Omaha daily bee., 1904-12-24
OTHER LANDS THAN ours.


tinued deficits in the imperial budgets and
the enormous cost OF modern armies on a
war basis must be taken into consideration
| as a material offset to the showing made
by statistics of men in arms or trained and
| available for service. Within fortnight
the German finance minister Informed the
| Reichstag that the government would be
forced not only to issue treasury notes to
or beyond the present limit permitted by
law, but to raise new loan of s73,250O0O to
pay war expenses in Africa and meet sc-
cumulated deficits. He also warned the
Parliament that at the present rate Of PEN
sion expenditures the invested funds for
this purpose would be exhausted in FIVE
years, and spoke of the prospect of meeting
this drain out of the treasury as "inan-
cial calamity" A military fnancier. Colo
mel Won Renauld. has estimated that 1t
| would cost Germany more than S. $50, ,000, 900
! TO mobilize the full strength of her armies
! for one year. taking the expense of the
| Franco-German war as a basis. This au-
| thority assumes that Germany could not
| begin to raise such a sum-not even half of
| it-and while these statements are advanced
| as part of a plea for the amendment or re-
| peal of the state bourse law they indicate
that the mobilization of finance" is an
| even more serious problem than the mobil-
ization Of men. Colonel Won Renauld takes
the ground that the bourse law would be
great danger to Germany in case of war.
as It would prevent the sale of foreign Sc
curities, except at a great loss, and so tie
up capital which would be required for the
defense of the empire
A motion recently introduced into the
Australian legislature, to permit the en-
trance of japanese into the country, is not
generally supposed to have been made with
serious intent, but merely as a move on the
political chess table. Australian authori-
ties In London say that the sentiment of
the country is as strong as ever against the
admission of the Japanese although the
latter as the allies of England have a
stronger case now than ever they had be-
fore The prejudice against Asiatics Of ev-
cry degree seems to be as bitter as ever.
An Australian official in London said the
other day: THE original act was meant to
save Australia from the Chinese, but the
close Interpretation Of its clauses may be-
come mischievous in the future. The labor
party is pushing the law to extremes, and
the production is reduced to that of white
men only. That cannot go on indefinitely,
as Australia is crying out for men. An un-
populated northern Australia is dangerous
to defense. Restricted admission of Japa-
nese might be allowed with advantage. The
government has relaxed the law to admit
Indians of recognized status; probably the
merchants, students and travellers of Japan
could have the same privilege. But of
course, immigration must have elaborate
restrictions for every color"
A Russian naval critic has been discuss
ing the possibility of Russia recovering the |
e1V,d 1A
which he sees very little probability Since |
he wrote his article the Port Arthur fleet |
has been knocked to pieces, but this fact |
does not affect his argument, as he never |
calculated on its being able to offer the |
Pacific squadron any substantial aid Nor |
does he believe that the Vladivostok saua-
dron will be able to offer material help to |
Admiral Rojestvensky. The latter he con-
cludes, must rely upon his resources which |
are not by any means equal to the task |
or defeating Admiral Togo. The value of |
the opposing battle fleets, including &-mored |
cruisers, he estimates numerically at 612 to
3S4 In favor of Japan his calculation being
based on a comparison between their fight
Ing qualities infrespect of speed armament
and defensive .iarmor. Even If Admiral
Togo should find 1t necessary to detach
four armored cruisers to intercept the Vlad-
ivostok squadron, which he considers i'm
PROBABLE, the value of his fleet might still,
ne calculates, be stated as 451. thus leav-
ing a considerable balance in his favor.
Inc superiority OF the Japanese in protected
cruisers and in torpedo craft of all kinds
he regards as too great for any compari-
son to be instituted
Before long the Anglo-Egyptian Sudan
VIII have railroad connecting the Nile
with the Red sea, and giving that vast in
land region the short cut to the ocean that
Is imperatively demanded by its growing
commercial interests. About thirty miles
OF track have been laid eastward from the
confluence of the Nile and Atbara rivers:
and at the port of Suakin a large force is
graphing with the chief difficulties to be
round on the route the cutting of the road
bed across the coast mountains The enter
prise is thus in full swing at both ends of
the line. Over twenty years ago it was
thought that this railroad would be pushed
through to the Nile as a military necessity
What was wanted was a rail route from the
Red sea to Berber, little north of the At
oaras mouth, so that troops and supplies
might quickly be carried within easy reach
OF Omdurman, where the Mahdist power
might be attacked in its greatest center. A
large amount of railroad material was
landed at Suakin and in a short time mill
tary trains were running a few miles in
land to Otao. But the task was too diff
hcult with Mahdist forces swarming on
every side. For months there had been
hard fighting in the region around Suakin.
The Anglo-Egyptian forces never got a firm
foothold in this region, through which the
caravan route between Suakin and Berber
passes till Kitchener went up the Nile and
captured the Mahdist capital The railroad
project was abandoned and never revived
until recently.
The appointment of Rear Admiral Four
nier as a member of the international COM
mission or inquiry into Admiral Rojestyen-
skys performance on the Dogger bank is
regarded as recognition by the French
government of the fact that the represen
tative OF France will occupy delicate DO
sitlon' requiring diplomatic as well as tech
meal skill. Rear Admiral Fournier's tact
was conspicuously shown in 1884 when
france mad to obtain from China the re-
nuhciaton of her pretensions over Tongking.
Commandant Fournier as he was then. was
pitted against Ii Hung Chang, and yet he
returned with treaty In his pocket which
completely satisfied his government Later
ne was placed In command of the ENraroh