Omaha daily bee., 1908-08-01

General Wilhelm Won Blume, on the au-
thority of the general staff Of the German
army, has issued a bulletin IN which he dis
cusses the cost of a modern European war,
presenting an estimated bill Of such as
founding size that the Hobsons Of the en-
pire are inclined to sober up and keep
silent. Germany, according to General Won
Blume, would be able to put $4,000 troops
in the field; and to maintain this army in
a contest with any European power, would
require 81, 500, OC0, 900 a year. This reckoning
does not include the results of financial de-
preston and the paralysis of industry,
General Won Blume believes that the loss
of life would be heavier thar in the war
between Russia and Japan, in which 20 per
cent of the japanese armies In the field
were killed or wounded. II this proper
ton were to hold, Germany would loose,
say, at least 10000 in killed and Wounded in
the same length of time. These are stag
geripg figures, but the course of recent
wars makes them highly probable. q
The departure of the president OF the
French republic on a round of visits to the
Russian emperor and other sovereigns in
the north of Europe is regarded with sat
isfaction in France as making at once for
peace and for the peaceful enhancement
of French prestige. Such views of It are
judicious and amply justifiable. But 1t is
fitting, for the sake of historical complete
ness, to emphasize the fact that it is the
president of the French republic who is
making his journey, and whose making Of
it is esteemed OF so much Importance.
Time was, in years still well remembered
by men not old, when a republican presi-
dent was not generally persona grata at
the courts of Europe, and when France
was looked at askant because OF her in
sistence upon democratic institutions.
Now. NJ. Fallieres is the recognized peer
of king and kaiser, and his goings and
comings are regarded as of as much sig
n~ificance as those of any monarch.
zee
The judgment Of the Australian high,
court in the so-called Harvester case has
dealt a severe blow at what is called the
new protection in Australia, though as the
decision was only obtained by a bare ma
jority Of one judge in a tribunal OF five, 1t
may not be altogether final. The essence OF
the Harvester excise act was to confer on
labor an equivalent protection to that Of
fered to manufacturer by the tariff, by
ItluSlnB Alt itbdl6 ~ BpbuS uOl pIOuuttu
under the standard trade union scale. The
chief justice and two other judges of the
high court have declared this legislation
invalid. Two of the Judges dissent, main
tanning that no discrimination is implied,
and that the taxing powers Of the federal
Parliament can be exercised even IL the
indirect effect should be to establish a
wage standard. The judgment has aroused
much controversy. The lawyers and the
capitalists generally support the majority,
holding that the decision is a vindication
both of the constitution and the validity OF
the contracts. The labor men and many
OF the politicians agree with the d~issentient
judges.
Writing TO a Frankfort paper, August
Emerich says: Here in the Holy Land
one can see the old and the new fraternize
as nowhere else on earth. For the accom-
mediation OF the Mahometan pilgrims a
railroad is being built from Mecca to
Medina. Can anything be more unreal
than a hometa pilgrimage to the
sacred sepulcher by rail? That is not all