Omaha daily bee., 1903-04-04
OTHER LANDS THAN OURS.

one of the London newspapers, the chiet
secretary Of ireland, MIR. Wyndham, and
the authorities In Dublin have an important
project in hand which may be Of vast ben
eft to Ireland in the immediate future.
This is nothing less than the utilization of
the peat, which is deposited in such enor-
nous quantities in different parts of the
island, as a fuel for household and steam
raising purposes. Experiments have been
in progress for some time, and a firm at
Dumfries is already manufacturing fuel
from peat. The Irish government intends
to set up or aid a mandatory on a con-
siderable scale, and Mr.. Wyndham Is ex-
hibiting much interest in the scheme. The
peat, when taken from the boys, will be
compressed and dried, so as to get rid Of
the water. 1t will then be pulverized and
mixed with a proportion Of coal dust and
crude oil, with a little clay to act as a
cement, and then compressed into bril-
%quettes, which will be burned like coal. An
experiment made on these lines on a very
small scale some years ago was completely
successful, and 1t is plain that il similar
results can be obtained with machinery a
new industry will be established which
must give profitable employment to an i'm
mense number of persons. The new fuel
is to De tried for naval purposes, and 1t is
expected to prove almost as good a substi-
tute for coal as the crude oil with which
the British admiralty has been experiment.
ing successfully for the last twelve months.
Strong influences are at work in Russia
to induce the government TO ~denounce the
agreement of 1888, by which the mouth Of
the Danube is controlled by a joint COM
mission consisting of representatives of
Russia, Great Britain, Austria Hungary,
Germany, France, Italy and Turkey. This
commission has the right to inspect any
works which may be executed on the arms
of the Danube in order to prevent any in
reference, direct or indirect, with the
navigation of the river. TIL commission
expires on May Z, 1904, and unless 1t be
denounced by one OF the parties to the
agreement, twelve months In advance, It
will be renewed for another three years.
The point made is that the Danube should
be in fact, as well as in name, the great
Slavonic stream" and that It is time for
Russia to assert her complete mastery Of
the whole of the Black Sea. Hungary may
have something to say about the river, but
the other nations should be barred out en-
tirely.
Berlin recently gave a banquet to the
governors OF Germany's colonial African
pos e~ssions, east and west. The governor
Of German West Africa, Colonel Lautwein,
said things were undoubtedly depressed In
ais domain; mining and cattle industries
were all that existed there, and both Ian
guished for want OF capital. They were
building a new railway, and that would
help the mining interests, and were wrest-
ling with the cattle disease, but without
prospects of its eradication. Then in
vestors might be willing to embark some
of their money in the country's enter
prises. He said he had made efforts to
induce German women to emigrate thither
and become wives of the settlers, and they
had been successful. Count Gotten, gov
ernor on the other side Of the continent,
looking out on the Indian ocean, said the
lack of labor was his heaviest handicap
and that some form OF compulsory service
might have to be applied before this state
of things could be remedied. In general II
appeared from the speeches Of the two Off
cials that conditions in Germany's colonial
possessions might be much more prosper
ous-an admission. under the circumstances
not without considerable significance.
zee
The rate OF mortality In the French army
has again been the subject Of anxious ant
minated debate in the French senate. A
long speech was delivered by Mr.. Clemen.
ceau, who dwelt on the fact that, whereas
the general death rate in Germany wal
about the same as that Of France, there
were twice as many deSths pc? annum II
the French army as in the German army
Such a useless sacrifice OF human lives, h
said, was a disgrace TO France, and I
was time that Parliament insisted on re-
form in the medical and sanitary service o
the army. He declared that instruction
from headquarters were not obeyed, ant
gave the results of his personal inquiries
regarding the circumstances of certain cpl
denies. He complained that young mel
were overworked in some regiments, an
that sufficient attention was not given T.
hygienic consideration, He especial,
blamed the attitude OF General Andr
toward his subordinates, in sending then
circulars recommending them to do this o
that. He ought to order them, and II the,
did not obey, punish them. General Andr
in reply said that it was necessary to leav
much latitude for initiative to the variou
commanders. II would be impossible t
prepare for war If they were tied down I
follow a particular set Of regulations. A
for the future, he mentioned a number o
reforms which he proposed to Introduce