The Ashburton Guardian. Magna est Veritas et Prævalebit. TUESDAY, DECEMBER 27, 1887. THE SITUATION IN EUROPE.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 1725, 27 December 1887, Page 2

The Ashburton Guardian. Magna est Veritas et Prævalebit. TUESDAY, DECEMBER 27, 1887. THE SITUATION IN EUROPE.

The war clouds which for some time past have been slowly gathering on the European political horizon have suddenly massed up and assumed an ominous aspect. The cables to-day indicate that a storm is inevitable. In fact they are of such a sensational character as to raise doubts whether it will not sweep over the continent much sooner than was expected a short time ago. First of all we are told that "Count Hatzfeldt, the German Ambassador at the Court of St James, started suddenly for Berlin after conferring with the Marquis of Salisbury, who comes to London especially for the purpose of interviewing Count Hatzfeldt." This has an ominous look abcut it and certainly means that affairs have assumed a serious aspect. It is also stated that the Russian Government has given no assurance regarding the movement of the troops m Poland to the Russian Ambassador to the Court of Vienna nor has any explanation been made to the German and Austrian Ambassadors at S,t. Petersburg. This is seemingly making the Roumanians uneasy, for we learn from Bucharest that the Chamber of Deputies have voted a very large sum for the purpose of building forts and procuring armament for Roumania. Under these circumstances we are not surprised to learn that the European situation is causing much uneasiness m London. We are surprised^ however, to find that m thsir excitement the Londoners shoved have allowld themselves to take such a view ?s they have regarding the object of Lord Randolph Churchill's j. urney to St Petersburg. It stems that his Lordship and the Marquis of Salisbury have had a little i bit of a "tiff." Lord Churchill was on the ' po'nt of re-entering the Cabinet when he j renewed his demands for the expulsion , from the Ministry of Viscount Cross i £nd the promotion ol Mr W. H. Smith. I The Marquis of Salisbury refused to ' agree to the proposed course, and it is \ now thought that the object of Lord i Randolph Churchill's visit to Russia is \ t with a view to embarrassing the ! * Marquis of Salisbury. We cannot-' tblnjc sp meanly of Lord Churchill j r ?f to £>elie^e hjjp pity pj seeking I

such a despicable revenge on a former colleague. There are shrewd heads m London, however, and there may have been hints dropped which would apparently lead to no other conclusion. Further developments will be eagerly waited for, and as his Lordship was to have had an interview with Hts Majesty the Czar yesterday we may expect some very interesting intelligence m the course of the next few days.