The evening tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 189?-190?, 1897-07-16

Brlsf Reflections Upon Events of Current
Interest Across the Ocean.

DOW vIeVull DttWtcu bJ. fetcfbUuTH
and Constantinoplc. IL may be Of inter
est To state that Russia has at tho
present moment on the Turkish frontier
In Asia Minor fully equipped army Of
100, 900 men, comprising no less than
20 regiments Of cavalry, an immense
force Of artillery and 40 battalions Of
infantry. A portion Of this army IL act
ually ON the frontier, which ID could
cross within few hours Of receiving
the order to advance, while the reserves
arc stationed ut distance OF two days
march. Another still larger Russian
army has been assembled at Odessa and
st Savastopol, whence 10 could be con-
veyed by sca In the space Of from "A to
86 hours to Constantinoplo.
1t il announced in London that the
Chilean government, dismayed by tho
collapse Of the Bank Of Santiago, the
fourth important bank that has recently
gone into liquidation i'm the republic,
has resolved to accept the offer of an An
glo-Belgian syndicate to establish a joint
stock bank under government guarantee
In Chile. The syndicate has undertaken
TO deposit gilt edged securities TO large
amount in the Bank Of England AZ
warrant Of good faith. 1t seems pity
that no United States fnanciers can see
their way to establish some institution
of this kind in Chile, since all that Is
required to make it q success Is sound
business methods. the absence of which
alone has led 10 the failure Of the four
native banks above mentioned.
In times gone by the moment fugi-
tive negro slave set foot upon English
soil or even on board AN English man
of-war, the poor creature became ipso
facto free. This is no longer the case,
for Sir Charles Dixie has just drawn
attention in the house of commons to
the fact that slaves who escape from
Zanzibar or from Pemba to the slip of
| British territory on the mainland are
by order of the British courts and Off
cials handed over to their former mas
ters for further bondage.
Car Nicholas will ON the occasion
| Of his forthcoming visit to Warsaw re-
| ceive from his Polish subjects well
como that will for the first time he
| unanimous, spontaneous and sincere.
Since his accession to tie throne the old
system of persecution seems banished
by wiser and more humane coulsels.
Men of enlightened and liberal views,
and frequently protesting the Roman
| Catholic faith, have been lately ap-
| pointed to the post Of governor and to
other ofiici.l places, and the emperor
has just consented to the immediate
nomination of Catholic bishops to seven
episcopal sees which have remained va.
cant for many years, indeed ever since
the exile to Siberia Of their former bish.
ops.
It does not speak we'll for France thai
the government should find it necessary
to lower the regulation height of the
infantry soldier from 8. SO feet to fee,
II inches. True, it is estimated tha
this lowering of the regulation heigh,
will add some 10000 men to the French
army, but at the same time it is an ad
mission that the average stature Of the
Frenchman is diminishing, and it may
|
ment Of F,ench linesman, which is
very heavy, will not prove too weighty
burden for this new class of recruits.
Meanwhile the military authorities
are making arrangements to transform
Nancy into an immense intrenched
camp at a cost OF some $40, 600, 900,
garrisoning it by force of 1000 men.
1t must be borne in mind that according
to the actual lines of advance of Ger.
many the seizure of Nancy would be
the first and main object of an inavdine
army. Nancy would then be made the
base of operations against Toul, and
once Toul taken, the road to Paris
would be open.
According to official statistics which
have just been issued in London, the
national debt during the last five years
in England shows an average daily de-
crease Of nearly 800, 900, the exact fig
ures being e19,488. During the same
period the national debt of the United
States shows an average daily increase
Of more than $125, 900, the exact fig
ures given being e25,27 Frances
debt increases $3.50, 900 daily, Ger
many's debt over $3.50, 900, while that
Of Russia shows daily growth Of not
less than 100000. frances national
debt today is the largest, heading the
list with 90, 600, 600, 900.
| The national legislature Of Switzer-
land has just passed the bill Of the fed
eral council providing for the purchase
by the state Of all the railroads in the
country. The measure is meeting with
but little opposition in Switzerland it.
self, owing to the somewhat alarming
discovery that most of the stock of the
Swiss railroad companies is held in
Germany. Indeed, u certain satisfaction
has been created by the decision Of the
government to take possession Of the
railroads ut valuation. which is inferior
by some $50, 900, 900 to the price which
would have had to be paid by the state
| were it tn buv the stock even i'm its