Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1897-10-08
Washington Standard
WAR CLOUDS IN EUROPE.
Probabilities Of q Clash Between
tho Great Nations
What the Eject OF European War
Would I;c pom This Country-A
Strain That Cannot BE
Lon. Sustained.

Harold Frc1rri :. olc Of the shrewd
1T tm,.r!can observers across the seas,
u. o.. 'tr estimate that there are one
,nA!,.rcj and thirty thousand more men
under arms in Europe than there We're
last Christmas. and remarks: at is
NOW the universal expectation that
when the Christmas of 1894 comes
around il will find an altered map
Thi> strain i, too heavy. Something
must give way somewhere during the
coming year"
Predictions of n great impending
European war have been made conf
IDENTIFY from time to time during the
last decade. says the Bostoa Traveller,
vet they have not been fulfilled. and
many will turn an incredulous ear tc
Mr. Frederic, SAYING: The outlook
has been as forbidding more than once
since the chief military powers began
to swell their ornaments to their pres
ent enormous size, and yet. somehow.
peace has been preserved. WIZ. Their.
is there not reason to believe that 1891
will repeat the story of 1893 and it,
immediate predecessors. and another
SAI lotiudo COulC WIN liz oNOAu SUM AZ
the scabbard?"
To those who thus appeal to the ex-
perience of the nearer past it is unhap-
PLY easy to return an answer. This
answer may be summed up in Mr..
Frederic's words: 1.-THE strain is too
heavy. Something must give way
somewhere" For long time now the
rival powers of Europe have been en-
gagged in a contest which has been only
less exhausting to them than actual
warfare would have been. They have
been putting forth prodigious exer-
tions to overawe their respective rivals
with exhibitions of force, until, in
some instances, the burdens of taxa
ton under which they are groaning
have become intolerable. Italy, in
deed, has almost rea ched the verge Of
bankruptcy; Russia, despite her vast
extent, is financially in no enviable
plight; while France. Germany and
Austria-Hungary, although much bet
ter able to continue the trial of endur-
ance, keenly feel the effects Of such
ruinous competition and know that it is
only question of time when they will
be forced to reduce their military ex-
penditures, or draw the sword in the
hope Of conquering less troublesome
peace.
1t is becoming more and more evi.
dent, therefore, that a crisis in their
affairs is approaching, and one that
means upheaval. The different ma
lions referred to, conscious that even
partial disarmament will not be agreed
to, know that war is practically inev-
liable. Not one Of them. perhaps,
feels fully ready for war, yet they
debit if they will ever be much reader
than now, and hence all are on the
alert that they may not be taken una
wares.
We on this side of the ocean do not
view the fast-gathering European war
clouds with pleasure. An old world
conflict would benefit us for the time
being by increasing the demand for
our products, but, in the long run, we
should suffer from it, and in ways that
need not be indicated. Yet, even il
such a conflict should insure perma-
nent benefits to us we should not re
joice to see it break out. We know
what war means, and having reason, il
ever nation has had, to love peace,
we are full of sympathy for Mothe,
Europe in her trials, and would wish
that the blessings we enjoy might be-
come her happy portion.