Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-09-20

ment among the republicans and So
cialists. largely in the ascendant polit-
ically. With them was the national
guard.
In fear of an insurrection, the gov
eminent withdrew and the commune
took charge of the city. A council
came to the front. A clash occurred
with the assembly at Versailles and
several men were shot. The fight was
now between the commune and the
soldiers released from Germany. pro-
ceeded to invest Paris. It was not for
forty-nine days that the besiegers
were able to break down the defense.
Street battles followed, and the city
was set on fire by women carrying
cans filled with coal oil. Anarchy
reigned everywhere. Public buildings
were destroyed and art treasures
ruined.
The commune had all this time held
a number of prominent persons
prisoners. These were executed when
it was seen that the city would fall to
the assembly forces. 1t appeared as
though the revolution was come again.
Seventeen thousand are said to have
persisted. Later there were trials and
many thousand persons were punished.
The republic was finally established,
with Adolphe Theirs as president. and
the country painfully began to recoup
from it's terrible experience.
u
X u
By war and German annexation the
population was reduced about 2,100,-
900. To the amazement Of the world,
but of Germany especially. the ener-
nous war debt was paid before 1t was
due, SO wonderful were the recupera-
tive power of France and the indus
try and thrift of its people. Business
re- fv
finance was put on sound basis and
the army was thoroughly reorganized.
The year of the Franco-Prussian war
also saw Italian unity completed.
soldiers guarding the Pope returned
to France and the king thereupon took
possession of Rome.
Under its new constitution the Ger
man empire began most ,auspiciously.
In time Bismarck's high protective
tariff was adopted, and 1t has had a
great part in the encouragement of
German local manufactures and the in
dustrial revival, which was also facil-
itated by progress in science, especial
ly applied chemistry. the rise Of the
merchant marine and the development
of the export trade.
Another Birmarckian triumph was
tn cripple alliance. the union of Ger
many. Austria and Italy, of which so
much has been heard at the present
day. A long fight with the socialist
party, which in various forms had
been asserting its doctrines, was
not SO successful. The party,
although often torn by internal
dissention. made steady increase
in its voting strength and the
old chancellor had often to regret
the suffrage which he gave in the con-
stitution. This party developed many
able men from the days of Lassalle to
the present time. and in the reichstag
and out the leaders have kept the gov
eminent almost constantly on the de-
fensiye. Not repressive laws, not
prison cells, have been able to silence
its orators or stop it's many printing
presses.
The war now going on, however, has
demonstrated that both in France and
Germany the socialists have put coun-
try before party.
During the period following the war
in France great trouble occurred
provinces. Herzegovina had revolted
against the Turks. and the co-religion-
lists in adjoining states had aided the
rebels. Turkey itself had a revolution.
and within year saw three sultans
mount the throne. Bulgarian Christians
was followed by massacres which
shocked the whole world. The revolu-
tionists were Joined by Servia and
Montenegro in a war on the sultan,
and to make 1t unanimous Russia and
Roumania entered the lists against
Turkey in 1877. A bloody struggle,
lasting eleven months, ensued. A large
army besieged Plevna, but could not
take 1t by assault, SO strongly was 1t
fortified and SO ably defended by the