Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1900-03-29
MEN WAR IN SIGHT.
co11ision Seems I'm ninent
France and England.

rof1s@;ou Seems LIN mIHche
France and England.
rha military situation in South Alrlea
o-v occnpies a secondary place III ine
a++antion of the British Government, anu
. london correspondent asserts tnat .ne
entire resources Of the empire are peln7
utilized in preparations to meet sia4sA
danger nearer home.
No other Interpretation is posslple u
tho extraordinary measures Tor delense
undertaken by, the Government, which A.
creased instead of diminishing aIter tne
tide Of war had turned In the bri.isn
favor Preparations for naval moDlllza-
ton. the Queens personal call LOT 'oiun-
toors tbe Governments appeal TO tne
colonios TO prepare to put every aValiaDie
49,, n the field. the Queens abandon
.,,o,,+ of her nroposed continental trip,
ber sudden decision to visit Ireland, the
,rnmatrre issue of the budget, and the
floating of the popular war loan came IN
mick succession. Apprehenslons DecaMee
more definite when it was learned tnat
France had tried unsuccessfuily TO IN
duce the Sultan to reopen the EGYPTIAN
question.
while the fact that there is at present
M subject of diplomatic controversy De-
tween France. or Russia, and Great brlt
ain apparently tends to minimize tue
chances Of a clash, there seems TO De no
reason to doubt that these countries nave
been constrained to recognize the dangers
latent in the present attitude OF ing
French public. Not even when the fa'
sboda incident vas under discussion have
the French people manifested such nos
tility toward England as they show at the
present time. The action of the French
Government in Strengthening its defenses
st various colonial stations seems to lndf
cate that, while it officially maintains III
pacific relations, it recognizes that tne
stress of public sentiment might become
too strong to admit Of further continued
restraint in case some slight point OF
difference should arise.
1t is impossible just now to discover
any pretext which should give occasion
for hostile maneuyers on either side, but
Great Britain now, as at the time OF the
Fashoda affair, is evidently holding ltselI
in readiness for any emergency. The mo-
bilization of the fleets and the call upon
the colonies for more troops in case
of dangers threatening from other quar-
tiers" are significant; and it must not be
left out of account that Russia at
critical time still keeps a force lowering
along the border of Afghanistan. Fer
haps the most reassuring feature of the
situation is the fact apparently that Rus
STA is not yet ready to act. Great Brit
ain seems to be we'll on the way to VIC
tory in South Africa, and with every
British success the inducements for for
eign Intervention are lessened. 1t is not
to be believed that the French Govern
ment would willingly act on the agrees
sive without an assurance of the support
of it's nominal ally.
Russia, apparently, is the key to the
situation, which, if not menacing, is at
least sufficiently grave to have caused
anxiety among even the more sober mind
ed and more thoughtful Frenchmen.
Without Russia, France would be play
ing dangerous game to aggravate any
further the present strained situation.
Whether or not, in case France did over
step the bounds and Great Britain's at
tention were to be divided between two
wars, Russia could refrain from making
,1so Of IFS oDnortunities is a question.