Omaha daily bee., 1903-03-07
OTHER LANDS THAN ours.

one need only compare the condition OF
the Bulgarians with that OF their brethren
in race who live Just beyond the southern
boundary Of the independent principality
to see how blightlng is the rule OF the !
Turks. The politicians who carry on the
government Of Bulgaria are not much to
boast of, but the Bulgarian peasants land
that class makes up practically the whole
population) are 200 years ahead Of their
~neighbors TO the south in all the amenities
Of life. Their houses are none Of the
cleanest and their roads are fathomless
mires, but they are not slaves to the soil,
like the Russians; they are lightly taxed,
have fair educational facilities for their
children, enjoy practically democratic FREQ
dom in politics and constitute an absolute
democracy, socially speaking. While not
rolling in wealth, they know nothing Of
poverty and want, and the establishment
early in the Independent history OF the
principally Of an excellent system OF ag-
ricultural loan banks has preserved them
from the village usurer, who is the curse
Of the Russian moujlk and the Indian ryot.
zee
ofBcial statistics, founded upon the CEN
sus of 1900, reveal som interesting and
significant facts concerning the increase OF
the Polish element in Prussia. Not long
ago Count Won Buelow said that the Polish
problem was the most important question
in Prussian home politics. On December
l, 1900, 1906, 749 persons Of Polish or kim
bred stock were enumerated, as against
2,922,475 on December I, 1890. The Polish
population, therefore, increased by 1913, LIZA
in ten years. The number OF persons who
spoke Polish as their mother tongue was
3,063, 400. as against 2,765, 101 in 1900. The
proportion Of Poles to the total popula.
| fion Iocraoua1 frarn q % nanf In 1Q00
to $50 per cent in 1900. On the other hand,
the number Of persons who spoke the Ger
man and Polish increased from 103, 112 in
the former census to 164,221 in the latter.
Only the agricultural provinces OF east
and west Prussia show a decrease OF the
Polish in proportion to the total popula-
tion, while in Silesia, one of the seats Of
the mining industry, the proportion has
risen from 24.05 to 25.22 and in the indus
trial province of Westphalia from 1 per
cent to 3.16 per cent. The old division OF
the Poles into three classes of mobiles,
priests and country tolk is gradually dis
appearing, and the Polish influence has
been greatly strengthened by the rise Of a
hourishing commercial class in the towns.
The agricultural laborer of Polish ma
tionality has in many cases become a
miner or an industrial workman. AS a
Pole is generally a Roman Catholic, there
has been in some places an accession to
the clerical center, but this is counterbal-
anced by the rise of a national Polish party
Of radical tendencies in upper Silesia.
Although great care was taken not to Of
Ifend native susceptibilities on the occasion
of the recent great Delhi coronation Dur
bar, it appears that at least one bad blum
der was made by the officials in charge OF
" a 49,
been much excited by the fact that a party
Of the Viceregal guests took luncheon in
the Jumma Musjid-one Of the hottest Of
Mohammedan holy places. One correspond
ent speaks Of the affair ss a picnic" but
other accounts say that visitors were &C
commodated with seats on the mosque in
order to view the state entry into the town.
and that the luncheon which gave ofense
took place on this occasion, vixen Mohan-
, medans were specially outraged by the
consumption of ham sandwiches upon the
premises. It is said that the feeling was
SO strong that the visitors were the OBJ
jects of & hostile demonstration as they
left, and that stones were thrown. A
military correspondent declares that the
Mohammedans gave out that they would
not allow Europeans to use the mosque IN
order to see the fireworks; and that in
consequence of this troops were sent down
to keep the streets, and twenty rounds Of
ball cartridge were served out to each
man. II there be any truth in this story
l 1t is plain that the Mohammedan emotions
> must have been stirred very deeply. One
London journal asks what would have been
3 thought If any of the guests at King nd
D wards coronation had begulled the tedium
4 of the long wait in Westminster abbey with
liquor and tobacco?
Certain French papers have lately been
r devoting much space in the effort to prove
> that Gibraltar is no longer the key to the
Mediterranean and that modern steam
l driven ships have destroyed its usefulness
to England as a fortress. On this account
I they are warning Europe to watch closely
I, the designs of peride Albion on the OPP
. posite Moroccan coast. In reply to this
English papers are pointing out that Gibral-
tar has never been the key to the Mediter-
ranean save in the sense OF a point
= d'appui for the British navy and p~articu-
larly the Mediterranean feet. While 1t is
= true that modern guns might carry across
the strait the chances of hitting a warshiD
= in motion are all but nothing. 1t is no
longer regarded as anything more than a
. supply station for the navy, but as such
1t is as important as ever. England could
: not hope to commas the strait. even II It
D | naQ IOrlTeSSeb on the OIuST Slueg WltuOul
l. the help of it's navy. There are thirteen
g miles of water at the narrowest point aad
S no land guns could prevent a feet from
g passing through.
a An association has been formed by some
n of the most prominent men in England to
: force Parliament to authorize the forma-
l. tion of a royal commission which shall in
vestigate the question Of feeding England
n in time of war. In a recent manifesto II
d is pointed out that more than half OF the
e Al, 900, 900 who make the population OF the
country have an income which averages
v less than 80 shillings a week. Seven mil
& lion do not average 20 shillings. In case
Of war, even the fear of shortage would
t Immediately bring food to famine prices
h and It would be but a short time before
the conditions became Intolerable. The
idea of this new association is the ulti-
mate establishment OF great granarieG
which would hold a reserve supply of food
n A curious feature of the break up OF the
prOtracted and devastating drought in Aus