Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1905-12-21

anyway? OF course. the answer, the
one we learned from our careful
school ma'ams is ito maintain the bal
ance of power But if this doesn't sill
ence the questioner it is necessary to
go deeper into the matter and there
some of us, who have of recent years
given more attention to the price of
beef and insurance than to the treas
ury of Macedonia, would find ourselves
stalled.
The fact is that the situation in Eu-
rope, once as plain as an abe lesson,
has grown more and more complex ev-
cry year. The balance of power, from
concrete something, has grown into a
hazy, threatening, unknown quantity.
England, France, Germany and Italy,
watch each other move so closely that
almost before Edward VII has decided
to appoint an under official the mon
archs of the other nations know all
about it and have figured out the eff
feet it will have upon the balance of
power" Russia is watched closely too,
but just now she has troubles of her
own that prevent any action OF an Of
fensive character on her part.
Not a marriage of royalty, or any
thing approaching royalty, is made
but the ruling monarchs must know
of it beforehand and give their en-
dorsement. European marriages are
not made in heaven. They are ar
ranged at court. because only the rul-
ers know what will best preserve the
balance of power
jc VIZ 80,
attempting to describe the feeling
these nations have, each for the 9TH
ers. Were there but two of them
there would doubtless be war to the
death. But there are more, and a
condition worse than war in it's inner
strenuosity and far better in it's out
ward appearances, must needs exist.
Only the jealousies of the powers has
made it possible for the sick man of
the east to retain his precarious hold
upon the sad remnants of his once
great European possessions Only
i jealousy has prevented one of the
powers or one of the others, from seiz-
ing first one piece and then another
of Turkish territory. But that jeal
ousy-founded on what? - keeps the
whole of Europe on good terms. That
jealousy has caused the inter-marriage
of foreign born monarchs and the re-
sulting relationships SO closely and in
tricately interviewer among the royal
families. That jealousy enabled the
powers, without Russia, to secure con-
!; troll of the financial conditions in
/ Macedonia, while Russia was too
much engrossed with domestic trou-
7, IN int fn or
rights.
! Who rules Europe?
The question cannot be answered
without naming over the list of the
/ powers. Neither has the upper hand,
and while neither has it is idle to
rrate Of worldwide peace and a gener-
! al disarmament. Such talk is pretty,
] Nobel prizes are valuable, as senti-
ment is valuable, but sentiment can
not settle European politics.
TRADE WITH THE philippines.
The improvement in the Philippines
as the result of the American occupa-
tion has been wonderful, considering
/ the short time that has elapsed since
the islands came under the influence
of the United States. The bureau Of
statistics Of the department of COM
merce and labor figures that the COM
merce between the United States and
the Philippines seems likely to aggre-
sgate about 20,000,000 in the year that
ends with the present month. While
only ten months figures of the pres
/ cnt calendar year are available, they
/! SO MUCH exceed those of any earlier
year as to justify the belief that the
total will reach about $20.000,000,
against about Sis 100000 in 1904, $1O,-
/ 100000 in 1900; $4,00O,O00 in 1898 and
IA little over $4,0OO,O0O in 1897, the
year prior to American occupation.
/ Thus it seems likely that our trade
with the islands in the year about to
I end will be nearly four times as great
as in the last year Of Spanish control,
and approximately four times as great
as the average during the several
years prior to American occupation
Prior to the year 1899 exports from
the United States to the Philippine Is
a million dollars. In the present year
they will aggregate nearly $6,000,000,
or certainly twenty times as much as
in any year prior to American occupa
ton. Imports from the islands, which
ranged between $4,00O,0OO and $5,OOO,.
4 900 per annum prior to 1899, were in
1902, s1O,ooo,oOo; in 1903, $12,500,OOo
and in 1905 will be about $14,000,000
or about three times as much as the
average prior to American occupation
This increase in trade with the is
lands is distributed through large
number of articles, especially in the
case of exports, which have grown
I from s69,459 in 1897, the year before
American occupation, to about $4,000,
4 900 in 1905.
The imports from the Philippines
while they have grown from $4,352,181
in 1897, the year prior to American oc
cupation, to $12,652, 1852 in the ten
months of the present year, and seem
likely to approximate $14.on0.00o in
/ the full year. or three times as much
as in 1897, are confined to compare