Omaha daily bee., 1902-08-16
OTHER LANDS THAN OURS.

All to recent accounts of Italian dis
content have been reducible to financial
embarrassment and heavy taxation@ Periods
Of sound and mistaken financial odmln-
istration have alternated since the ere
alton Of the nation IN 1861. Twice. in
1875 and in 1897, the government had
worked its waS through a dFeary and pain
full series Of deficits, and the lessons
learned during those trying periods are
now. the safeguard against any future. ex-
~travagances. From 1861 to 1876 was the
arst period during which the sgricul-
turai and Industrial beginnings OF the new
nation was made. After 1875. however, q
time OF rash expenditure began, the gov
eminent having overestimated the national
resources and taxpaying power, until the
surplus finally disappeared In 1886. Be-
tween 1885 and 1895 the dencit was con-
slant. The expenses Of the Triple Al
lance, the colonial schemes especially
the disastrous Abyssinian war, and the
loose banking administration brought the
country to the verge OF bankruptcy. But
since 1897. by the utmost economy prac-
ticabie. there has been a steadily increas-
ing surplus Of revenue over expenditure,
which last year reached over sS.000.oo0
Tho italian watchwords now are. mo more
debts
Emperor williams forthcoming visit to
the Polish provinces Of his dominions, for
the purpose Of attending the military man
euvers there, will be characterized by
| features which will invest Il with the
] anaaaranoa ~ the antrv NJ n victnrinna
general into a conquered country. For he
has eurtly declined any oficial welcome
/ on the part Of the municipal authorities,
who will, therefore be conspicuous By their
| absence. His reception will be exclusively
military and he VIII ride at the head Of
his troops into the city Of Posen, which
Is the capital Of the province, and where
the police have received peremptory orders
not to allow any window to remain open or
any balcony to be occupied along the route
which he traverses. This. Is. Of course
a measure OF precaution, as the feeling
among the Polish nationalist OK hisn
| and low degree against him IL so bitter
| thst that there is naturally the danger
that some fanatic or crank might nre a
pistoI or a rife OF else hurl a bomb at
him from either opened window or bal
| copy as he passes by in the streets below
on horseback. still, at the same time,
the adoption OF such precautions does NOT
suggest much mutual confidence between
the sovereign and his lieges and smacks
az Russian terrorism. or Of Japan IN It's
unrepenerate days, when It meant death
Tor anyone to gaze ct at the mikado nom
above; that is to say, from either window
OF balcony.
The duty Of the British colonies In con-
tributing 10 the defense Of the empire mas
been recognized, theoretically, for q Ions
while, but it was not until lately mat tne
sentiment received some practical express
sion. Australia Will be q factor OK tne
greatest weight in the marine commefce
81 the world. It has an immense sea-
coast dotted with promising towns and pop
ulous and wealthy cities. II lies open
to attack at a thousand different points,
ana II is therefore right that It should
lead the way In an entirely new schems
Of imperial naval defense. Not long ago
Cane Colony expended nearly four million
dollars In presenting the royal navy with 4
cruiser OF the first class. Il was 9 timsiy
and a generous gift and the effect Of Il Is
still apparent. Australia. emuiatine the
people Of the Cape. is determined to bet
ter the example set before IL, and viii
once again lead the other colonies In con-
tributions to the English navy, az II lately
led them in contributions 70 the English
army.
Despite all onaciaI surveillance. the Rus
sian people are being deiuged With reye-
lutionsry literature in the form Of novels,
pamphlets or Journals printed abroad. Ike
the Oswobozhdenfa. Just so was pre-revolu-
tionary France inspired. only that
Bsaumarchais and the other bona espflts
addressed their audiences through the In
strumentality Of the drama, rather than
through the newspapers. Il has been said
that the division Of Russian society into
. ruling caste, on the one hand. and q
mass Of peasants dwelling In the rkness Of
ignorance. on the other hand. prseiudes tbs
possibility Of a popular uprising. The In
teIllsent classes In Russia to-day, however,
are propertlonstely as numerous as we're
the same Glasses in France IN 1880. while
the French pessantry Of that day was as
degraded in body and soul - 10 the Russian
p~easantry Of the present time. King Louis
XVI had q few excellent ministers. and 50
has the czar; but. while N. de witte is es-
tahlishlng Russian finances on q solid basis
and laborlns to build up Industries and
q system Of Internal communications.
General BobrlkoE Il stamping out the lib
critics Of Finland and a dsbased clergy 10
moving heaven and earth 10 prevent a
glimmer Of enliehtment from penetrating
the popular mind
When Bismarck retired. Il years aso.
Germany was no world power. Ehe was q
country, which. IL q military sense, was
considered pre-eminent In Europe. and
which. BY reason Of the tripartite agree
ment between a. Austria and Italy, Alled
q leading position. IN q political sense, On
the continent. But a world power II was
not. The very word had not then been coined.
Il vas before the series Of startling events
that has since transformed the whole
situation IN the far east, and has brought
China ana a. s..e the family - aa-
lions as potent factors Il was before the
epanish-Ameriean war. which IN two hemi-.
spheres. projected the United States into
the very midst OF the political arena
There have seldom been ten years IN the
~o~afia hfntorv uhfch hnva wrrouahf aueh