Image TileImage TileImage TileImage TileImage TileImage TileImage TileImage TileImage TileImage TileImage TileImage TileImage TileImage TileImage TileImage TileImage TileImage Tile
Image size: 6144x7680 Scale: 35% - PanoJS3
Page overview thumbnail

Article text

INTERNATIONAL' NOTES.
(From Our Correspondent.
LONDON, 12th January.
Tho new year greetings of tho Enropcan
powers have about as much significance as tho
interchange of Christmas cards between par
ticular friends. They indicate cither tho absence
of any immediate cause of quarrel or n desire to
forget some disagreement in tho past. Italy,
Austria and Germany have gone through the
ceremony witli some degreo of fervor, whilo
France and Russia havo yet to get over tho littlo
difficulty of reconciling tho old and now
styles of reckoning time. Just 100 years ago tho
French had tho vanity to imngino that their
revolution marked an epoch for tho whole of tho
world, and proclaimed that it should henceforth
bo regarded as having occurred in tho year L
They aro now so deferential to Russia that it
would not create much surprise if thoy wero to
cclcbrato Icjour de V-un on .tho 12th of January
— a movement which would bo rendered popular
by making two holidays out of ono. Tho inter
change of conrtesics is looked upon moro
seriously by some, who seem to bo impressed
with tho ceremony, as if it wero tanta
mount to a balancing of tho interna
tional ledger. It hardly amounts to so
much as that. Tho thrco allied powers
agree in declaring that 1889 will bo a year of
peace ; but that merely means that none of tho
three will commonce any war which will involve
the other two, and that thoy fcdl assured that
neither Franco nor Russia will bo in a position
to makowar on them within tho 12 months.
Thoy do not look upon war in tho Soudan, in
Abyssinia or ou the coast of Zanzibar as con
stituting a breach of tho peace according to
tho terms of their compact. Thoy would
probably look with equanimity upon an attack
by Russia ou the integrity of Persia, or oven
regard it with somo degreo of satisfaction, oe
tending to give employment to Russia on a field
as far removed from Europe as possible. If
England took part in such a struggle they
might benevolently wish her good-speed, but
would not consider the event as one which
affected tho peace of Europe. They do
not by any means guaranteo the internal
poace of France, for a revolution might
tako place thero without leading to ex
ternal war. It is even doubtful whethor
strife in Tripoli or Morocco would bo regarded
in a serious light. Tho assurance of peaco is
thus to bo taken in a limited sense. It is very
welcome, however, so far as it goes, and thero is
as yet no indication of any now danger outsido
of Europe. Thero will probably bo peace every
where, hut it will bo a watchful peace, involving
much anxiety, and doing mischief even to tho
membors of tho alliance, especially in
regard to tlieir finances. Hungary feels
tho strain vory acutely, and is by no
means freo from anticipations of monetary
disaster. Tho three powors feol, rightly or
wrongly, that their armaments, cost what they
may, must be maintained in readiness for war,
and it is but a small consolation to know that
France and Russia aro no bettor, and may bo
worse, off in the samo respect. They all speak
of the necessity of retrenchment in other direc
tions, but expendituro of ovory kind has a
wonderful power of growth, and is not easily
repressed. Tho year will be a peaceful one, but
it will also bo ono of busy preparation for war.
. The Encyclical issued by the Pope at tho close
of the past year was not coueeived in his happiest
style. It sounded liko a menace, and is liable
to bo misconstrued by the ignorant members of
his church, who are, unfortunately, still vory
numerous. Ho says that thero is no cure for
the numerous evils and perils with which
society is threatened hut by a return of tho
Governments towards tho church, and he states
that certain nations which aro now sinning in
tills respect with apparent impunity are sup
ported, by fortunato ovents.and will have to pay
the penalty sooner or later. Tho denunciation
is altogether too comprehensive, inoludiug, as
it does, nearly every Government under the sun,
for few or nono of them can now bo regarded as
quite obedient to tho teaching of tho Vatican.
