Omaha daily bee., 1909-05-29
In Other Lands
SIDE Lights on what IL Yrsns-
piring Among the Near and
Far Nations Of the Earth.

Germanphobia has reached so critical a
stage in England as to make distant COM
ment exceedingly dangerous for the in
nocent spectator. A friendly suggestion is
liable to be construed as a mirage of in
vading airships made In Germany The
Springfield (Mass.) Republican, assuming
conditions were not as bad as they are
pictured, ventured the opinion that should
England provoke a war with Germany the
United States would remain strictly nett
trail, favoring neither one nor the other in
a causeless and lamentable struggle. This
sensible view of the situation stretched TO
the breaking point the nerves of the Lon
don Spectator, provoking an outburst OF
indignation and vituperation. THE or
binary American journalist says the
Spectator, sizzling with lofty disdaln,
sometimes shows astonishing Ignorance OF
foreign affairs. Like all ignorant people,
these Journalists are very suspicious, es-
pecially of friendly expressions of opinion
which they do not understand" There is
the kernel of the trouble. American edi-
tors, particularly the Springfield scribe, do
not understand. Their perverse nature will
not permit them TO understand, or take a
course in Journalism in the London school.
For this reason and others, needless TO
name, the American journalist. like all
ignorant people" are wisely suspicious and
just clever enough to keep out of the
sanguinary squabbles of other nations.
One visible effect Of the American editors
Ignorance is to turn a spotlight on the
colossal conceit Of the Londoner and the
equally colossal nerve which presumes to
make the United States a party to the in
sane jealousies, race hatreds and feuds Of
the old world.
A writer In the Pail Mall Gazette, dis
GUESSING the unrest among the civil ser
wants of France, speaks Of these public
functlonaries as resembling a swarm OF
locusts. In 1870 they numbered go 600.
while under the republic they have
reached the astonishing number of s70,0 900,
ITO eat from the public crib being the
dominant ambition of every Frenchman."
OF the $40, 900 functionaries, 6O4,2 2O are paid
by the state, and 265, $50 by the depart
mental and communal authorities, al
though they are, with the others, officials
OF the state. These officials constitute
twelve army corps, so to speak, under the
direction of the twelve ministries. The
greater number belong to the ministry OF
the interior, viz, 2S6, 900; war, marine, and
colonies dispose Of 10000; public works,
postal and telegraph service, 5000; pub
lie instruction. 14O, 900; treasury 0inances), !
1lS, 00O; agriculture, labor and
10. 600; foreign affairs and Justice, 1900.
The postal and telegraph services number
among their employers no less than $50
postmen, of whom 6.5l6 belong to Paris;
wireless telegraphy has at the present
moment SO clerks; in all, that department
boasts ia, 296 employees. Grouping them
together, Frances functionaries cost her
annually 9l9, 297, $40 francs, or in round
figures 92O, 600, 900 francs, equal to about
$lS4,00O, 900.
The Danish national exhibition at Aarhus
is scheduled to open the latter end of
May and continue through September. The
purpose of the exhibition is to offer visitors
a true picture of modern Danish culture
a highly developed agriculture, extensive
industries and the various arts in which
the people are engaged. Wireless teleg-
raphy and airships in action will form lead
Ing features Of the show. Aarhus is the
second largest city In Denmark, situated
In the eastern curve Of the Cimbric penin-
sula, and approachable by land and water.
To the visitor the city alone will be a
unique exhibit of modern municipal devel-
opment surrounding buildings Of ancient
architecture and construction, some speci-
mems surviving the ravages of eight CEN
turtles.
The British government has just pub
lished in three immense volumes the re-
suits Of an inquiry into the cost OF living
as IL affects the workingman in forty diff
ferent English, French and German cities.
Briefly the inquiry developed these facts:
Wages in France are 25 per cent lower
and in Germany II per cent lower than In
England. The hours of work In France
| are II per cent longer than In England
and in Germany 10 per cent longer the
French ~workingman pays In rent or Tor
lodgings . per cent less than the English
workingman, while the German pays %
per cent more than his English brother
But il the English workman were TO live
in France on the same footing, buying the
| same supplies in the same quantities his
expenses would increase IS per cent, as
they also would in Germany
The faithful, courageous and successful
leadership of the Irish Parliamentary
party by John Redmond draws from the
Westminster Gazette an unfriendly polit'-
cal opponent, this deserved tribute 70 MS
snlepdid utilities: M Redmond's success
IN the house of commons may be taken as
affording a test OF those qualities which
make for mastery in an independent as
sembly. His oratorical power IL one or
the most precious possessions OF the house
and his persistence, courage and energy In
nursuit OF a great ideal have long since
given him that commanding position which
belongs alone 10 men Of character. No
one doubts that II he had chosen any other