Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1899-01-01
THE YEAR ABROAD.

dangerous complications.
As regards domestic issues. the Tight
Little Isle" enjoyed comparative I'M
munity from excitement. The people
were too much engrossed with watching
developments in the far East ana the
progress of the Soudan campaign ana
with resentlng French pin prickins
IN think OF much else. The most notable
domestic events OF the year were. per-
haps. the death of Gladstone and the
evolution OF the idea OF an Angio-Saxon
alliance. Bnt as respects foreign re!a-
! lions the British mind was kept on
considerable strain. At the beginning oil
1898 negotiations were pending for the
settlement of the question OF the respec-
five territorial rights Of Great Britain
ana France on the Niger. owing 10
certain British concessions made In the
interest Of peace. this trouble was finally
adjusted but hardly had feeling over II
subsidized before the Marchand incident
came TO the front Here. however Great
Britain stood her ground, even to the
poipt Of modifying her navy, and.
what with this practical ultmatum ana
the victory of Kitchener at Omdurman'
France was forced 20 yield. Neverthe-
less. at one time II seemed that death
grappIe between the two nations was in
evitable. OF Great Britan's outlying
possessions, Uganda has been the scene
Of almost continuous fighting. In South
Africa the Rhodes party has gained the
ascendency. a situation that portends
another aggressive demonstration against
the Transvaal when the time Is ripe. and
the year closed with conditions in (he
Transvaal that promise to force the
ipening India has suffered terribly f"om
the ravagos OF the bubonic plague, has
witnessed a successful campaign against
the Mad Mullah ana has heard, 1t IS
said. the first notes Of preparation for Che
extension Of the sphere OF British IN
nuence over Thibet. In the far East
Great britain has had 10 be steadily on
guard in force. and several times vas on
the eve Of hostilitles with Russia in that
quarter Of the globe. and more or less
in danger Of n clash at arms with Ger
many and France.
In order 10 improve the terminal
facilities Of her great trans-Caspian
road. Russia had occupied Port Ar
thur. Talicn-Wan. and a big strip q
territory near Pekin. Germany, who
Though her Emperor had proclaimed
new Hansa, accepted this challenge ~
Selling Kiao-Chdu. on the coast Of China,
as a basis Of German commercial opera
lions. Germany's aggressive step pco-
duced no less sensation in England than
the action Of Russia had done. and Great
Britain retaliated upon both by "ac-
curing" Wei-Hai-Wei. which commands
Port Arthur and the Korean coast, ana
by charging greatly the area Of Hong
kong She also opened new ports TO
trade. and obtained from China a pledge
not to ALLEVIATE to any other Power than
herself the provinces bordering the Yang
Use river. In securing this latter conces-
sion sac checkmated France, but the
French obtained a Ike promise respect
ing the provinces bordering Tonquin.
Recently Germany and Great Britain
concluded a treaty, under which the
former agreed not 10 antagonize the
latter in South Africa. China, or else
where. In some Of their phases, how
ever the differences between Great
Britain and Russia and Great Britain
and France touching the far-East prob
lem may be regarded as still open.
Germany had a prosperous year COM
mercially, but made no progress indus
trially. The domestic situation. like that
Of Great Britain, was comparatively quiet.
Like Great Britain, also, she lost by death
her greatest statesman. Her more vital
! foreign complications are explained in our
references to the far East situation.
France had a year Of domestic excitement,
growing out of the Dreyfus affair, and
embracing such incidents as change of
Ministry, riOting in the streets Of Paris,
! and menace Of the man on horseback"
As to outside issues that disturbed her,
we har& back, as with Germany. to the
Chinese imbroglio, and the Niger and
Marchand episodes.
Early in the year Italy was confronted
| by formidable social!stic and anarchical
outbreaks, which she succeeded in sup
pressing without much loss of blood. Since
that she has enjoyed more than usual
calmness, but the new year opens with
| the development Of a strong sentiment in
favor Of withdrawal from the Dreibund.
Austria-IIungary continued to be fretted
by racial dissensions and religious dis
putes and no one can see the end. In
deed. it is held Icy many students Of the
situation in the dual monarchy that only
the personal popularity of Franz Josef,
who has just celebrated the hftieth ami
versaly of his accession. bars the way to
chaos in his possessions. The Hollanders
had phlegmatic year, about its only
noticeable incident having beep the en-
thronement of their young Queen.
The year gave to Greece formal peace
with Turkey, and freedom to Crete. Nor
way and Sweden did not stop their bick-
ering. and in Russia there was no i'm
proyement upon her usual wretched eco
nomic policy Our own record gives the
record of Spain. The Balkans caused less
alarm than for years. but just at present
political plotting is going on in Macedonia
that may start flame any day Such in
brief is the 1898 record of the foreign
happy family" into whose household the
new American craftsmanship is urging the
United States to break.
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| Governor ELECT Roosevelt. in his first
message to the New York Legislature.