The Feilding Star. THURSDAY, SEPT. 24, 1891. European Affairs

Feilding Star, Volume XIII, Issue 37, 24 September 1891, Page 2

The Feilding Star. THURSDAY, SEPT. 24, 1891. European Affairs

Taking the news from Europe we have received during the last few days, as a whole, we begin to fear that a peaceful solution of the difficulty among the great Powers, is getting more remote than ever. The alliance between France and Russia is a menace in itself. It is worthy of note that the fleets of these two nations abstain from taking part ia the demonstration to be made in Chinese waters by the fleets of England, Italy, Germany, and the United States. Evidences of .Russian intrigue in Turkey are being discovered e l . cry day, and not the least significant of these is that Kiamil Pasha, the grand Vizier who was dismissed from office owing to his adopting a policy favorable to England, but was solaced by a. pension of £3000 a year, a sum which will have probably to be calculated in Russian money. Rus sian newspapers have long assumed an antagonistic attitude to England, but lately their tone has become more aggressive than ever, and one of them in discussing the action of the British squadron at Sigra, had the cool as&urance to demand the punishment of the Admiral who was alleged to be responsible for the scare. Austria, that famous trimmer among the nations, or in colonial parlance, the nation which " sits on a rail" in times of trouble, has asserted that she will not regard the capture of Constantinople by the Russians as a casus belli. Prudently no doubt, for between Russia and France she would be crushed, as she was in the old days by the Great Napoleon, if she dared dispute their will. These two nations have renewed their demand that the British forces should be with drawn from Egypt, and that unhappy country again be given up to the worst kind of Ea.-tem tyranny, auarchy and confusion. We suspect that this demand will be treated by England in tho same manner as was its predecessor. One principal disturbing element is the singular — to put it mildly — course being followed by the Emperor of Germany. That autocrat appears as if he was anxious to provoke a breach of the national peace. He does not boldly say that he desires war. On the contrary he preaches peace, and is much given to prayer— to the God oi: battles. Emu lating, no doubt, the first Emperoi who made himself famous by his devout thanksgivings when his disciplined armies had exterminated a few thousands of untrained conscript Frenchmen. Act after act of indescretion is being piled up, each one oJ these apparently calculated to irritate the most irritable people under the sun. We need not enumerate; out will merely quote that cablegram, which informed us that the Emperoi was anxious that the birthday of a German poet named Korner, who incited the expulsion of the French in the year 1813, should be celebrated with enthusiasm, yesterday. He had the bad taste a few days before tc speak of that " parvenu Coreican " the Great Napoleon, who was not only a gentleman by birth, but the greatest soldier the world had seen for centries. None but a German could speak thus of one who, from being a simple officer, raised himself to the throne of the most gallant and warlike peopl9 of the earth. One whose laws govern the French nation to this day, and whose generalship is yet the wonder and admiration of all modern commanders. The Germans defeated the French m the last war, but they had nothing to boast of in conquering a people divided among themselves, and without leaders. If Germany and France are left to fight the matter out between themselves, the former nation will not be able to make France such an easy prey as in the late war. What was almost an open line of frontier then, now bristles with forts and cannon, belts, girdles and shields, armed with the most modern and rapid firing guns, as though toe French expected to act once more on the defensiye, while on the other hand, the Germans, while not forgetting their fortresses, look for the defence of their country rather to a powerful istrategicai offensive, trusting to the hand that wields the spear, whereas JFrauce prefers to use the shield. Everything points to war, and should that dire event come to pass the German Emperor will be largely to blame.

The following are the traffic returns for the four weeks ending the 15th August, 1891, and for the corresponding four weeks in 1890, for the Napier- Taranaki section : —

This increase is very satisfactory. It will be a source of much gratification to intending settlers to know thai the famous Laud Bill of Mr McKenzie, which was to " nationalize the land " and revolutionise freehold tenure, was so emasculated in the Upper House, that the disappoiuted Ministry have had to drop the meaßure altogether. We hope that the Cabinet will now have been educated luto the knowledge that the desire to possess the freehold of their land is too firmly implanted in the breasts of all freemen", to be rooted out at the caprice of a Minister who was inspired with the fad of " a half cracked Yankee " as Sir George Whitmore so aptly expressed it.

1891 1890 Passengers 5001 8 7 3954 12 5 Parcehj ... 472 16 4 345 14 4 Goods ... 6036 0 1 4953 4 3 Mis'laneous 378 18 3 362 14 10 £11,889 3 3 £9616 510