The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-01-01

foreign relations seem unlikely 10 DO
disordered, unless the death OF Kaiser
FRANCIS JOSEPH should split the Haps-
burg realm asunder, or unless n violent
commotion in the Balkan Peninsula
should 80 inhame the territorial greed
Of Austrians and Italians as to prompt
them to attempt-and Germany to re-
sist-the forcible partition Of the Sui
tan's European inheritance, We take
for granted, however, that II Russian
diplomacy retains any influence at Ber-
lin, Vienna, Stamboul and Bucharest,
we shall see no veritable war enkindled
from the smouldering embers in Mace
donia. AS for the internal condition
Of the dual Hapsburg dominions, con-
fusion has Of late been worse COMPOUNDED
by the resignation Of DR.. Won KoERBRs,
the Cisleithan Premier, and by the de-
termination OF Count TIszA. the Liberal
Prime Minister, to dissolve the Hunga-
rian Parliament. The party intrigues,
vicissitudes, tergiversations, obstruction
list tactics and riotous outbreaks that
have long characterized both Legislatures
have ceased to excite any feeling in sober
minded onlookers except bewilderment
and contempt.
The country on the European CONT
nent which is most likely to rivet the
worlds attention in the coming year is
that colossal empire of the north which,
politically, has advanced not step be-
yond the eighteenth century, and which.
as regards the social organization of the
bulk Of its peasantry, belongs to far
distant age. The Western observer rubs
his eyes to learn II he can be awake,
when he sees 10000, 900 Of Muscovte
agriculturists still dwelling under the
ancient system Of communal property;
eight or ten million Jews still languishing
in the ghettos Of medieval times; and
some of the most distinguished scien-
fists, scholars, jurisconsults, artists and
men OF letters upon earth bowing their
necks beneath the calling yokes of an
absolute autocracy. II is spectacle
that would seem incredible we're it not
painful evidence. There have beco OF
late rumblings and heavings, as If the
leviathan were stirring in its sleep. Is
the S. v OF to-day more hopelessly lethar-
gio than was the Frank of a hundred
years ago; or are we destined to witness,
before another year is over-what Mil
TON prayed TO see in England--a noble
and puissant nation mewing it's mighty
youth, upleaping from slumber OF CEN
turtles, and shaking its invincible locks?
At the hour when we write it looks as il
Carbon had turned 4 deaf ear to the
desparing outcry of reformers and
doomed itself to the dreadful task OF
dealing with revolution. If the report
be well founded that Prince SyIATo-
PoTK-MGRsKY, Minister of the Interior,
and Mr.. GLAsoFF, Minister of Education,
have decided to retire from office, and
that Prince GALITZIN, Mayor of Moscow,
has been handed over 20 justice for his
too liberal speech before the municipal
council, the Emperor NICHOLAS is 10 be
pitied rather than denounced, for he has
lost sagacious and devoted servants,
whose sole fault was wish to save his
dynasty.
On Russia's part and, TO minor ex-
tent, on the part also of her Japanese
opponent, the war in the Far East is now
sustained by means OF foreign loans and,
should the contest be protracted for an
other year, both comtqtants are likely
to be stricken with financial impotence.
For nearly eleven months the japanese
and Russian treasures have been sub
jected to the tremendous drainage in
separable from placing and keeping in
the field armies which in the aggregate
cannot fall short of three-quarters Of
million Of men. Already, as regards
duration the pending trial of strength
has surpassed considerably the Franco
German War. the parties 10 which were
incomparably superior, in respect of
fiscal resources, to the present bellig-
erents. No doubt it would cost Ja-
pan materially less to prolong the
fighting throughout 1905, because she
controls the sea, and the armies under
OrAMA are very near their base
of supplies. 1t should be borne in mind,
however, that Japan is by far the poor
est of the great Powers, and that the out
lay required Of her up to the present
time has so much exceeded her taxable
that it seems likely TO paralyze
her internal development for some time
to come. A people that cannot secure
two loans, relatively small, from foreign
without mortgaging their GUS
toms revenue must soon reach the limit
OF their credit in a word, the actual
game of war, if continued for twelve
month, may end in a stalemate.
It is because the dread of impending
ought to prove a dominant
factor in the councils both of the Car
and the Mikado, that we are prepared TO
hear at any moment that an offer OF me-
diation would be welcomed. There is
no doub; that equitable terms OF accom-
mediation might be arranged by France
and England acting respectively as the
next friends OF the antagonists. After
the fall of Port Arthur and the recall or
destruction of Russia's Baltic fleet, of
both which events we expect to hear
early in the New Year, the psychological
moment for an earnest attempt to stop
a foolish and futile contest will have
arisen. There is no real reason why