1'orhaps ho looked upon tho Government of
Italy as a typical one, bnt if so ho sliouldTiavo
said so. France is now only nominally a
Catholic power, and gives repeated warn
ings that it xvill not much longer
tolerate oven tho compromiso known as tho
Concordat.- Portugal denies the authority
of tho Popo over tho churoh in India. Tho
Catholics of Ireland do not pay unres
erved deference to his teaching except
when it favors their own political aspira
tions, while tho British Government may be
ono of those which onjoy impunity arising from
fortunato ovents. Nowhere aro tho laws relat
ing to mixed marriages and secular education
entirely to tho Pope's liking; Evon in Spain, tho
most thoroughly Catholic country in tho world,
tho local privileges of tho priesthood arc
strangely at varianco with the discipline of
celibaoy. Tho Government of Victoria may bo
ono of thoso anathematised, becauso it refuses
special privileges to tho Catholic Churoh in
educational matters. A list of tho "certain
nations " referred to would bo of inconvonieut
lougtli, hub a list of thoso countries whoso
Governments act in accordance with church
dictates would bo sufficiently short, and quite as
instructive. As tho matter stands, every com
munity may plaoo itself in cither category,
while individual views respecting tho meaning
of tho Encyclical will ho so various that no two
may be alike. Perhaps Mr. Giadstono on his
return will throw somo light on the subject.
His latest idea is that the claims of tho Pope
and tho King to rule in Rome should be sub
mitted to international arbitration. Ono would
suppose that the Romans themselves should bo
able to adjust that little affair.
Tho present year promises to bo a momentous
one in France. It is tho centenary of tho groat
revolution ; there will ho a general election, and
thero is to be an exhibition on a scalo of moro
than usual grandeur. Tho state of parties
is confused and perplexing : the Govern
ment is weak, and Boulangcr is apparently in
tho ascendant. If tothese be added the Panama
Canal orisis, there will bo no lack of sensations.
Tho last named affair is not so disastrous as it
soems, becauso it has oomo on so gradually that
one-half of tho capital was already lost, pur
chasers of shares having during tho last three or
four months paid only half their original valuo.
The risk -lias been spread over the whole
country, and individual losses xvill not bo heavy.
Thero is no reason for apprehending that Franco
xvill not get through her year of trial un
scathed. Frenchmen are becoming less impul
sive than thoy once xvere, and they have learnt
tho lessons of adversity with moro resignation
titan they havo received credit for.
Tho holding of an Indian Congress lias struok
terror to the souls of thoso who think that as
India was xvon by the sxvord it mnst bo kept in
subjection by tho sword. Tho better idea is
that everything possible should be dono to
create an educated public opinion in India, and
tho congress has really done nothing moro than
to initiate a movemont in that direction. A
popular representative Parliament is not yot a
possibility, but thero is no harm in looking for
ward to thotime, and making preparations for its
arrival, xvhen there xvill bo a sufficient number
of educated natives to form a constituency for
such a body, with limited powers at first, but
xvith the capacity of groxvth. To onsure safety
to tho stato it xvill only bo rcquisito to avoid
tho error — committed by the Imperial Parlia
ment in passing its last reform act—of
giving full political power to persons who could
neither read nor write. The mass of ignorance
in India is moro dense than in Great Britain or
Ireland, but improvement iB in rapid pro
gress, and there is no reason why those xvho
have acquired education should bo kept doxvn
till their less fortunato fellow citizens have be
come intelligent. It is to be hoped that tho con
gress will continue to be held year after year, so
that it may become an influential, though un
recognised, parliament of advice. "When tho
mox'cment has spread to the nativo States there
will be a prospect of tho ultimate formation of
a federation, whereby the power of tho central
government xvill be increased instead of suffer
ing diminution.
The food supply question is never at rest. It
is true that tliero has been no soarcity for many
years, but the comparative abundance is a result
of tho discussion itself, and of tho dissemination
of information resulting therefrom. The supply
has been maintained during the last year in a
way which puzzles not a fexv, for the exports
from tho United States have fallen off very
considerably — from 102,000,000 bushels in
1887 to 66,000,000 in 1888. It xvas only in
Russia that tho crop was above the fvorago,
and it is naturally supposed that the supply has
been kept up through the farmers bringing tlieir
grain into the market more freely than in pre
ceding years, in consequence of a slight riso in
prices. Thero has also been an unusunl absti
nence) from speculation in storing giain in
anticipation of higher rates being maintained.
If so, thero is a probability that stocks xvill run
loxv before next harvest, tho prospects of xvhich
will be scanned xvitli moro than usual interest.
Almost tho only storing speculation .on
a largo scalo xvas entered into in Austria,
and it lias come to grief. Tho chiof growers of
maize not only kept back their oxvn stocks, but
bought freely in tho market, and tho conse
quence is that thoy are noxv compelled to sell
out at an enormous loss. Tho crop of maize in
tho United States was a largo one, although the
exports foil off, the prico not being sufficiently
remunerative. Whilo thero is some anxiety,
thero is also much caution, and tlio market is
consequently remarkably steady. Tho crop
nexvs from Australia does not visibly affeot tho
market, but tho unfavorable information now
being received lias attraotcJ moro attention than
$