Omaha daily bee., 1909-02-06
OTHER LANDS THAN OuRs.

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Practically everyone Of the world powers
profess to be peacefully disposed. Each
would readily decrease its military and
naval establishments II this or that neigh
boring powers would consent TO be trans
lated from the pugilistic to the molly
coddie class. While national DULLES are
strutting about. seeking to devour the in
offensive. self-preservation requires that
the peacefully disposed keep their guns
handy and their powder dry. This was the
spirit of ar address recently delivered be-
fore a military company at Halifax by
Mr.. Haldane, the British secretary of war,
Discussing and explaining the steadily
growing burden OF the British lay and
military establishments, he said that the
state of mind of the British public which
had no desire to go to war with anybody
and only asked to be left In peace, was
the impelling motive for charging both
arms Of the service. Peaceful Great Britain
looks at her ~neighbors and finds every one
of them of Importance a vast military
camp. France and Germany have each
have 100000 men under arms all the time.
with four IL not five times that number in
trained reserves ready on short notice to
bring the firing line up to between 2OO0, 600
and 100000 effectives. Austria and Italy
have systems numerically only inferior to
France and Germany. Russia has reorgan-
lied its army and its soldiers are con-
servatively estimated at 100000 men on a
peace footing. Looking over the armed
camps of Europe the loyal Briton asks,
What ave we?' Mr.. Haldane said II was
the purpose of the government to bring the
British military establishment up to an eff
fective fighting force Of 100000. With each
nation on its own reservation parading
with a chip on its shoulder, the bankers
Of the world, who furnish the slnews Of
war, must exercise an ever-increasing pres
sure to avert a clash.
Russia scores a diplomatic triumph in
effecting a settlement of the Bulgarian
trouble satisfactory to all concerned. When
the Bulgarians severed the link, nominally
binding them to the Ottoman empire, they
took control of so much of the oriental
railroad as traversed Bulgaria, the owner
ship of which was vested in Turkey. Bull
garia agreed TO pay sl6,0OO,OOO for the con-
fiseated property. Turkey insisted on $24,-
100000. While both parties were haggling,
Bulgaria threatened to smash the concert
of the powers, paraded an opera bouffe
army on the Turkish frontier and boldly
declared its readiness to swim in Moham-
medan gore rather than give up another
plaster. At this point Russia stepped in
with a unique proposal. Bulgaria shall pay
an indemnity, not TO Turkey, hut to Rus
STA, and Russia shall relieve Turkey of the
need or paying fifteen annual instailments
of the Indemnity due on account of the
war Of 1871 pul2ar al ILL -. ~ ~ ~
in fifteen annual installments. with inter-
est and Turkey will have RENTED $24,-
100000 in fifteen years. without interest.
The latter secures less than demanded in
the loss of interest, and the former pays
more than is desired in paying interest.
Russia recoups itself with the interest
Bulgaria viii pay, and increases substan-
TALLY its grip on the young buffer ma
ton.
While browsing around Berlin in search
OF recreation or comic opera color, George
AIDE permitted himself to be interviewed
and expressed sentiments which usually
provoke a duel, a peril he averted by
cleverly ducking. The modern Aesop re-
marked that next to being an Englishman
he would rather be a German officer than
anything in the world" When asked to
show cause for giving German officers
second rank, the ready wit OF the Indiana
farm err saved his face. II merely meant
to express by implication he said, "a
firm belief that the Englishman is the
nest fortunate being in the universe, be-
cause he never has even a glimmering
doubt as to the superiority OF himself or
his English environment. Some people
travel to learn comparative values. The
Englishman travels In order to corroborate
his ingrown belief that everything un-
British is incorrect. That is why I envy
him.. 1 should like to wear a tweed suit
that punched in the neck and bagged at
the knees and still feel serenely confident
that I WIS well dressed. / should like to
feel assured that the best seat next to the
window and all of the luggage racks were
mine by divine right" After having his
deliverance accurately translated and ABB
sorbed by his hearers, the American author
and tourist was cheered as only Berliners
cheer and was tFeated to the best in tho
rathskeller.
What purports to be a vindication Of the