
"Nessaccr d'Athanes" In that journal 1t is
entitled What Prince Bismarck Costs Us.
Perhaps the title Is tr1ic. With all OF his vast
services to Germany and 10 the world whose
most Ilustrious parsonage be Is to-day the Iron
Chancellor Is largely and chiefly 10 be charged
with the responsibility of transforming the Pow
crs II Europe into a group Of armed camps.
That. however l. apart from the real ISSUE.
D.nuncailon If the cause will not remedy the
effect What is important Is not who was the
author Of the evil but what the evil Is and how
hos, {, may be- dealt with and what it will lead
70 II unchecked These matters General Thrr.
whose IS one II the foremost Hungarian military
and civil engineers. discusses with comprehend
slyc Lnowl,lgc and with assured authority.
The actual cost 10 Europe II the military syS-
TEN during The twenty five years ~ peace, or OF
armed terrorism. since The last great war mas
been. he reckons. - lc-S than S2'"~""o""
This stup5ndou- sum has simply been sluan
dcrel oh preparations for war. without any one
daring actually - - to war. Ana the Powers
are SIN spending money ~ thc sam" f'lrful rate
u 81 OOOWrVuO a year. FIR a war That may
never come. or that. ~ course may come AZ any
time Everything IL ready. Il only needs that
some one some clumsy diplomat or reckless
Minister shall tire the train. TO explode the who'll"
magazine suppose that happens. The war VIII
h.. short one no doubt But while II lasts II
VIII cost $1,000 o00p,o month. SIX months
uilv h,. enough time for one Power 10 whip an
other in t., bills viii foot up t. SGV",o"'o".
Then there will have been million men >laush-
tered M a total cost since 1870 II 81 900 each.
such Is the price ~ mtarl~m
Apari from the money wasted. twenty Nv"
wears ~ iimc which might have been devoted
- peaceful progress have also been thrown
away II those billions - dollars. or even part
If them had been devoted Ia the welfare ~ the
rcoplc. 10 Increase the general wealth. 10 I'M
urovc the lot ~ the working people IN town ana
country. how different would he the condition
81 Europe today. The social question w"uii
not now weigh like Il dreadful nightmare upon
every land Class would not he arrny"d against
class There would not be- these ouiburstS ana
uphcavals which shake the very foundations OF
/ social and political order Moral ph'ihcn'ioh
would prevail with industrial prosperity AMI
social conicntmcni. The paupcrisin, the unrest
and the threats ~ revolution which nll Europe
to-day are also IN, price 1t pays for It's nhii'a'!
system.
What next; General Turr secs one in"vi'api'
rosuIt to which some nations are already oinl
! uously near That Is universal bankruptcy
such catastrophe will bc followed by pcrloo
~ decay such as that which bcfcll the Roman
! Empirc IN its later years. or that decay 'h'
degeneration noted 10y Max Nordau may he re
car,lcd an incipicnt symptom. And when II has
fully set in; Well General TURF reminds IL
| that the decay Of Rome was the opportunity 4"
the Barbarans: and also that the great invn
sions I'm the worlds history have all come from
the East Darius and NerXes. Attila and Aba
ur Kahman, Soman and Gcnghis Khan, al
came from Asia. May not that mighty mothe
Of conurcrors give birth 10 yet another! In
nrocress and prowess of Japan have startled th
world Suppose the hosts Of China. on"-'hir'
the whole human race. should be aroused from
their lethargy and should be organized for con
nuost and led westward 10y some modern Timur
how would Europe meet them! She might do 81
successfully to-day. But To morrow. bankrupt
decaycd anarchc, what would be her resisting
power? That, General Tiirr. who lives on III
bor,lcr-linc between West and East rcckons tn
greatest peril OF the future, - which Europ
Is being delivered by It's own inscnSate folly.