Omaha daily bee., 1896-02-29
OTHER LANDS THAN ouns.

There is something interesting in the con.
tinuous struggle which Is going on between
those two little northern Kingdoms Of Europe
Sweden aud Norway. The former Is making
every effort to perpetuate its union with Nor
way, while the latter has for years persist
| emily tried to secede. until the question q
I separation has now almost become a ques-
ton Of war. II was Sweden that freed Nor.
way from the Danish yoke. and under the
act Of union she was given the leadership
/ Although Norway has a Parliament OF Its
| own and votes its own taxes and appropria-
tions for the national defense. Sweden. too
| is the most populous and powerful country,
and 50 1t has always been that the foreign
minister for both countries is member OF
the Swedish cabinet and only responsible to
| the Swedish constitution. Sweden has made
many concessions to Norway, but the latter
| refuses to be satisfied. The government Is
| conservative in character and the Norwegian
| people seem to have become radical. They
long insisted that they should have their
own consuls at foreign ports. aud now when
most OF the consuls are Norwcgians II is
asked that they 0he consuls, should have
! for eign minister of their own to report to.
| To this Sweden replies that one foreign min
lister could not be responsible to two Parlia-
| ments, and that two foreign ministers would
| not agree in their recommendations to the
| tory to Norway. She has assumed burdens
! which Norway would not shoulder, the latter
| has done less than her share for the main
| tenance of civil government and Of the army
| aud navy, and there is continued deadlock
| between the Norwegian Parliament and the
| authorities of the kingdom. 1t is believed
| in some quarters that Russia is urging Nor
| way TO continue her demands. If che is, she
| has reason FOR it. and If Norway should
| succeed in dissoving the union with Sweden
she may, after while. find herself part of
Russia, just as Finland is.
| The Italian government has decided to
| send further re-enforcements to General
| Baratiari, commander-in-chief of the forces
| operating in Abyssnia There can be no
| doubt that the position of the Italian army,
| confronted, as 1t is by that of King Meme
| lek is critical one. The Abyssinians have
plenty Of modern arms; they are one Of the
most warlike of the minor Oriental races
and Menelek himself is a srategst of no
mean order The rainy season is approach
| ing, and while this will compel the Abys
sinans to retreat into the interior. 1t will
| also parayze the movements of the Italian
| troops. and cause an increase Of the fatal
| tiles which have already been brought about
| by the unhealthful climate. The attempt to
| support a huge stan elg army and an enor
nous navy has bankrupted the Italian treas
ury and impoverished the people by heavy
| burdens of taxation, and now an attempt to
| build up a great colony in Africa has plunged
| the country into fresh difficulties. and is
| draining its resources to the point of exhaus-
1 ton. And yet this suicidal policy is to be
| continued and the king is said to be en-
tlrely on the side Of Signor Crispi, whom he
| believes to be the only man in Italy able to
cope with the present situation. 1t was
Mazzini who said that Crispi would be the
| last prime minister of Italy. 1t may be that
with him there will yet come revolution.
Although the coronation of Nicholas II,
czar Of Russia, does not occur until May
next, preparations are already being made
| for what promises to be magnificent cere-
| monial When Alexander II was crowned
at Moscow amid all the semi-barbaric and
gorgeous splendor that has marked the coro-
nation of a long line of emperors. it was pre-
dicted that he would be more of a mark for
| the nihilists than before, but he died a natu-
raj DEATH and his has now decided tc
| have the imperial crown placed upon his
head. Gar Nicholas has not. 1t is true,
gained the favor of the nihilistic element:
| indeed. it is doubtful If any car could win
| it, but he is popular with the great mass
of Russians, and without any show of ag-
gressiveness he has quietly succeeded in Sc
curing the friendship of powers which 1t
might have been supposed would have an
ia gouized his foreign policy. This is the sec
ond time within forty years that Russia mas
been the scene OF coronation, tine only
one during that time outside of Russia hav-
ing been that of William, king of Prussia,
in the hall of Versailles. 1t would not be
surprising II his grandson, the young war
| lord. should now indulge in public corona
| ton. He wants to be second to none.
The negotiations for the renewal Of the
Austro- Hungarian compromise are not likely
| to proceed very mocthly, the question OF
| the amount which each half Of the monarchy
ought TO contribute to the common expepdi-
ture being one of considerable difficulty. Ac-
cording to the present agreement. which ex-
pres next year. Hungary contributes 30 per
cent to the joint expenditure, the balance Of
20 per cent being paid by the Cis-Leithan
half OF the monarchy. During the last few
years it has been vigorously contended In
Austria that the Hungarian contribution is
inadequate. 1t is argued that the prosperity
OF the country in general and its industrial
development fully justify an increase. 1t
is further argued that the conditions prevail
ing at the time when the present agreement
was concluded are now entirely changed.
The Hungavians although unwilling to adopt
an absolutely uncompromising attitude, pro-
test against any advance. They say that.
although the economic prosperity OF their
country has increased during the past two
decades, statistics prove that the Industrial
progress of Austria within the last twenty
The firm foundation Of the French re-
public has again been demonstrated. The
old feverish expectation OF changes and rev.
olutionary outbreaks which filed Paris when
any political crisis came has been replaced
1t appears, by a feeling of Indifference and
general confidence that things will come
out all right in the end. That is the most
solid proof possible that the French republic
Is on sound basis, and that there Is no
longer danger Of revolution whenever some
agitator may choose to call upon the Partisan
mobs for a crusade against the government
France is simply learning one of the un
pleasant features of her system of minis
terial responsibility to both the president
and the National Assembly There will be
less disposition among French statesmen
henceforth to condemn the American plan of
maintaining the executive department of the
federal government in its present FORM
quite independent as far as its tenure of
Office is concerned, of the approval or con-
demnatiOn OF the Legislative branches of the
government. 1t will be more clearly realized
than ever before that the wit of man has not
yet devised any scheme for administering
the business of nation and executing the
will of its people which has not serious
r.. a..I Hoo. fTAn1 g..