THE WAR CLOUD IN EUROPE.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume V, Issue 1447, 4 January 1887, Page 3

THE WAR CLOUD IN EUROPE.

The state of tension m Europe is now so severe that it is almost certain that a collision between some of the great military Powers must occur at an early date. Germany and France are armed to the teeth, and each is bent on rivalling the other m the completeness of her military preparations. On the side of Fiance, General Boulanger has strained every nerve to bring the army of the Republic into the most efficient fighting trim, and is anxious to win laurels for himself and his country by wiping out the reverses of the last great struggle under Napoleon 4he Third, while all France dreams of wresting once more from the talons of the German Eagle the coveted provinces of Alsace and Lorraine. And never, perhaps, m all her history had France a more powerful military force than she now possesses, and once more the pride of powet and the confidence of strength may induce her to precipitate the impending struggle. A distinguished English officer, who commanded a brigade m the Soudan, was recently present at the French military manoeuvres, and writes admiringly 0/ the condition of the French troops, while of Boulanger he predicts thai his name will yet loom largely m the history of his country. ' He is essentially a fighting general, and it may be predicted that he will prefer to take, if possible, the first move. On her side Germany is equally on the alert, and while even now infinitely stronger than she was when she last tried conclusions with her Gallic neighbor, is yet seeking to increase her numerical strength ; while, recognising that modern battles are affairs of weapons rather than of nun, she is busy arming her troops with the most deadly smallarm yet invented— the repeating rifle. A recent cablegram has it that the current opinion is that Germany will take the initiative by crossing the Rhine, and that within a few weeks, and it may be assumed that France, waiting to spring, will watch for a pretext to anticipate her. And while these two Great Powers stand ready to spring at each other's throat, Russia is watching her own opportunity, and the latest news states that she is believed to be waiting a favorable moment to occupy Bulgaria m force. She has been manceuvering for this for months past, and her chance will come so soon as France and Germany have crossed swords. Indeed the indications point to an understanding between herself and Franca,, on this point, hence it would seem' that Germany will have to reckon with both Powers as offensive' an 4 defensive allies. In that case Austria will necessarily thrown m her lot with Germany, and probably Italy also, and as the latter Power can, it is said, within a week, mobilise an army of half a million men, the tripartite Germano-Latin alliance will present a front of steeel which Russia and France combined will find it hard to break. It is of course possible that, as has happened before, the war-cloud may drift away without discharging its accumulated lightning, but the probabilities point lhe other way, and we are strongly of opinion that the return of spring will be the signal for the bursting of th-> storm. So far as can be seen at pres g it seems quite possible that Great

Britain will escape involvement but she will do well to be prepared tor the opposite contingency, ior once the match is applied to the mass of combustibles which the Europe of to-day presents, il is impossible to predict how far the conflagration may spread.