Omaha daily bee., 1902-06-07
OTHER LANDS THAN OURS.


Spain, says a correspondent, is seen at
its best and at its worst in solemn visaged
Toledo. At its best, for not only old Cas-
tile, but all the SPANS, may be sampled
in this museum Of the antique and the
picturesque. At it's worst, for conservatism
here has become retrogressiYe, and recov-
cry and progress seem hopeless. In in
d%ustrial, workaday Barcelona; In gay, i'm
aginative Seville, and even in gossipping,
pleasure loving Madrid, the optimist may
balance causes and effects and forecast
hopefully a trend Of future progress; but
not in this ruined stronghold Of Spanish
power. There are no signs OF termination
in this city of lost causes and spent forces.
The famous Toledo blades will never. be
forged anew. Swarms of chattering beg
gars in rags make up the remnant of a city
Of imperial might and grandeur. Herds of
goats are pasturing among the rocks and
thickets of prickly pear. Somnolent
donkeys with water jars SILVER as they
pass one another on the sharp cobblestones
of the narrow lanes, so unaccustomed are
they to e counter movement in trafic. The
famous town is in the last stages of de-
cadence, with a thriftless, unemployed pop
ulation dependent upon the charities OF
Corpus Christi and clamoring for doles
from tourists. Reform cannot come like
another conquering Cid to bring redemp-
ton to worn and embattled Toledo. In
the home of Cervantes national regenera-
ton seems as ironical as the comic ad-
ventures of Don Quixote.
The new naval program of the japanese
government provides for the building of
twenty-five new war ships. Five Of these
are to be frst-class battleships, two first
class cruisers, eight second-class cruisers
and ten destroyers. These represent a total
tonnage Of 10000 tons and will give the
japanese navy a total tonnage Of 1913, 1O2
tons, including the ships now in commits
sion and undergoing construction. The
Japanese government is evidently endeavor-
ing to raise the standard of its navy so
as to counterbalance the combined fleets of
Russia and France in Oriental waters. In
doing so it is unquestionably embarking
upon a ~perilous financial career which may
plunge the country into serious difficulties.
The credit Of Japan is by no means good.
Increasing the navy on such broad lines
will strain 1t possibly to the breaking
point. The program Of the Japanese aims
at securing naval supremacy in Oriental
waters. To carry this out successfully they
must continue to multiply the number OF
their ships to at least equal the combined
fleets Of rival western powers. Russia's
eneroachments are what Japan fears, and
the treaty of offense and defense entered
into between Russia and France makes 1t
necessary for her to keep abreast of these
two.
It appears that the only reason why
Russia did not go to the assistance OF
France in the Fashoda affair was that she
perceived, by a remarkable exercise Of po-
litical intuition, that she could do France
more good and England much more harm
by remaining quiescent. NJ. White has Just
explained all this to a correspondent OF the
Echo de Paris. The Fashoda affair, he
says. was for France only an affair of
amour propre. There was nothing to be
made out OF it by fighting. So Russia ad-
vised France to yield. This left England
at liberty to fight the Beers, which she
never would have done II she had been en-
gagged in a conflict with France. In South
Africa she has lost money, men and pres
tige. has been weakened in every way and,
moreover. has incurred the i'll will Of all
the civilized powers by her policy. All Of
which is distinctly to the advantage OF
France, who has been growing In strength
and prosperity, while her great rival has
been exhausting herself. This would not
| nave pGGh lhO Ndo0 II haa 81
improvident as to back up her French ally
in Fashoda, and France. therefore, ought
to be very grateful instead Of intimsting,
as some Frenchmen have, that she was left
in the lurch.
Very little trustworthy news Of Portugal
comes direct to the news eenters Of Europe
from Lisbon. Advices, however, that ar
rive in Madrid from the west are sent over
Europe without any Interference on the
part OF the Spanish censor. A cable dis
patch from this source recently contained
the information that great excitement had
been caused by the passage OF a bill calcu-
lated to convert the foreign debt, and that
in consequence 200 naval officers who petit
toned King Carlos against the convention
had refused TO withdraw the protest. IL
now seems that the movement against the
government measure lie general, particularly
in the university centres. At Coimbra the
university has been closed and the stu
dents have been expelled from the "
The pupils at the Polytechnic school In
Lisbon have been parading the town shout
ing Down with the traitors!' Long live
our country Down with the convenr
tions with the foreign bondholders!"
zee
I'm TO a certain point in all the coronation
ceremonies It appears that 1t Is to be their
maiestles," but when II comes 20 pass that
this royal pair shall be seated on the pair
Of thrones in Westminster Abbey, that Of