Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1904-02-27
Berlin Begins to Think Tha'
the Real Big Ooings Are
in Sight.
M is WITH RUSSIA
More Anxious to Be Friendly Than 70
Accomplish Any Other End Just
Now-The Yellow Peril Very
Real at Berlin.

color to the situation.
Not that any one thinks that Ger
many is going to give up her neutral
policy in the difficulties between Rus
STA and Japan, but there are all over
Europe ominous rumblings Xix those
which precede an earthquake.
The Balkan peninsula IS in a state OF
more than usual unrest, the Poles In
Russian Poland are once more raising
their heads at the welcome news OF
the recent defeats of their hated OPP
pressors, and our own German Poles
are no doubt in full sympathy with
them.
The eastern parts OF Emperor Fran
els Joseph's heterogeneous empire are
defiantly forcing new demands
through.
France is restless: the hot Gallo
blood is boiling with excitement at the
sight Of the position of their cherished
ally, the Car. and eager to be allowed
TO fight, ever forgetting the recent JOY
oyer the entente cordiale' with the Old
arch-enemy OF France, Great Britain.
All Europe is like a volcano, the cold,
impasSive exterior hardly longer able
to conceal and hold back the mighty
forces within.
World War Ahead2
Are we on the verge OF the long
dreaded world war?
strange to say, the feeling here has
changed. Germany of today is strongly
pro-Russian, not because low
their Russian neighbors more, but be-
cause those strange little yellow men,
the Japs, are and always have been, re-
pulsiVe to Germans.
FORGOTTEN are the harsh words OF
Bebel in the reichstag, that Germany
had been allowed to become Russia's
bootblack,' and the spectre Of the yell
low danger looms up once more.
Japan, victorious and allied with Chi
ma, might become a dangerous factor,
in the light Of her phenomenal progress
during The last forty years.
What might she not do forty years
hence?
The action of the government in clos
ing the military canal at kiel to the
cars Baltic squadron a week ago Is
acknowledged to have been perfectly
correct.
The North sea canal is not an in
ternational thoroughfare, but a purely
German waterway, and neutral GER
many could not open 1t to the cars
ironcIads and still claim neutrality;
bIt should she have done so the OBJ
jections here would have been Few ana
Teak.
Value of Secrecy.
Immediately after the first naval VIC
tory of Japan at Port Arthur a prom
jnent naval expert wrote in q daily
paper: "The naval engagements in the
far east have taught the world the les
son that It is of the greatest import
ance TO conceal even the smallest and
most significant details from the en-
envy, q thing which the commanders
Of the Russian navy did not do
Everybody knew in what port the
..g -arznIn Nt.nfn n G Drnn nC the AZ
act strength of the squadron at Port
Arthur
ION the other side the movements OF
the japanese flotillas were shrouded In
the deepest mystery, and practically
nothing was known outside of Japan
The courage and fearlessness of
Japan's torpedo crews as well as the
noble heroism Of the Russian com
mander Behr, Of the cruiser Variag,
compel the admiration of the whole
world irrespective of personal SYM
pathies."
An Embarrassing Position.
Though Germany was the first Flu
ropean power to agree TO Secretary
Hays plan In regard to the neutrality
of China, It Is evident that the PROPOSE
ton put the government In q dilemma,
Germany has no higher wish h to
win the friendship of Russia, and q
very high official in the foreign depart
ment, Immediately after the American
proposition had been made, is known tC
have said:
should Russia come out victorious II
the conflict, nothing could be further
from cur Intentions than to try to pre-
vent her from reaping the fruits of hel
victory.
I'VE have. everything to gain from
Russia's friendship, for years we have
made every effort to weaken the
Franco-Russian alliance, and the op'
portunity has never been better thar
now.
Besides this, Germany Is anxious tC
arrange for q profitable ommercia
treaty with Russia, which will NEAR
millions to us. and we are in need ot
these millions"
The hand of the imperial government
Is also plainly evident In the strong eff
fort of all banks to prevent q drop IL
Russian securities.
The Gar H~eartbroken.
Private, dispatches from st. Peters
burg state that the czar is greatly de
pressed, not on account Of the defeats
which Russia has suffered in the east
but because his abhors war with hi!
whole heart and personally did every
thing In his power to avert 1t, as III
confidently hoped to do until the frs
shot was fired.
The words In his proclamation to thu
Russian people that Japan was respon
sible for the wal were not written 70
effect. but because he, in spite Of all
hoped for a friendly arrangement witt
Japan.
In Russia the war is now popular
and has, at least temporarily, put al
end to all inner disturbances, and
mighty patriotic wave iS sweeping Owe
the country from st. Petersburg t
V~ladivostok.
Russia has been said to be in need o
money, but from secret sources gold
flowing into the national treasury.
The immensely rich Bojars and oil
Russian princely families are offerinl
their help to the Little Father"
The Russian soldier needs little in tn
way Of provisions. Like the German
he fights best when hungry, and tn
countless swarms of Cossacks deman'
nothing from the government but tn
chance Of sweeping down upon the en-
lmy.
Russia Of today is still the sam
country which, thodgh temperate,
checked, defeated and crushed Ma
poleon in 1872.
There seems TO be no enc 10 the nun
Der OF books, which. in the form of nov
els, attack the corruption among Ger
man officers, and the government is ap
~parently hopeless to stem the tide.
The Kaiser's intention of confiscatinl
Lieutenant Bilse's book From a Sinai
Garrison" has been q complete failur
outside of Prussia.
SAKE Meininger and the little prin
cipality book Of Reuss have alread'
passed favorably upon the book an
their example will undoubtedly be fol
lowed by others.
TO make matters still worse, a bool
written by Count Won Schlicht (Coun
Wolf Won Boudissin, entitled Men o
the First Glass Is being sold here ,,
the thousand,