The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1909-02-19

mania. he is nearly ~ years OLD, n
in poor health. In his 40 years reign
he has developed the country into the
most prosperous and powerful of the
Balkan states. His wife is Carmen
SYLVIA" The melodrama of this royal
house was furnished by Prince Couza,
the present kings predecessor, whose
profigacies shocked his people so
much that they compelled him to abb
dictate.
Three Monarchs Interested.
Greece comes into the present mix
up on account of her Macedonian in
t~erests, and also because the declara-
ton of Cretan independence gave an
noyance to Turkey at a very critical
moment. King George is of the
most interesting figures IF Southern
Europe. His government has been
wise and sober, and he and Queen
Olga are immensely popular.
King Peter of Servia has been called
the boycotted monarch" because,
with the exception of Emperor Francis
Joseph, all the rulers of Europe have
u ~ 1O1 hAl u v oSNSpI VADhS5
from him. This because King Peter
has refused to ~dissociate himself from
the assassin of King Alexander and
Queen Draga. The assassins, indeed,
in spite of the protests of foreign pow
ers, are among those who still hold
high office in the kingdom, a fact that
lends some color to the rumor that
the present king was privy to the hor-
rible crime of the palace. Neverthe.
less, Servia has had the support OF
the western powers in her claims fol
| compensation from Austria. Tie
Crown Prince George Is a wild, harum-
scarum youth, whose chief faculty is
that Of getting into scrapes which dis
tress the Servian authorities.
Prince Nicholas of Montenegro sue
ceeded to the throne in 1850, after
the murder of Danilo I. His court is
poverty-stricken, partly owing to the
princes own extravagances and mania
for gambling. One of his daughters
is the present queen of Italy.
War Would Mean Change.
OF Abdul Hamid II. of Turkey little
need be said. During his reign of 80
years he has lost most of his domin-
ions in Europe, and as the regenerated
Turkey, under constitutional rule, has
shorn him of most of his govern
mental power, he becomes a much less
dominant figure than before in the
ruling of the Ottoman empire.
If there should be war there surely
will be some radical changes in the
map of Europe. Truly, in the event
of general hostilities, some historic
%battlefields would be trampled again.
The entire area of central Europe is
a memory of wars of the past; one
can scarcely tread a square mile Of
ground without putting ones foot
upon some battlefield of a bygone
| time.
The total wal strength of the Euro
| peal nations at present concerned in
| the diplomatic negotiations ove the
Balkans is represented by a total OF
1898, 900 troops, which includes e
listed men and reserves. But reckon
ing the number of men actually avail
able for duty, though unorganized, a
European wal could mean the employ
ment in the work of killing of 1860
600 MEMS o. a grand total of 81, $50 ,000
men in land forces alone. The employ.
mept of the navies of the same ma
| tons could mean the engagement of
a total of 122 modern battleShips.
1902 other vessels of war and 362, SCI
| men.
The total wealth of these same ma
tons is represented in gigantic fig
ures, no less than $215, 900, 600 900. Oh
all the European powers, France ~
best able financially to face a war,
The individual wealth Of France is
greater than that of any of her rivals
and her internal financial responsible
tiles are less.
Always Prepared for War.
There has been no serious European
outbreak since the Russo-Turkish wa
of 1878, though for several years be
fore that Europe had known LITTLE
peace. The Franco-German war o
1870, the Crimean war of 1856 and thu
Aastro-Prussian war of 1866 are al
near memories. In the Balkans them
selves there has been no real peac
for years past. The Bulgars, the Turk
and the Greeks have lived in a stat
of turmoil.
For all The Haugue peace confer
ences and talks of treaties and arb
trations, Europe looks out upon tn
spring with %quivering eye and nerve
a-tingle. The jealousies of races an
nations scatter treaties and pape
bonds to the four winds. How Ion
before the clash? The Turk in hi
mad fanaticism, guarding religion an
race in the manner in which he enjoys
the greatest fighting unit in the world
perhaps, though always lacking lead
ership and discipline; the Bulgar n
less warlike and capable of a guerri1l
campaign second to none. the Gree.
emf combined; the Teuton and tn
Slav, the Norman and the Anglo
Saxon, with little chance for the Lati-
to escape, if Italy e fit to keep fait
with her allies-all likely to b. in
volved in setting the Old Worl
ablaze! A continent of peoples clash
ing and struggling for that pride O
place which diplomats choose to teri
1.-The balance of power!" How long
The spring may tell.
badly, take heed before the tendenc,
develops into habit. Ask yourself i
you have deliberately tried to curtai