The evening tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 189?-190?, 1897-01-07
THE STRIFES OF 1896
THE WARS THAT TOOK PLACE DUR
ING THE PAST YEAR.

No Great War. but Several Small Ones.
Most OF the Uprisings Took Plsoe ON L.
lsnds-Africs tho Scene Of Several Lit
tie Struggles.
No sword has been drawn by one
great civilized state against another
through the whole of 1896. but the gates
OF the temple Of Janus have by no
means been shut. BY far the most blood
stained portion of the worlds surface,
30 far as 1896 is concerned, is the Otto
man empire.
There has been actual fighting in
Crete, while the tale of massacres Of
Armenians in all parts Of the empire is
still far from complete. ''The shadow
of God" in Constantinople is haunted
by perpetual fear, and he imagines.
like most men in panic. that he can best
secure his own safety by striking terror.
Abdul Hamid embodies in his reign and
in the massaores by which its closing
days are being marked great object
lesson as to the real nature of Turkish
rule. Without some such demonstration
it would have been impossible for US to
conceive the popular enthusiasm which
launched medi@val Europe on the series
OF enterprises that we call crusades.
There are many persons today who
would be very glad to see new crusade
preached for the determination of the
"infidel," not because he is an infidel,
but because he has established assas-
sination as an instrument Of government
and replied by massacre to the protests
Of the conscience Of Europe and Amer
lea.
Casting rapid glance over the world,
1t is curious to note how much fighting
has gone on in the islands. On the con-
tinents there has been little war, but
man has faced man in deadly wrath in
Crete, in Cuba, in Madagascar and in
the Philippine islands In fact, with the
exception of the continent Of Africa and
certain Of these islands, 1896 has been
a year Of peace. These, however, are
considerable exceptions, and neither in
Cuba nor the Philippine islands did
1895 bring any prospect of peace. The
struggle on both sides is marked by
atrocities of which the civilized world
hears little from Cuba, but nothing
much from the Philippines.
In Madagascar French expedition TO
Antananarivo has placed the French in
nominal possession Of the island. 1t is
only nominal. for outside the capital
the French appear to be obeyed only as
far as their guns will carry and until
such time as their guns are removed.
On the African continent there has
been more serious fighting. Italy suffer
ed a great defeat in Abyssinia, which,
however, has been a blessing in dis
guise, in that it has led to the abandon
ment of the ambitious scheme of estab-
fishing an Ethiopian empire raised upon
the colony of Erythr@a. The defeat in
Africa shook down the Crispi ministry
and crippled Italy in the estimation of
Europe. 1t was also the means of
launching the long expected expedition
for the recovery of the Sudan. The An
glo-Egyptian force, under the sirdar,
Sir Herbert Kitchener, achieved an al
most bloOdless success when it marched
southwark along the Nile valley and
cleared the soldiers of the mahdi out of
the fertile provinces of Dongola.
It is understood that this year, when
the Nile is high, Dongola will be used as
q base for the reconquest of Khartum.
But for the unfortunate issue of
Jameson's raid Cecil Rhodes would
probably have realized his ideal of join
ing the Cape to Cairo before the end of
the century. Matabeleland has risen in
revolt and has been reconquered. The
Transvaal has been the scene of fighting
which could hardly be dignifed by the
title of war.
On the other side the Ashanti power
has been broken by an English expedi-
tion, which has opened up one Of the
dark places of the world, full of fright
full cruelty, to the milder influences of
commerce and civilization.
AS the year closed Sir George Taub-
man Goldie was departing for the Niger
in order to strike a blow at one of the
slave trading tribes which still live and
thrive under the nominal protectorate Of
the Niger company. Review Of Re-
views