Omaha daily bee., 1897-11-20
OTHER LANDS THAN ours.


watching with interest her projects and sue
cesses in the far east. The trans Siberian
road is approaching completion. and 1t is
confidently expected that the last rail will
be laid In 1898, three years earlier than was
anticipated This enterprise will not only
bring vast territories under cultivation and
within reach of a market, but 1t has provided
Russia with an outlet to the ocean. The port
OF Vladivostock is closed by the ice for
part oil the year, but by treaty with China
she has secured the harbor In the Bay of
Pechi-Li, which Is open ali the year round,
and to which there Will run a branch OF the
siberian railroad, thus bringing the fleet In
touch with the army and providing base OF
supplies. The question is now being asked
Who will exploit China" for, of course
the European theory is that China is among
those countries that were formed to be ex-
plotted. Russia has already secured valua-
BILE trade concessions from the middle king
dom, and France and Germany are each anX-
ious to obtain share of the spoils when
there shall be distribution. The question
is as to which power will obtain the ascend
ancy In the future Attention has already
been called to the gigantic efforts that Japan
is making to become sea power. The sue
cess which Russia has obtained in the
orient Is promise of what she viii yet be
able to do For 100 years she has been striv-
ing, through the medium OF diplomacy, to
Bdlu an uHODStruCteu approach 10 tue oCedu
She has now almost attained her object, and
very few years may bring about changes
in the east in the efrecting of which all of
Europe will, willingly or unwillingly, take
part.
Another election In conservative strong
hold in England has resulted i'm compara-
tive defeat for that party. The poll in the
borough of Deptford, London, on Monday,
while showing a victory for the conserva-
tive parliamentary candidate by majority
of 1924, shows a distinct gain for the I'D
erals, as the conservative majority at the
general election Of 1895 was 9O5 votes in
a poll only 231 greater than Mondays s. rms
is the fourth consecutive bye-electlon lu
which the liberals have made distinct gains,
and there is a significance in the results
which cannot be passed by unmoticed. The
conservative government is slowly but surely
losing ground. There are reasons tor l's
loss of prestige among the people and they
are undoubtedly to be found in the popular
disapprcval of the foreign policy of the fres-
ent ministry, which has been vaciUatng
and coorless Fortunately for Salisbury
his majority is too great to be overturned
by the bye-electors which occur at infre-
quent intervals. There is a grounded op-
position to the conservatives, however, ana
unless the policy of the government Is soon
changed for the better the next. general
election will sweep the liberals into power
by almost as great majority as that which
the conservatives now enjoy.
There are various possible ways out of the
present Austria Hungarian difficulty OF varl-
Gus degrees of availability. One is to dismiss
the Reichsrath and govern the empire with
out it. generation ago that would have
been done without hesitation. Now 1t will be
done only as the last resort. Another Is to
let Bohemia become the Independent kingdom
some Of her people want her to be. Ihat
would remove the Bohemian members from
the Reichsrath and give Vienna peace, though
it might cause stormy scenes at Prague But
Hungary would object to that She has
Joined Austria in dual federation. She
would not agree to making 1t triple one.
There is a third plan, which the emperor Is
most seriously considering, and which may
be executed any day. That is the granting
of universal suffrage and an appeal to the
people against the factional classes That
would be a veritlble coup d'etat. But 1t is
difficult to see who could logically object to
it. Hungary could not, for it would merely
be extending her own system to Austria.
Some Austrians would rage against 1t, but
in vain. Europe has reached time when
nothing can be deemed unconstitutional which
is accepted and sanctioned by the people.
Tho result of such a step would be to create
tionists would be completely outnumbered by
the representatives of the people, and these
latter would form a coherent majority con-
stanty loyal to the emperor. 1t would be a
bold experiment, but one likely to succeed,
and to bring Austria up into line with Hun
gary as a liberal and progressive state.
s*+
The fact that Austria, Germany and Italy
constitute the Triple Alliance might lead to
,,nit n
against the sultan. But 1t is the German
kaiser who, more than any other ruler is
responsible for the position in which Turkey
today finds itself, and while his recent visit
to Budapest was made the occasion of great
rejoicing on the part Of the people of that
CITY a demonstration in which the German
part OF the population Joined, yet the hos
tility which is being displayed toward him in
Germany is beginning to pervade Bavaria and
other German Kingdoms, and 1t Is said that
real conse rvatives in South Germany say that
it was very stupid to kick Austria out of
the German bund-Austria, whose absolutist
system was at least patriarchal and good
natured-and to exchange that despotism for
unuther equally absolutist regime, but with
the difference that the modern Prussian feu-
dalism is simply unbearable and its repre-
sentatives personally insolent 1t can thus be
seen what might be the far-reaching effect
of rupture between Austria and Hungary,
and particularly at juncture wlen the Tor
mer is pervaded by internal dissensions.
Francis Joseph may have adopted his ag-
gressive tone in the hope that a vigorous for
eign policy would pacify the disturbing ele-
ments at home, but the results may be of the
most far-reaching character.
japan has received from China already the
proceeds of loan Of $50, ,000, 900 raised in
France ON Russian guaranty, and OF a loan
of $50 900 900 raised with German co-opera-
ton through the agency of the Hong Kong
and Shanghai bank. Both loans were secured
by mortgaging the tariff revenue, which was
last year $16,375 900. China has yet large
sum to pay Japan. If she pays in May next
she will have but $50, 900, 600 to pay, but If
she ayails herself of her option she may get
clear in 1902 by paying $50, 500 900 In install
ments continued to that date. Japan will
thus have received for her exertions in the
recent war some $240 900 900 in cash. besides
Formosa and the Chinese navy, watch was
worth several millions. With this money
big navy is being built to fight Russia some
day. China Is supposed to need further loans,
and she has plenty Of resources If local ideas
would only permit their development. But
little more can be borrowed on the strength
of the customs revenue.