Omaha daily bee., 1908-10-31
OTHER LANDS THAN OURS.


British distrust Of Germany is a fact of
considerable Importance in the affairs Of
Europe. Many reasons are assigned for
the feeling. At bottom, commercial and
Industrial rivalry in the worlds markets
is the principal fuel for the fires of envy.
The marked prosperity and great develop
ment of the empire, its expanding military
and naval program and its justifiable ac-
tivities in the affairs of the old world, are
viewed with increasing alarm in England,
affordlng agitators material for inflaming
the public mind against Germany. Some
measure of the depth of the feeling was
given by the outburst following the publi-
cation Of the kaiser's letter to Lord
Tweedmouth regarding naval affairs, an
episode which finally drove him from the
admiralty office. In fact, so general is
the antipathy that a well known London
publishing house, in an announcement of
a book on Napoleon, refers to 'the host Of
spies in our midst, the menace across the
North sea and the fear Of any diminution
of our naval strength point to a state Of
political tension similar to that of a cen
fury ago." The prevalence of such national
ill-will is not overlooked in Germany. In
deed, Its existence explains and ~justifies
the remarkable deliverance of Emperor Will
liam to a representative Englishman, given
the greatest prominence in a recent issue
OF the London Telegraph. The writer
makes known the substance of the CONVEX
sation with the emperor "in the hope that
1t will help remove the gross misconcep-
ton of the emperor's feelings toward Eng
land" The emperor is quoted, in substance,
as expressing frankly his regret at the sus-
picions entertained by England, and re-
ferred to his Guildhall speech as a heart
felt expression OF good will and desire
for peace. Have 1 been false to my word? 80
he asked. In proof Of his good will he re-
ferred to his refusal to meet the Boer en-
voys, nine years ago, when British prestige
was humbled in the veldts Of South Africa.
and his dispatch Of military suggestions to
Queen Victoria along the lines subsequently
followed by Lord Roberts. Many times since
he had endeavored to show his friendship.
but his acts and his words. he protested
were misconstrued and suspicious expressed
that were unworthy a great nation. In
regard to Germany's naval expansion the
emperor defended It as a national necessity,
justified by the development OF Japan and
China, and the future problems OF the Pa
cific. For that reason only" he said,
Germany must have a powerful fleet"
How far this will go in a~llaying England
fears remains to be seen. At least the
emperor should be given credit for peace.
full intentions until his acts prove other.
wise.
The eighth annual report Of the German
Imperial statistical bureau shows that Ger.
many suffered S,32S labor strikes in 1905
affecting 1926 establishments. in which
/ fkA AgQ uTaFa aDnG1nvraH - ~ > DNo --
actually strikers. The report states thai
only 6l3 Of the 9,S2s strikes we're success.
full and that 1,2l7 were failures. Some sort
Of a compromise was arranged in the other
L49S cases. Only IL per cent Of the strikers
representing 1875 Of the establishments al.
fected, were engaged in successful strikes
says the report, as quoted by the United
States bureau of labor, Two-thirds OF the
strikes were for an increase of wages anc
only seventy against a reduction. The rec.
ord for 1906 exceeds by nearly 1000 the an.
nual number OF strikes in the empire since
1899, For the preceding eight years tho
report shows a total OF 1882 strikes, OF
which 1S.4 per cent were successful and 49,
per cent completely failed. The direct and
Indirect loss OF the workers and others or
that showing is beyond computation. Some
idea Of the widespread loss many be gained
from the result OF the engineers strike re.
Gently closed in England. This affected
only 1900 men. who fought against an all,
round reduction Of 5 per cent In wages
The strike lasted seven months, endinE ir
a compromise Of 2h per cent reduction. II
this half be counted a gain for the men
it is recokened that it will take them ovel
thirty-three years to make up the amour.
they have lost in obtaining II.
British newspapers are discussing witt
some misgtvings the accounts Of the recep
ton Of the American battlefield printed Il
the Australian papers. A strong note o
independence uns through these accounts