New-York tribune., 1909-01-01

year showed the steady progress of the move
ment for tariff reform. Roman Catholic Uni
versity for Ireland was established and bill
was introduced into Parliament enormously in
Creasing the provision for land purchase by
Irish peasants The early part Of the year was
marred in Ireland by the practice OF cattle driv
ing accompanied by atrocious cruelty. CONNER
clal and industrial depression in England
swelled the ranks Of the army of the unem-
pIoyed TO almost unprecedented numbers and
these conditions were for time made much
worse by q practically universal strike in the
cotton trade. great and successful Franco
British exposition was held in London In con-
nectiou with which there were elaborate inter
national Olympic games. There was an un-
! precedently large congress of the Anglican and
allied churches and there was also a Roman
Catholic Eucharistic Congress- In London.
! The visits of the French President 10 Eng
land and to Russia and OF the King of England
10 France TO Germany and TO Russia seemed
to cement good fellowship among the nations
concerned But the indiscreet revelation Of cor
respondence between the German Emperor and
q member Of the British Cabinet, and the pub
licaticn of au injudicious interview between the
! German Emperor and q retired British states
man. aroused much unfounded suspicion and
iii will The most serious result Of the latter
publication was. however, in Germany itself,
where a constitutional crisis was narrowly
averted only through the Emperors practically
subordins ting himself to ministerial supervision
I in all future public utterances. The incident
stimulated the demand in Germany for such
constitutional changes as would make the I'm
/ perial Chancellor and other ministers directly
/ responsible to the Reichstag. Some controver-
sizes. at times Of an almost on1inOus nature,
arose between Germany and France over af-
| fairs III Morocco in which France 81 as, on the
whole the more fortunate, and the net result
of the years diplomacy was TO emphasize the
/ increasing isolation Of Germany. During the
wear the Round Table, scandals were tried out
! in court at Berlin, law was enacted in Prussia
for the forcible appropriation of Polish estates,
! and large public loans and n great Increase OF
taxation were announced. France suffered some
industrial and social disturbances which were
dealt with by the government in mastery
fashion, and. on the whole, had a year Of great
political and material prosperity so that at It's
end statistCians reckOned that the French
: nation was accumuating wealth at the rate OF
81. .OO0 100000 year, OF which one-third was
drawn from other lands. and that with an aver
age wealth of more than $1,000 per capita Of
the entire population it was one Of the two
or three richest nations in the world. During
the year the remains OF Zoa were Inferred in
the Pantheon.
Despite the fact that many members Of the
first Douma were prosecuted and sentenced to
severe punishment for their "Viborg manifesto
the third Russian DoUma found itself and
won reluctant recognition from the bureaucracy
/ and remains Of the autocraCy as a real parlia-
ment with substantial legislative and govern
! mental functions. A large policy Of naval re
building was adopted and much progress was
made toward reganing the prestige which had
been lost in the war with Japan. Several Of the
vN{,rrrD IN
lie affairs retired to private life. In Austria
Hungary the sixtteth anniversary Of the En-
peror- Kings accession was celebrated IN i'm
posing fashion, the ceremonies comprising a
ongratulatory visit Of ali the German sover-
eigns. led by the King of Prussia himself. De-
spite this interesting incident, however, racial
animosities and conflicts IN various parts Of the
cOnglomerate realm continued and grew more
omnous, involving the declaration Of a state Of
siege at Prague. The establishment Of universal
suffrage In Austria did not have the pacifying
and unifyfng results for which some bad hoped.
while Hungary sought the establishment Of
franchise system which should assure the re-
tention of power by the Magyars. even though
they should be minority of the population The
arbitrary and unlawful annexation of Bosnia
and Herzegovina by Austria Hungary, in viola
ton of Turkish rights and Of the Treaty Of
Berlin and in grave menace to the interests Of
Servia and Montenegro, brought that part OF
Europe perilously near TO war and led 70
demand for a congress of the powers. In Italy
year OF exceptional prosperity tragiCaly
ended with one of the most destructive earth
quaIles recorded in the history Of the world
Portugal suffered the agedy OF the public as
sassinatton Of the King and Crown Prince, the
murderous attack being directed also at the
Queen and her younger son, who escaped. That
younger son succeeded to the thrcDe, the
form ministry which had exposed great abuses
in the government retired, new elections were
held and the old corrupt system was re-estab-
Ished A little later gross pecuniary scandals
were disclosed in both the national government
and the municipal government Of Lisbon. Two
important international conventions were made,
one by Russia. Germany Sweden and Denmark
relating to the control of the Baltic Sea and
the other by Great Britain, France. Germany.
Holland. Denmark and Sweden. relating to
rights In the North Sea An important congress
of powers assembled IN London for the regula-
tOn of naval warfare.
The Moslem nations occupied and deserved
prominent place in the attention Of the world.
In Turkey the long campaign of the Young
Turks was finally crowned with what appears
to be complete success IN a bloodless revOlu-
ton, the remuneration of autoTaCy by the Sui
tan and the reestab Enlistment of the constitution
and parliament which had been devised by
AIidhat Pacha generation before. The Sultan
came forth from his seclusion and mingled
freely with the people. receiving their loyal
plaUdlts; ali races and creeds of the empire
united in the free election of a parliament fairly
representative of all. and this legislative body
entered upon its labors with every promise of
c,,a 4 vic TaSf y~nC m a6a bNy he