Omaha daily bee., 1897-02-06
OTHER LANDS THAN ours.

1t Is not unlikely that there is truth In
the Berlin dispatch that Austria is anxious
to support England and Italy in their policy
OF using force II necessary to secure re-
forms in the Turkish empire. and has at last
secured the consent OF the German emperor
to side with Austria, Italy and England and
against Russia and France, the last named
having no interest In the matter at all eN-
copt the Interest OF keeping on amlcable
terms with Russia. The interests Of Austria
and Russia are Numerically opposed to
each other. The latter desires no reforms
In Turkey, and has for more than a century
thwarted all efforts to renovate and modern
lie Turkish administration. Russia desires
to sec Turkey rot to pieces, knowing that
most OF the fragments must fall to her in
that event with no effort Of her own. Austria
has no dittinct ambition to occupy Constan-
%tinople, but she has a decided conviction
that she ought to have SaloniCa, and her
possessions and interests in tho Balkan pen
insula are so large that she would particu-
larly object to an Increase Of the Russian
power in the same region. Austria would
be glad to have Turkey renovated. and TO
havo her southeastern regions assured
against risings in Bulgaria and Macedonia.
Italy and England have every interest against
Russian ACKNOWLEDGMENT In the Mediterra-
mean. and Germany has no interest at all
beyond the fact that she has been trying
to be a better friend TO Russia than France
Is, and has not been obtaining any recipro-
cal affection from Russia. 1t is not impos-
sible, therefore. that she has concluded
to go with Austria, Italy and England rather
than waste more time with Russia. the fast
ally of France.
The reports which have recently come AZ
to the i'll health OF the car have once mr.
twice been contradicted, but It is now said.
by the way of Berlin. that he and tho
czarina have reconsidered their intention
to visit the south of Europe on account OF
indisposition, and that for the same reason
the rulers of Europe will not, as was pro-
posed, visit the car In st. Petersburg. Wbilc
this news differs materially from that sent
out from st. Petersburg, it is doubtless the
more correct statement. Other reports
which have been sent to this country would
indicate that the car Is finding IL n difficult
task to carry out the policy that he had
determined upon. The car of Russia has
always been a fgurehead, controlled en-
tirely by the members of his council. and
the present ruler, in the effort to be indie
pendent. finds himself confronted by all
traditional distractions. The situation is
a perilous one. His brother, the heir ap-
parent to the throne, is hopelessly i'll. and
II the car was to name his infant daughter
as his successor family jealousies would be
certain to precipitate a dangerous condition
OF affairs. In the event of any such COM
plication the people would be outspoken in
shNi 'ehhuhu vi 1 HIS, anu t"t VI
would probably see the last of the Romanoff
dynasty.
The attitude and conduct of England and
Germany in the Transvaal matter will be
watched with interest. The latter has, OF
course. absolutely no right to interfere. She
never had the slightest claim to ownership
of the Transvaal, she has almost no COM
mercial interests there apart from those COM
mon to all the world, and only a handful of
her subjects are among the oppressed 'Uit-
landers.' Yet nothing is more clear than
that she Is determined to bend every energy
to secure dominant political influence there
and ultimately, If possible, to gain absolute
possession OF the country. England, on the
other hand, formerly owned the whole ter
ritory, and still appears, at least on paper,
to have some suzerain rights, while her
commercial interests there are enor-
nous, and the vast majority of the "uit- =
are or were her subjects. At the
same time there is a widespread notion that
she, too, must recognize the Transvaal as
an entirely independent sovereign state, and
therefore refrain from interfering in its do
nestle affairs.
Major General Sir II. Kitchener recently
to Cairo after q visit of inspec-
ton to Dongola. He reports a most remark
able improvement IL the province since its
rescue last September from Dervish cruelty.
The Inhabitants are contented, and agri-
culture has revived to such an extent that
he was able to stop the sending Of maize