The citizen. (Honesdale, Pa.) 1908-1914, 1913-01-08
NO PROSPECT OF
/ EUROPEAN WAR
Count White Says Peace Is
Assured For Years.
RUSSIA AVOIDS CONFLICT.

Former Premier Reviews Conditions of
That Country and Declares They Are
In Transition, Pointing to Advance.
Says Other Powers Also Aim at In
ternationaI Quiet and Friendliness.
A review of conditions in Russia and
the prospects for 4 European war was
recently written by Count Sergius
Witte. former premier of Russia. He
says that his country is on the way to
conservative constitutionalism. brought
about by the better understanding of
the manifesto of 1905.
As for the international situation,
Count Witte says Russia for one does
not desire war. She needs peace too
badly. He says this situation exists
in every other European nation where
economic welfare is at stake. The next
war, he says, will be for colonial con
quests.
His review, translated from the Rus
sian by Herman Bernstein, follows:
Russia is at present in a state oS
transition. We have neither real con-
stitutionalism nor real absolutism. In
our political life there are many fea-
lures which may be called abnormal.
These haye been called forth by the
fact that at the moment Russia was
made happy by the throne in the gra.
cious manifesto of Oct. IT, 1905, pro-
claiming a new constitutional regime.
neither the liberal nor the conservative
parties were able to penetrate properly
the new order of things.
"The liberal parties did not under
stand the psychological moment; they
did not occupy themselves with prac-
tical politics in a constitutional spirit.
but Immediately endeavored to secure
a parliamentary form Of government
which the manifesto Of Oct. IT did not
have in view and which did not re-
spond to the actual needs of Russia
at that time.
"The mistake of the liberals, the
blunder of the liberal parties, consist
ed in the fact that by their actions
they drifted far away from the correct
conception of the logic Of history.
They failed to realize that history
knows no leaps and bounds. Like ma
ture, history does not allow such leaps
and bounds to go unpublished.
LAS for the international situation, l
am fully convinced that Russia does
not want any war. On the contrary,
Russia is very sincerely striving to-
ward a policy of peace in international
affairs. The country lived through a
painful war several years ago, and
even if that war had ended successful
ly for Russia she would have needed
the rest which every victor needs.
Russia is now especially in need of
rest and consequently she is in need
of peace during this period of transi-
tion when she is celebrating and
strengthening her new form Of gov
ernment.
Peace Assured For Years.
''In my opinion, the general position
of Europe is such that peace is assur-
ed for many years to come. At the
present time a European war would
have assumed proportions compared
with which all wars in the past would
seem but child's play.
"Not a single European power could
desire war in principle when it takes
into consideration the terrible conse-
quences to which such a war would
lead. Every war is a risk, even to
the power that is sure of victory.
There is no country whose economic
welfare would not be affected even
by a successful war. This explains
the pacific inclination of the European
powers.
There is no reason to fear a great
European war in the near future.
Such danger threatens us only in the
far east and particularly in those
countries which are outside the pale
of European and American civiliza-
ton. Evidently the great powers are
bent on dividing among themselves all
the lands outside of Europe which
have not yet been occupied.
"The French have taken Tunis and
Morocco, England has taken Egypt,
Italy has taken Tripoh, Germany has
taken KOngo, etc. Austria has annex
ed Bosnia and Herzegovina. The
great problems of today will be solved
by the division of the lands outside of
Europe, and therefore the only circum-
stance which may call forth war
between some of the great powers is
conflict of interests in the far east
''The next war will be war for
colonial conquests. All other ques-
tions having a direct relation to Eu-
rope will be only motives for a uni
versal war; but, on the other hand
the general opposition to war and the
consciousness of the responsibilities
for the consequences OF such a war to
all participants are the only guaran-
tees of peace. Herein lies the inner
logic of history.
"The representative of peaceful in
dustry is replacing war. The enor-
nous nrenarntions for war and the