Omaha daily bee., 1898-01-08
OTHER LANDS THAN otRs.

| 1T Japan COuid only Ret inc DIG war sulps
which are now in process OF construction
| for her in various European and American
| shipyards she would doubtless make much
stiner stand against the aggression OF land
\ grabbing powers in eastern Asia. War
! Just now would tie them up. unless II should
| happen that England Joined Japan. Then
! the ships that British firms are building,
| which include the greater part OF oil the
boats under construction for the Japanese
government could not only be taken pos
session Of. but rushed to completion with all
haste. That is one very strong reason for
/ believing that II Japan should resist the at
tempts to carve up the Chinese empire, In
way that meant war, 1t would be a sure sign
Of an alliance with Great Britain. Such
union OF interests would be very popular I'm
| England in some respects 1t would open
new possibilities in the way Of recruiting
good soldiers, and plenty of them, to fight
under British officers or In British pay, and
1t would promise England the bulk of the
trade of Japan for q long time to come. The
last would be the consideration having most
weight in Great Britain.
Russia Is now at a stand. 1t seems that
| the Indian rebellion is not so formidable
as she had hoped, and 1t seems that she
must wait another opportunity She is capa-
Bile Of biding her time and of selling 1t when
1t comes, for she may say OF herself in
ASIA, us lIuNulullS dS LOlu 0dAlSbuiy sdlu
of England in Africa, that "her objects are
strictly business" Both Russia and England,
| being on business are anlcnable to reason.
Tho kaiser's notion Of business is to stimu-
late declining German trade by war ships.
The business world of Germany does not
agree with him, but he has the power of
putting his opinion in practice. In the
presence of the real rivals he presents
particularly absurd appearance eNpounding
his medieval doctrines and seronely uncon-
ecious all the while that he is not at the
center Of tho situation.
A correspondent or the London Standard.
writing from Berlin, gives some interesting
details concerning the new war fleet which
is in process of constructed for Japan in
different parts OF the world. Ii seems that
she is building more and better ships than
any power except England, and that. as Gas
been pointed out already, she will be ready
for all possible eventualties II she can only
keep the peace for a year or two longer.
Three vessels of 1i,SO0 tcns. two of which
are nearly finished, are being built in British
yards; one battleshp of 10000 tons is being
built by Armstrong; four frst-class armorod
cruisers of $500 tons, with a speed of twenty
knots, are assigned, two to Armstrong, one
to the Vulcan company uear Stettin, and one
to France; two cruisers OF 5000 tons, with
twenty-three knots, have been ordered in
the United States; one cruiser of 1900 tons,
WITH tWenly-tnTee KDOtS, anu elSnt torpedo
beat destroyers, with thirty knots. in Eng
land: eight torpedo boats at Elbing; four in
France, and three cruisers of 5000 tons. with
twenty knots, three torpedo boats, and
signal ship are being built in the imperial
yard at Jokosk, in japan, where an iron
clad cruiser OF 5000 tons, with twenty knots,
will soon be begun japan has also ordered
her torpedo boat hotila to be fitted out as
quickly as possible in her own yards, and
is about to form second squadron. 1t IS
evident, therefore, that the Japanese navy
will sOCn rank next to that of France. and
considerably ahead OF the fleets of Germany
and Russia and the vessels, of course will
be of the very latest and best types.
France wisely regards with competency
the increasing strength of the movement in
Germany headed by the emperor, which
aims to make the German feet one of the
greatest in the world. The farther Germany
goes in that direction the more difficult
it will be to carry her military prepara-
tions beyond the limit of French resources.
The difference in population between the
two countries, difference which is steadily
increasing, might soon make 1t impossible
for France to keep her army near that of
Germany, IL only a little OF the money and
a small part Of the men available in the
latter empire were used on the seas. II
Germany should undertake to rival England
In naval power, the case would become
the German colonies absorb enough men and
money, end France will be placed In bet
ter position for possible war with her big
neighbor than she has been at any time in
many years. That is doubtless the reason
why the public men of the French republic
show no uneasness Cn account of German
Willingness to undertake the creation OF a
great navy
So far as the simple race for Khartoum is
concerned, the British have it well in hand. |
Their gunboats are patroling the Nile as far
south as Shendy, only hundred miles from
Khartoum, and the latter place could be in
vested within fortnight If it were necessary |
to do so, to save 1t from other seizure. That |
Captain Marchand will attempt the conquest |
OF khartoum with his present force is not |
conceivable. He has only handful of men, |
Neither is it conceivable that the French will |
make an alliance with the khalifa and his |
cutthFoat dervishes. Despite the alleged |
identity Of Osman Dlgna and the vagaries |
Of Olivier Pain, the most highly civilized |
nation Cn the continent of Europe Is not
going to join forces with the most dCDraved
set of savages in all Africa. The question,
then, Is not how much further CGptain
Marchand will proceed, but whether the
French government will assert ownership or
of the region he has already traversed
between Dem Ziber and Tamboura and the
Nile.
The sixteth anniversary OF Pope Leo's
first celebration of mass recalls attention
to the extreme age OF the venerable supreme
pontiff. Leo XIII has already surpassed the
average age and length of reign OF the holy
fathers. Since the return from Avignon to
Rome only sixteen pontiffs have lived more
than eighteen years. or the 293 popes who
have succeeded ST. Peter, only eleven have
reigned mere than seventeen years, On the
seventh of next month Leo XIII will have
reigued twenty years. Vincenzo Gioacchino
Pecci was born on March 2, 1870 at Car
pneto, in the state OF the church, and he
Is a descendant, through his mother. OF the
Cola di Renzi, "the last OF the
Roman tribunes" He was but month past
50 years old when he was elected to the
DeCacy. or him Justin Mccarthy has re-
marked: There have been political popes
and theological popes, but Leo XIII is above
Ill things a phildnthropic pope"
nUAINtp trE AT. .qTIs oI IJErr