The Ashburton Guardian. Magna est Veritas et Prevalebit. MONDAY, OCTOBER 25, 1886. THE EUROPEAN SITUATION.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume V, Issue 1379, 25 October 1886, Page 2

The Ashburton Guardian. Magna est Veritas et Prevalebit. MONDAY, OCTOBER 25, 1886. THE EUROPEAN SITUATION.

Referring to the prevalence throughout Europe of a general impression that the outbreak of a great war is imminent, the Ne:a Zealand Herald 'devotes an exceedingly able article to the discussion of the situation. It points out that “ there is on all hands increased activity in the preparations. Germany and France are described as racing against each other in the haste with which their infantry are furnished with new varities of the repeating rifle. The Russian Government are ; holding reviews and army movements near St. Petersburg, to which foreign officers are invited, and on a larger scale in Lithuania, to which foreign officers are not invited. In the English dockyards, the arming and fitting ! out of the new ships of war lately in ; preparation, are being rapidly pushed i forward. The authorities in Vienna arc said to have acquired a rifle which can discharge forty shots a minute. The unexpected production of the improved needle-gun enabled Prussia to become Germany. The lesson has not been lost sight of, and there is since the belief that each of the Great Powers has its own novelties unknown to the rest, and only to be brought forth on critical occasion. Cautious as the various Governments visibly are, it is plain that the armed peace cannot last. The European Continent hteially groans under the burden of the conscription It will not be permanently endured, that is certain ; and then the annual cost to the Governments is ! enormous. Some Power will therefore seize what n ay seem ils opportunity for breaking such a peace, and precipitating matters ; and when Prince Bismarck is ready to assist Russia to break it, it looks as if he thought they could pretty well control the situation by pulling together.” Referring to Bismarck’s official organ having declared in favor of the acquisition of Constantinople by Russia, our contemporary asks “What is to he Germany’s quid pro ijuo ?” and thus proceeds to diagnose the position. “To find the answer, we must note the present national ambitition of Prince Bismarck. It is a great maiitime ambition. We see it in the multitude of his recent annexations —in the North Pacific, in New Guinea, in East Africa, in Patagonia. Everyone knows that Germany has an extensive seaboard ; but there are projects for enlarging it ; and soon after the Franco-German war it was reported over Europe—and we believe the fact is undoubted that the Chancellor invited successively the Danish and the Belgian monarchs to enter the German Empire on the same fooling as the Kings of Bavaria, Saxony, and Wurtemberg, at present. Those overtures were stopped by the intervention of the other Powers. Russia was particularly furious at the idea of a German annexation of Denmark. It would hand over to a great rival Power the strait of the Sound —the key of the Baltic—the key to the water approaches of the Russian capital. But, if Russia is to be helped to the Bosphorus and the Hellespont, would she any longer oppose Germany’s possession of the Sound? Is that to be the quid pro quo? Of course, St. Petersburg, in such a case, wouid no longer answer for a capital—would sink into a mere provincial city. But the Muscovite nation would not regret that. They never loved St. Petersburg, and it promoted the popularity of the “ Sclavonic party ” —the constitutional agitators—that they proposed to bring back the teat of Government to the ancient metropolis Moscow, urging that, in these railway days, communication with the outer world is easy for a Government, even in the heart of the Empire. C/.ir Peter founded St. Petersburg because he wanted a maritime site for his capital; but that Imperial position of Constantinople, alike important in a political, a military, and a commercial sense, would be worth a dozen St. Peteisburgs. . . . Unfortunately, there has been of late years in Denmark very angry feeling between the King and the great majority of his subjects, who charge him with anticonstitutional courses. By the last mail, we see that the quarrel lias grown ti such a head that a revolution would not be improbable. It does seem a curious coincidence that the crisis should occur at the present juncture. Certainly Prince Bismarck would not tolerate a revolution in little Denmark, close beside him. He would immediately occupy the country with German troops; and the King, then dependent on Beilin for protection, might be less unwilling than formerly j to enter the German Empire. There may be nothing in it after all, but most assuredly Russ.a is not to be helped without some balancing again ; and, as the Chancellor’s diplomacy has been

no sec el in regard to Denmark or Holland or Belgium, one naturally

looks in some such direction to observe what may now happen by way of German profit from the newlyfledged alliance.”