OTHER PEOPLE'S SCARES.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 223, 26 October 1909, Page 1

OTHER PEOPLE'S SCARES.

CIER.MANY HAS ONE ON AT PRESENT.

After lii,. accusation uf being "a hysterical people" that has been Hung at'us recently, it is highly satisfactory to dis(.ivi'i: (hat we arc not the only Europeans who indulge in ".scares" (savs l'tarsoiis Weekly).

(formally has one on hand at present, and it appears that a British cruiser is the innocent cause. During the recent liiltic cruise of the Cornwall the captain intimated his intention of paying a visit to Kiel.

A dense mist prevailed ut the time, aiul (lie harbor authorities, who had been advised of the cruiser's pending sir. rival in the evening, did not expect her to put in an appearance before morning. When day broke, however, the official world at Kiel was staggered to find tlie Cornwall moored in her assigned position and apparently quite at home. | !>lie had navigated the difficult Kiel liord in the darkness and mist without a pilot on board; and not only giat, but investigation showed that she had done the same thing at Danzig and Swinemunde.

A Herman newspaper Immediate'.J lashed its readers into a panic. "Whai would happen in the event of a sudden outbreak of war with England?'' it screamed. "They would not have the slightest clilliculty in bottling, up the High Seas Fleet in Kiel or elsewhere!" (Jermany, in her turn, creates "scares" in the countries all round her. Belgium and Holland, in particular, are constantly worrying themselves into a fever over the possibility of their 'big neighbor swallowing iheni up. One Belgian nowspaper kept its readers awake for several nights on account of a discovery it maue in a German geography book.

The book, the use of which was said to be obligatory in most schools, contained this passage: "lielgiuin, .Switzerland, Liclitenstcin, Holland, Luxemburg, and Denmark are considered as forming part of tieriuany, because they are mostly situated inside her natural boundaries." Then Denmark and Switzerland and the others began to scream.

Switzerland had another "ecare" all on its own account. Xol very long ago several battalions of Italian Alpine troops on skis appeared on the Theodule l'ass, above Zcrmatt, and had the town practically at their mercy. With great rapidity and precision the troops carried out some manoeuvres on the height - between the ilatterhorn and the Theodulhorn, and then disappeared Uii suddenly as they had come.

The incident raised a storm of excitement in tlie Swiss I'ri'js. Where, they demanded, were the twelve battalions of mountain troops and artillery for which tnonev was voted in the-Swiss Parliament';'

A few .weeks ago the Parisian boulcyurde Press bubbled over with excitement. Four German balloons had descended in France within forty-eight hours, and, as one, of the papers complained, "It is raining German 'balloons." One little country mayor wrote up in a state of great agitation. He had seen a balloon driven over his village by a violent wind, and he had mounted his hoiw, and pursued it till it came to earth,

The occupants, he reported, three men and two ladies, had with'them "elaborate photographic apparatus of military appearance." Other mayors sought to cover themselves with glory, and the Minister of War received u string of frantic telegrams from various parts of (he country. Holland is probably the' last place on Hie face of the earth that the mont imperialistic of us would think of annexing, but there is an uneasy fear amongst siime of Queen'Wilhelmina's subjects that »e harbor sinister designs against them.

Italy, though by reason of the Tripic Alliance she is supposed to be the pot particular friend of Austria and Germany, is very nervous over Austria's decision to build more Dreadnoughts, and complains that, considering Austria's small coast-line, they are quite unnecessary.

Russian newspapers have been pouring oil on the troubled waters of our own Herman "scare" by getting up some excitement over the. Atistro-Gcriiuui entente. In some quarters it has actually been advocated that tic official nrchivi. should be. removed from St. Petersburg because the capital is too much exposed to the. possibility of capture by the armies of her western neighbors.