Omaha daily bee., 1902-04-12
OTHER LANDS THAN OURS.

n M AhhN ONHss
In Mongolia, as we'll as in southern
China, the extraordinary taxes imposed by
the Chinese government for the purpose OF
obtaining money to meet the terms Of the
war indemnity exacted by the powers which
united in the expedition for the relief OF
the foreign legations in Pekin are driving
the people Of large districts into revolt.
They prefer the desperate chances of re-
bellion to the exactions Of the imperial
authorities, increased, as they doubtless
are, by the corrupt local officials through
whom the taxes are collected. 1t is not
strange that such outbreaks should take
place. The Chinese are always poor and
never able to pay their taxes easily as a
nation. Extraordinary government burdens
mean simple confscation OF scanty belong
ings in many instances. AS a rule the ad-
dition OF war taxes calls for painful pinch
ing Of food, clothing and other necessaries
Of life by the masses. The hard expert
ences the Chinese are now passing through
will not be forgotten, nor will they be
thought Of without bitterness toward the
foreign powers which forced such burdens
upon a people already heavy laden. Anti
foreign feeling will be greatly increased
and prolonged by the collection Of exor-
bitant war indemnities.
Within the last two or three weeks a
number of Russian and Polish students,
most Of whom attended the lectures in the
technical college at Charlottenberg, have
been expelled from Prussia on the charge
OF political agitation. There are some dis
crepancies in the accounts Of the affair,
the local German papers asserting that
only those students were expelled who had
been caught in the act of atteSeng secret
meetings, while the Polish papers maintain
that all -Prussian Polish students,
whether actively engaged in political egi.
tation or not. have been sent summarily
across the frontier. The temper Of the
Berlin press is indicated by the Neueste
Nachrichten, which, quoting the Polish ver-
sion Of the affair, remarks: I'VE do not
know whether this statement is correct in
all it's details, but we have no reason to
doubt its general accuracy, since It is
within our knowledge that Count Won Bue-
low on his own initiative issued instruc-
lions for the expulsion OF all foreign Pol
ish agitators. In all truly patriotic cir
Giles this measure will be welcomed with
unmixed satisfaction. II foreign Poles feel
constrained to devote themselves to Pan
Polish agitation they are at liberty to do
so in Galicia or under the tender supervi-
sion Of the Russian police officials. " : The
Polish question evidently is becoming more
acute.
Although a conference held in Madrid last
summer by delegates of the South Amer
lean republics, promoted for the express
purpose of extending the Spanish market
and influence in South America, ended in
fasco, 1t appears that the Spanish govern
ment has been more successful in dealing
with the delegates who attended last win
ter's Pan-American congress in the City
OF Mexico. Just before the Easter recess
Of the Cortes the duke OF Almodovar, min
lister OF foreign affairs, announced that the
government had, through It's representative
In Mexico, concluded treaties between Spain
and Argentine, Bolivia, Colombia. Guate-
mala, Mexico. Paraguay, Salvador, San Do
mlngo and Uruguay. BY these conventions
1t is agreed that all differences which may
arise between Spain and these countries
should be submitted to arbitration, and that
the arbitrator should be either the chief OF
a Spanish American state or a tribunal
composed of SpaniaTds or Spanish-Amer-
leans, 'in order to give greater emphasis
(dar mayor ~relieve) to the solidarity of in
terests which exists between all branches
Of the Spanish race" Only in cases Of fall
ure to agree upon such an arbitrator are
questions to be submitted to the tribunal Of
The Hague. The minister added that SINH
lar conventions will shortly be signed by
the republics OF Peru, Honduras, Costa
Rica and Venezuela, in their respective
capitals.
On the heels of the published program OF
- - .NaNN a. GA
Petersburg is the announcement made in
La Voix Rationale of Paris that negotia-
tions are pending between Berlin and Paris
on the subject OF a possible visit Of the
president of the French republic to Ger
many. The German emperor would. 1t APP
pears, be gratihed II a break In the return
Journey from Russia were made, so that he
could meet the president Of the republic
at a German port. It Is recalled by La Voix
how the emperor received the French at
KEEL, how that was followed by his gra-
ciousness toward the officers and crews OF
the Iphigenle at Bergen and the Ibis at
Geestemunde, how also his majesty re-
ceived General Bonnal at Berlin. The mo-
ment would, therefore, be opportune in the
interests Of good feeling between the two
nations to bring about a meeting between
their respective chiefs. La Volx, however,
which 10 q uoliOndilbN Oiboht W "NNH
an unfavorable eye at the news given In
its own columns. It warns public opinion
in France that the aim Of the Germsno-
phIles is to force on q period of appease-
ment on the Bismarckian theory Of ac-
complished facts.
Nearly every recent by-eleetion for the
German Reichstag has resulted In a victory
for a social democratic candidate, and most
OF these have been of very high character
and influence. not only as German social
lists, but as authors, lecturers and students
Of sociology and political economy. fire.
quently Of European repute. The recent
election Of Eduard Bernstein as a socialist
member for Breslau has, for these reasons,
attracted wide attention. His majority
! over his radical opponent was over 5000.