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Show .A BRIEF WORLD REVIEW. Nothing especially startling came to Europe in the past twelve months. Great Britain was busy gathering up the raveled ends left after the Boer war and weaving them into a mantle of peace. Her manufacturing interests have become be-come a great concernment to her, and her statesmen states-men are seeking remedies for the wrongs that have crept into her manufacturing and trade interests, in-terests, and Mr. Chamberlain has declared that a change of her free trade policy is imperative. As a rule, however, her most eminent men ascribe her late misfortunes in trade to want of alertness and intelligence and are crying out for better schools and better work. Some notable deaths have occurred in England, the-most notable, perhaps, per-haps, being Lord Salisbury and Herbert Spencer. There is nothing to record for France, except that the Republic is holding its own and the signs indicate that the last monarchy for France has passed away. Germany is increasing in power and extending extend-ing her trade wonderfully. She has now the finest ships on the sea and is vigilant beyond all her European rivals in extending her commerce. She is rushing to completion a great navy and that her Emperor has ambitious designs there can be little doubt. A great deal of disquietude, however, is being felt about that same Emperor. He has undergone a serious operation in the throat lately and while the attending, surgeons say there are no alarming symptoms the world keeps in mind that the Etaperor's father died of cancer of the laiynx and that his mother likewise died of cancer. Russia has opened the Siberian road to general gen-eral traffic and the cry in St. Petersburg is "all aboard for Moscow., the Caspian Sea, Port Arthur and Vladivostok." The building of the road means that commerce has established some new stations for the grant world's trade. Russia has kept all lovers of peace in suspense by her maneuvers in Manchuria. As a rule war between Russia and -Sy ; : H Japan has been, imminent every other day for H months to those who read and believe the daily H dispatches, but! we think the world is settling H down to the conclusion that Russia intends to !( H hold that country and all northern China down flfl to the Great Wall. We believe that the region was ceded to Russia when she interposed to stop B the Japanese-Chinese war and was kept a secret B to avoid arousing the jealousies of certain Euro- B pean nations. Every act of Russia since before "' fl she became possessed of Port Arthur has but con- firmed that belief. j ' B There has been continued heart-burning in j ' fl Austria and Hungary, and all' the indications I point to a swift disintegration of that nation so ! H sopn as the aged Francis Joseph' dies. j fl The most important events in Italy during H the past year were the death of Pope Leo and H the election of Pope Pius. The two events filled' j H the thoughts of the Catholic world for months. j H There has been continued trouble in Mace- j j H donia,and Bulgaria for months, because of the' , H deviltry of the Turk and tho barbarity of his' H soldiers, and many peopl'e look forward to war ' H there so soon as warm weather comes. The- H United States has been forced on two occasions H to send warships to Turkish ports because of the ; ,. H acts of Turkish officials toward American repre- T H sentatives. Turkey will have to be abolished be- , fore very long, but it will be a big undertaking ' M for, the whole Moslem power will be enlisted H and those fanatics are fighters and they number H hundreds of millions. In Asia besides her opera- tions in Manchuria Russia is pushing her branch H road down toward the Persian gulf. In ten years more Russia will bo in a position to assume the M offensive and then the nations or the Old World H will have something doing. B China is as unwieldy as ever"" and is a grow- ing concernment to mankind. B India has managed to raise food enough to feed her people, but India is not prosperous. Com-' mon sense continues to point to the necessity of ' restoring silver on some basis for the salvation of both India and China. M In Africa Great Britain is redeeming Egypt' H and the mines in the south are one by one swift- ly resuming their old work. H Diaz the great, has been again elected Presi- fl dent of Mexico. The prosperity of that Republic H continues with increasing ratio. H After the United States sonate ratified the I Panama Canal Treaty which Colombia had begged I our country to accept, her own Congress refused I to consider it. It was a clear intention on her I part to extort more money from the United I States. With the rejection of the treaty the state I of Panama seceded from Colombia. She was rec- ognized as a sovereign state, a new treaty for the fl Panama canal was negotiated with her agents and ' fl will doubtless be ratified. fl In our own country there has been general t fl prosperity, though great floods swept the old fl west and the Missouri valley in the spring fl months, though last year was unusual for the fl great number of acqidents recorded and for the fl general unrest and strikes among working men's fl unions. fl A great harvest was gathered and the trade I of the country, domestic and foreign has been of I tremendous proportions. The approaching pres- fl identlal election has been a disturbing element, fl m, i v B .' 'M both of the groat parties are playing for advant- B! I P S ages, business Is more or less disturbed on that B 1 1 J lH ' I account, and partisan passion Is in a measure ob- Hfl jL i structlng the legitimate business of Congress. Bji a , I The most discouraging" feature of the year has j 'I y if been the strikes, and the 'most discouraging fea- Bil lt i turo t the strikes has been the moristrous 'de- B ) i J ' j ' mands of the labor unions. A general clash be- K ii ' a tween labor and capital seems imminent in the m'' ' near future. That nearly 900,000 immigrants, the HE ( ' !I ' great body of them from Southern Europe, have H, i f" landed on our shores during the year is a fact Hk! I f , which does not soothe the disqitotude of thought- H , i ' ' I i'nl men. |
