The herald., 1897-11-15
WAR IN EUROPE

This is not intended as the announce
ment of fact, nor as a prediction OF
war. Were it a fact the announcement
would not be startling, as such an event
has for a long time been expected. II
would be what has been predicted every
few months for several years, and
should war occur it would not be a
wholly unmixed evil.
The world has often been treated to
dishes of zweibunds, dreibunds, coali-
tions and alliances, offensive and de-
ropean combinations, maneuvers and
war is worn threadbare. Emperors,
kings and other heads of governments
meet, embrace, fall on each others
necks and make solemn protestations of
peaceful intentions, while they are in
creasing and training their armies,
gathering ammunition and military
stores, and adding to their naval forces.
as if war were imminent. The great
nations of Europe for many years have
been preparing for war, and the world
is wondering why they do not begin the
business of shedding blood. Nobody be-
lieves the rulers are sincere in their
peaceful pretensions, and they do not
believe each other Hence, on all hands
energy and vigilance.
Troubles in Austria, it has been an
nounced, will probably ignite the inflam-
mable material lying about everywhere
and cover Europe with a blaze of con-
fiict. From what has recently been re-
ported th9re is expectation of a con-
fiict between England and France,
growing out of differences in regard to
their African possessions on the Niger
No doubt the two governments are of
loggerheads, not only in Africa, but on
account of the pertinacious and pro-
longed occupation of Egypt by the Brit
ish. They cannot very we'll get at each
other on land in Europe, and France is
no match for Great Britain on the sea-
their commerce would be seriously dam
aged, and, besides, while Germany is
watching France, Russia is watching
Great Britain.
War in prospect between Great Brit
ain and Russia has been a normal con-
dition for more than forty years, and
here again the two countries are quite
inaccessible to land attack, and while
Russia is comparatively feshle as "a
naval power, she is very little exposed
to attack from the British navy. Her
assailable ports are Cronstadt, odessa,
Sebastopol in Europe, and Vladivostock
in Asia, and at those points no serious
damage could be inflicted. Austria,
Germany, France and Italy can easily
get at each other, as there are no bar
riers to entrance into the territory of
each other.
The pretense that great military es-
adjustments are kept up for defensive
purposes, and to maintain present ma
tionalities undisturbed, is more nearly
a falsehood than a truth. The principal
object, except in France and Switzer-
land, is to preserve existing dynasties,
to keep the people subjected to heredit-
airy rule and prevent the spread of re-
publicanism.
War is terrible, and if those nations
really mean war why do they not Set
about it, and have it out till there is q
final and permanent settlement of all
differences and a qualification or dis
appointment of all ambitions, so that
their great armies may be disbanded or
at least largely reduced, and the people
relieved from the crushing burdens to
which they have long been subjected?
1t is true that if there be war many
will be killed and wounded and suffering
will be immense, but how much worse
are those consequences than the wear
ing out of generation after generation
through toll and deprivation to support
vast bodies of the very best physical
men in doing naught towards promoting
human happiness? The fact is, crowned
heads everywhere prize their own power
and splendor far more than they do the
welfare of the human race. They devote
more attention to training their soldiers
in the art of destruction than to the
great industrial armies which produce
to feed and clothe their people.
If they would go to war in earnest
they would relieve the world from the
of continual expectation.