Omaha daily bee., 1899-05-20
OTHER LANDS THAN ours.


1897, comes forward as critic, and gives a
forecast OF what is essential to restore the
credit Of Spain. The most weighty circum-
stance is the extraordinary increase in the
interest charge on the debt. Before the
war nominal capital of 6,6SS, 900 600 pc
setas paid interest to the amount of 3l1,-
100000 pesetas The debts contracted during
the war and the assumed debts Of the col
onies were 5000 100000 pesetas but draw
an annual interest OF 1874, 600 pesetas.
Nearly three-fourths of the entire annual
income of Spain Is swallowed up by this
interest, leaving nothing for reducing the
capital of the debt, and an insufficient sum
to meet the running expenses of costly
and not overhonest administration. The
remedy suggested by Senior Reverter is char
acterlstic The bondholder must be mulcted.
| AS the debt cannot be paid, II must be
scaled, and as the rate of interest Is usu-
rious, it must be reduced. The taxpayer
must be squeezed and his charges increased.
The latest reports from st. Petersburg
and other points in Russia indicate that
! the police authorities seem to be more bent
| upon inflaming than allaying the spirit of
rebellion which has broken out among the
student classes. They are proceeding, ap-
parently, wholly upon the presumption that
! the entire movement is political and trea-
sonable. There is now no more room for
students in the st. Petersburg prisons. Those
already incarcerated are examined one by
one by gendarmes Only the procureur of
the palace of justice may be present, and
the accused are not allowed to have any
advocate or any other means OF defense
Everything is done on the basis OF secret
dossiers, as in the Dreyfus case. Each stu
dent, during and after examination, is Kept
in solitary confinement, so that he shall not
be able to communicate any Of his eXpe-
riences to his companions The other night
the police made raid upon the High School
of Forestry. About 300 students were asleep
at the time in series of rooms on either
side of a long corridor, the doors, half pa
neled with glass being all closed for the
night. Without warning the authorities OF
the establishment, about fifty policemen OBJ
tained an entrance, made rush down the
passage forcing open the doors and smash
ing the glass. This precipitate action was
taken in order to prevent the inmates from
destroying any compromising papers. The
great majority of the arrested students are
sent back to their homes and, of course,
carry with them the spirit of discomfort
wherever they go. Thus the seeds of future
revolution are being sowed broadcast all
over the country.
Advices from Canea, island of Crete, are
that affairs under the administration OF
Prince George of Greece as high commits
sioner, are fast assuming an encouraging
aspect. After much debate on the subject
the assembly has rescinded Its previous de-
cision that the Gambia massacres were not
to be considered political crime. 1t Will
now regard them as such, but with reserva-
tions. The Mussulmans who took part in
them will be amnestied with the exception
of hos pnndanne1 nv the International
tribunal. The assembly has also passed a
resolution empowering the Cretan govern
ment to contract loan of 100000 drach-
mas (about S1,200,00O), provided that, with
the assistance of the powers, the interest
does not exceed per cent. Five millions
will be devoted to making loans to the suf-
ferers of the events of 1867 and the re-
mander will be employed to repay the
powers the 100000 advanced by them.
News comes from Rome that the Italian
government has consented to place at the
disposal OF Prince George six officers and
eighty-six non-commissoned officers of the
Carabiners, who will undertake the reor-
ganization of the Cretan eendarmerie. All
will receive full pay in addition to the emol-
ument paid by the Cretan government. 1t
is said that the generosity of the Italian |
government is deeply appreciated in Canea |
The Italian Carabiniers is picked corps |
which does police duty in the rural districts |
of Italy and in Sicily.
The regular British army amounts to |
about $50, 900 men, exclusive of $4,000 in the |
regular establishment in India. What with |
the Home guards, the yecmanry and the |
volunteers, the total British army figures up |
on paper to about 25O, 900 men-nominally |
very imposing force. In the budget for 1899 |
nnn
men in the regular army; but it is impos-
sibe under existing conditions to find re-
cruits for this small additional force. In
o-der to overcome the reluctance OF the
British citizen to serve in the army several
reforms have been suggested and partially
adopted, among the rest an increase of pay
and a reduction of the term of regular
service from seven to three years. BY
these and other means it is hoped to bring
the standing army up to the full complement
of about 900, including the regular forces
in India.
The progress made in the building of the
Siberian railway has been rapid during the
past three years and there is some promise
that the line across Asia will be completed
in few years to the Pacific ocean. 1t would
seem however, that the construction of the
road has been on the penny wise and pound
foolish plan for on the parts already in
operation the fifty pound rails originally
laid have already been found inadequate to
the traffic and sixty-five pound rails have
been substituted for them The receipts per
mile on the 2,300 miles of completed line
have been about at the rate Of $500 per an
nun. AS originally projected the road was
to be 4,740 miles long, but the main line
according to present intentions, will cover
3 1858 miles, with about 700 miles of
branches. The branches have been partially
built and the main line is operated on the
Western and Central Siberian divisions for
2 2,315 miles.
Should hostilities now break out between
the Pretoria government and the British
In the Cape Colony and in Natal
the Beers will learn that they have lost
what they possessed three years ago, to-
wit, the good will of Germany. The present
views of the German press and people are
reflected in the Cologne Gazette, which re-
Gently pointed out that lin Germany,
where the action of DR.. Jameson was justly
condemned. it was expected that the grlev-
ances of the Uitlanders would be dealt with
in conciliatory manner. Instead CT this
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