Omaha daily bee., 1899-07-15

AS for conscription the average Briton
would not like to be forced into anything
far more inviting than the work OF the reg
ular army. However, that is what England
must come to IL the strength OF the British
army is to be increased materially. AL
ready 1t is impossible to get enough recruits
without taking the dregs of the population.
Even so, the ranks can hardly be kept filled.
The navy takes about 100 900 men and the
present strength Of the army calls for more
than 200,0 That makes total almost as
great, in proportion to the population of the
United Kingdom, as the size of the famous
German army, which is supplied by the con
scription system vigorously enforced. II is
remarkable that so many men can be drawn
away from peaceful pursuits in country
enjoying as fair a degree of prosperity as
the British isles have for several years
1t is plain that in Persia. as in China,
there must be some day a sharp conflict of
commercial interests between Russia and
England, but this alone would not constitute
casus bell. The trouble is that Russia
on the Persian gulf would be constant
menace to English communication with In
dia. This difficulty could not be avoided,
even by the delimination of spheres of in
huence,' that favorite eXpedient of modern
diplomacy. Such a scheme would only raise
the whole frontier question in an acuter
form than ever A much more simple solu-
tion of the problem would be a mutual
guarantee of the independence of Persia and
her conversion into buffer state, with an
international agreement as to railroads. Then
the commercial battle could be fought out
peacefully with profit to both sides.
There are now 10000 British troops in
South Africa. or one soldier for every
Transvaal Boer, man or boy, capable of
carrying a gun. The cleavage OF public
opinion in Great Britain, as well as in Cape
Colony however, is too sharply defined to
encourage that government in resorting to
forcible settlement Of it's differences with
President Kruger and the Volksraad. The
tory press Sir Alfred Miner, governor gen
eral of Cape Colony, and high commissioner
for South Africa, as we'll as Sir Gordon
Sprgg, recently premier of the colonial min
istry, regard the proposed concessions of the
Transvaal Beers in the matter of enfran-
chising the Outlanders as wholly made
quate. The liberal journals in Great Britain
and the present Cape ministry, on the other
hand, incline the other way. AS stated by
the Westminster Gazette the scheme Of Sir
Alfred Miner would give the franchise to
all Outlanders who had resided in the
Transvaal prior 10 1897 in five years from
that date, and in accordance with President
kruger's latest proposal the same result
would be accomplished by 1904, or two
years later.
Grand Duke George of Russia is dead. He
was the brother of the czar and the heir
a n ron nf hn
he had been a consumptive and it was known
that he could not live. Another brother of
the czar, Grand Duke Michael, now becomes
the her-apparent, according to the Russian
rule. The car is an absolute monarch, hold
ing within himself the executive, legislative
and judiciaf power of the empire, but the
sovereigns in the past have made certain
regulations whbeh their successors have con-
sented to regard as binding. This consent
may, however, in theory be revoked at any
time. The law or rule of succession to the
throne was promulgated by the Emperor
Paul in 1897 1t is that of regular descent by
the right of primogeniture, with preference
of the male over the female line. 1t is in
accordance with this rule that the present
cars brothers, instead of his daughters, are
in line for the throne Yet, if Nicholas chose
he could re-estabish the old rule of choosing
his successor from the reigning house and
name his eldest daughter. 1t is not at all
likely that he win exercise this privilege
He is not the kind of man to take the
reins in his own hand and overturn precedent
in that way. 1t is still possible that the
throne may descend in direct line from him.
as he is young and his wife is young and
in good health.
NJ. Delombre, minister of commerce in the
Dupuy cabinet has just published the re-
suits Of his official inquiry into the finances
of the coming exposition of 1900. The re-
suit is considered very satisfactory by the
promoters of the enterprise. The 100, 900, 900
francs voted for the exposition will be ex-
ceeded by about 100000 francs. but there
will be no necessity to appeal for further
grant, as this sum will be more than COW
cred by additional receipts. One of the chief
causes of the increased outlay Is the great
demand for space on the part Of the different
foreign powers, which has exceeded all ex-
pectations. On the other hand. the amount
being brought in by concessions to promoters
OF entertainments Is already vastly in eX-
cess of what had been estimated. The eleven
concessions made up to December 1898, had
produced $500, 900 francs, a sum almost equal
TO the entire amount yielded by the conces-
sions accorded for the 1889 exposition. Re-
viewing the progress made with the exposi-
tion works, the report states that only the
electrical palace and the water palace are at
all behind hand Still there Is reason TO be-
lieve that both these structures will be com
pleted in time. M. Delombre is convinced
that nothing but unforeseen accidents can
prevent the opening OF the exposition at
the date originally fixed. He also expresses
the opinion that the success OF the exposi-
tion is assured-everythng pointing, indeed.
to quite unprecedented triumph.
Drunkenness Is said to be on the increase
in Scotland. Last year there were 5000
more committals by the courts than the
average for the five previous years. In Ire
land the number Of licensed liquor shops has
greatly increased, but royal commission
which investigated the question was unable
to determine whether or not drunkenness
had increased. In England there has been
a large increase In the consumption of beer,
but as to drunkenness there are no facts on
which to base a conclusion. There has been
no improvement, apparently, and that is
leaving the case in bad light Legislation