Our Paris Letter.

Manawatu Herald, 10 March 1894, Page 3

Our Paris Letter.

(jTROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.) Paris, 18th January. The German Military Law reoently passed . by the lUchstag, has not been allowed to sleep, bat bao been put in force at onoe. It is now ■aid, that the peace effective of the German Army concentrated on the European Continent, is superior to that of Francs by 200,000 men. This additional force of two hundred thousand men is, moreover, not on paper, but present with the colours. The French peace effective on the European Continent is permanently diminished by 60,000 employed in "Algeria and Tunip, as also by the colonial forces stationed in Tonqnin and elsewhere. It in also said that the number of soldiers absent en conge and in the hospitals, amounts to 40,000 ; but, oven reckoning them ag. effective, the advantage in nura ber would still -be greatly on the tide of Germany. As the peace effectives are likely to bear the brunt in the event of war, if; ia advisable to toep them as strong as possible, for ii; is not probable iSai iho fall fighting strength of any European nation would ever be called upon. Wars of f extermination are not in accordance with the spirit of the aga. Princa Windischgraet is beginning to find out, that in Austria there is only one method of Government possible -that of his predecessor. Count Taaffe. Either the congeries of semi-independent States must be played off one against the other, or a national policy must be invented, in which all can unite, if they choose to do so. The latter policy is what was indicated by Count Taaffe's Universal Suffrage Bill. Not that he particularly valued Univeral Suffrage, but he thought to out the ground under the feet of the " Young Cjeohs" and other advocates of the break-up of the Austrian Empire into warring fragments by offering all Austrians a vote in the National Reiohsrath, and thus to give them a direct interest in the maintenance of the Austrian Empire. The Windischgraetz Ministry has been placed in power to combat this latter policy; but it finds that it is extremely difficult, under present ciroumsUnces, to adopt the former polioy, and to play one nationality against the other. Signor Crispi has taken the best "means of settling the Sicilian disturbances by proclaiming martial . law, and sending to the island an adequate lorce to restore law and Qrder. aHe denies, tor ceaeons pro*bably more politic than veracious, >h»t ioraign money has been fur--nlahed to the rioters for the purpose of prolonging what can hardly be dignified with the name of an insurrection. Signor Crispi is himaelta'Sioilian, and he exactly knows what the Sicilians are capable of and what they are not. The real truth v seems to be, that local self-govern-ment in Sicily is just the very thing that Sicilians do not want, and that they much prefer to be ruled directly by the Central Power, which has no motive for acting oppresively or unjustly, while as much cannot be ■aid for the local authorities. .The disturbances in Sicily take form of tyranny and oppression by a group of Sicilians over the great majority of the Sicilian population. On the occasion of the Russian New Year, the Emperor conferred the Order of St. Andrew on M. de y Giers, the Minister for Foreign Affairs. In the rescript bestowing the decoration the Emperor says : — Since you have taken charge of the very responsible duty of directing the Ministry for Foreign Affairs you have supported in every possible way .- our views concerning the mainten- ' aoce of friendly relations with other Powers.