Omaha daily bee., 1903-03-14
OTHER LANDS THAN ours.

-
The bitterness with which the racial war
fare is waged in Bohemia is illustrated b.
an incident related by a Vienna CORE
spondent Of the London Times. II appears
that some months ago a Czech credit banl
was wrecked by NATURALIZATION, FOL
which a prominent Czech p%relate wal
largely responsible. The affair reflected
certain amount Of discredit upon the Who'll,
Czech clerical party. end seems to hav,
intensified its jealousy and luminosity
against a large savings bank in Prague
which was exceedingly prosperous and en-.
tirely under German control. Recently ru.
mors began to prevail that this bank had
lost heavily through a financial crisis in
Leipsic and was not in a position TO meet
Its engagements. The rumors appear Ia
have originated, says the correspondent, IN
Czech clerical circles, and to have been
propagated by anonymous letters and dis
patches among the Czech agricultural popu-
lation, whose savings were deposited with
the bank. In consequence, a formidable
run began. Fortunately, the institution
possessed a sufficient reserve Of cash to
meet all demands, and other large financial
bodies went to its aid. Nevertheless. more
than 81, 000. 900 was paid out to 5000 fright
ened depositors. The Narodni Listy, the
chief young Czech organ, expresses the
hope that the prestige Of the German bank
has received a mortal blow. but has not a
word to say in condemnation Of the un-
principled attack upon it.
zee
The new 1S,00o-tou battleships which
have been authorized by the British ad-
miralty will carry four twelve-inch guns
mounted in heavily protected %turrets, fore
and aft and afghf O o-fpph U,vpo ,,nV,t,1
in smaller turrets placed at the four cor
ners of the citadel, after the fashion Of our
earliest class of battleships. Between these
guns On the open superstructure will be
mounted eight twelve-pounderS, four on a
side. Two more will be mounted by each
coming tower and eight at the bow and
stern of the deck below. On the same
deck will be the ten six-inch guns, the
forward and aft ones placed to give end-on
fire. The armor belt will be complete at
the water line and vary from nine to three
and a half inches. Above a complete belt
Of seven inches thickness will run to the
base Of the after barbette. Above that will
be a further belt OF seven-inch plate amid
ships, protecting the six-Inch guns and
connecting the secondary turrets. There
will DO no inclined armored deck, a fat
deck above and below the armor being
substituted for 1t, The assigned speed is
a minimum of eighteen knots and as much
over as can be maLsged.
Municipal reform is the topic of tie hour
in st. Petersburg. NJ. Zlnovieff, the assist
ant minister of the interior, has Just pub
lished a report in which, among other
things, he says that the hospitals, the water
works, and sanitary matters have been mis-
managed most shamefully. There is moth
ing new in the statement, and nobody
doubts the truth of 1t, but there are many
different opinions as to the best way OF
effecting a remedy. The bureaucrats ascribe
the whole mischief to the system of gov
eminent by elected representatives, and
maintain that the city administration ought
to be entrusted to a bureau of the Interior
department. Unofficial opinion, as voiced
by the Novoye Vremya, holds that the
source Of the trouble is to be sought in tho
restricted franchise which practically puts
all the authority in the hands Of a small
and self-interested class. Others blame the
injudicious interference Of the project. NJ.
Zinovieff in his report expresses the pro-
found conviction that the mismanagement
is not the outcome of the administrative
system, but Of the disregard of the prin-
ciples upon which 1t is founded. By evad-
ing these, he says, a clique of house owners
have succeeded in arrogating to themselves
all the powers Of a deliberative, executive
and supervising body. H. agrees that the
project has made many blunders, and says
that he ought not to have anything to do
with the local administration having plenty
Of other things to attend to.
At the annual meeting OF the Greek
Archaeological society NJ. Kavvadias gave
an interesting summary Of its work during
the last twelve months. Outside Greece
it has made substantial progress with the
excavation OF the famous temple OF Hera,
at Samos, which Herodotus declared to be
the Largest of all the temples which he
had SEEN" and which is nearly double the
size Of the Parthenon. Within the Greek
kingdom the restoration of the Lion OF
Cherronea and the reconstruction of the
celebrated temple at Bassae have been be-
gun. Colonel Leake %prophesied nearly a
ago hat Greece. IL free, could
easily restore the latter building out Of the
fragments lying around II. The strength
ening Of the Parthenon, the restoration OF
the Ererhtheions the repairs to the wall OF
the Stoa OF Attalos, and the building of
at Chalkis, Nauplia, Sautorin and
Mykonos complete the work of a very
year. In a few years time the ex-
OF the ancient market place will
be begun, as the compensation due to the
Of property on it's site is found to
be smaller than was expected.
go
The reported decision Of the British gov
eminent to establish a new naval squadron,
with headquarters on the northeast coast,
Independent of the regular Channel squad
ron, is the direct result, probably, of an
conference held the other day in
which was attended by many ma val
xperts, high naval officers and prominent
members OF Parliament. Several of the
speakers alluded openly to the increase
of the German feet. and the necessity of
present preparation to meet a pos
sible future emergency. The proceedings
opened with the reading of a letter from
George Meredith, who wrote: Germany,
Dnce foremost among the nations for intel
achievements, now spouts pan-Ger-
over Europe. and seeks TO command
the North Sea. For our part we have only
10 take the warning they give us. and be
stationed and alert. That is the
way to preserve the peace" Mr.. Spencer
Wilkinson, the we'll known writer on naval
subjects, said that Germany's announce
nent of her intention to create a strong
Eavy had awakened them to a sense OF