Show CURRENT TOPICS IN EUROPE austrian maneuvers Manou Mansu vers tyrolese soldiers changes in modern warfare french freach jokes eng lands preparations agostas Marri marriage ae turkeys finances mohammedan lethargy romes reception the military war convers of austrian troops have taken place near vienna have been watched with interest not merely by austrians Aust rians but by other european nations as well alt would be difficult to come across aciner set of men than those comprised in the deputations from S syna oarin this thia carniela Car niola and salzburg the tyrolese tyrolean chavey the impression ol of being singularly brave and resolute they are marksmen mai kamen true and evidently there is the stuff of many a william tell in the mountains of the tyrol this is the cradle of the best austrian marksmen and to oe a crack shot in these parts is to be an ideal hero As a consequence the emperor and austrian Aub trian gov t t rement have long lone been well disposed t jward these therie hardy mountaineers in ID the american civil or dr ula uncivil c alvil war and in the franco frasco fru prussian so i an war the austrian military authorities were by no means idle idl observers abacon As a consequence military science has made rapid strides in austria new mud and terrible tei weapons and explosives have badii devised devi sect and perfected invisible forts dW disappearing appearing oan cannons quick fir ing and machine guns and magazine rifles of great range and marvelous ac cur racy are some of the new forces with which the enemies of austria will have to contend also steel shells charged with and other high explosives capable not merely ot of mowing down clown forests but likewise of destroying destroy iua heavy walls and barta works it itis Is not likely that future wars will furnish much opportunity for men in columns or in close in the presence of an enemy if the russian cavalry at balaklava Bila klava could not withstand the ninety thirds thin red line and muzzle loaders what chance would the in the world have in a charge against even a skirmish line armed with magazine rifles germany lost nearly seven thousand of a quarter after an at privat through sending baem va forward in solid masses against the french chasse pots the germans quickly corrected their error erro and in subsequent u battles fought in more open order a formation now become far more imperative owing to the adoption apt of magazine rifles in continental ar thies ies TJ fo some extent it is this change in the modes and mech mechanism of mod ern era warfare alfa has bas paused that widespread feeling eeling af insecurity wah which pre val vails 8 amo among q many european nations ang and calli aliel N those enem s remarkable able articles aubi ut bed ill t the in regard to naval warfare lord C darles B f 0 r d on a september jtb made some re remarkable m ark able statements he said steam am and speed these are the dominant factors in the naval warfare of the future within five minutes of the declaration of war the swiftest and most powerful ships in the navy ought to be launched like th thunderbolts thunder under bol bolts ts against the weak points of the enemy hitherto it ft has been considered that the british fleet was able to cope with theA pets of any two allied nations this was true in the days of nelson when commerce was a comparative luxury which britons could dispense with for then they were drom te the products of their fl fields eldis today one half the people of england would absolutely have no bread to eat but bilt tor for the food that comes in over the sea no doubt the british 4 fiet et could meet that of france mud aud camle off but that mat is precisely jhabia not permitted since the british fleet in 18 scattered to all parts of we me world protect protecting tag the colonies and commerce no enemy would be mad nought to in avade britain unless he had command ut ui the sea and if he bad command of the sea would be risk an invasion inva luvas lofft when he might compel submission by ruin lax hag our coni meree lord dolse v ey glands En favorite general says much of our oar military drill is useless though very pretty in hyde park and ana amusing to nurse maids from these expressions it is eviden evident that important changes are pending the wicked infidels of paris are last now making jokes jakes at the expense of pope leo all and the twenty thousand dollars license he has issued for the duke of aosta aasta to marry his own niece by this marriage the princess becomes stepmother to belcou alus sister alster in law as well as wee to the king of italy and aunt to he her r own brothers and sisters more wonderful still she is sister in law to her own mother while the duke is son in law to his bis own brother cousin to his bis own children and nephew to his bis brother the king of italy talk about conr bah they dont know anything compared with chatan what aa italian historian know to trace out these eBeor ogle meanwhile the preparations go ou 01 presents processions professions process ions illuminations military parades all will bip be given to add a false glory to or rather nide bide the shame of an u incestuous marriage three german generals in the employ ot of the sultans government have gone on a strike that is to say they have thrown up their appointments the strikers demand payment ol of arrears increase of wages and regular month i for the demands the sultan replies that hie he has no money sor nor seed see s a prospect of getting any everybody in the ottoman empire is on a strike more or less and it only remains for the sultan himself to follow the example ier his subjects no money no sultan such a catastrophe would be even worse than the strike of the german generals aa it to make matters worse the russian gov government has seized this moment of general stagnation to demand its ita littau autly bill in default of which it may seize ou on a few of the sultans outlying pro vinc estor although his bis sublimity has no money he has property which can be seized england also holds balds a heavy mortgage on the ottoman empire and so the much dreaded eastern question seems likely to solve itself by the I 1 11 t brally indefinite suspension of cash payments it la Is reported report cd that the sultan spends an iLer incredible edible sum varying from one thousand to one thousand two hundred million dollars annually on hla his household at constantinople this must be a gross exaggeration otherwise nearly the whole revenue at a I 1 the country wald bo ba spent in maintaining malata ining the sultan and the twelve thousand persons that form his bis retinue there can be nu no that the sultan spends far too much on his bis palace anu their inmates and he would act wisely in cutting down his expenditures to a moderate sum aven even if it were necessary to shut up half his bis palaces and discharge three fourth fourt of alt als over retinue As matters now stand the sultans army starves qu on hilf rations or no ration 4 while a parcel of idle people of no earthly utility live luxurious lives even evea with all drawbacks the sultans Sultan 9 devenne is amply sufficient to pay all debts it if the finances of turkey were administered like those of any other nation what a change from former times when the mohammedan armies captured Jern jerusalem ealem they sent for the califf omar to come and take formal possession of the city and it is said he made the journey alone riding on a red camel with a bag of dates tor for hi bis own food and a bag of corn for his imel camel the first great achievement of the mohammedan power was the of public schools beside every mosque ue throughout their dominions to mew adem we are indebted for the science of algebra and oar our present system of arithmetical notation they first arst taught us the roti rotundity hadity of the earth ther The first medical college in europe where human bodies were dissected and the first astronomical observatory were those established in the mohammedan dominions in the lands still ruled by them the first great nation was born the first well erg organized iced government was formed and tx atre cradle cradie of civilization was irked from lands still ruled by tile the bullan issued that api spiritual ritual and intellectual light which to a greater or hess less degree pervades pery ades society ci ett ano and is 19 destined to dominate the world how degraded have edans become they now look with dread upon that great evangel of progress the locomotive which has brought their capital within a two days journey ot of central europe how will it be when the iron horse will cross crosa the straits where xerxes crossed and the iron rails are laid up the mountain lands of Bithy Bit hynia rila and cappadocia through gli the plains of mes mesopotamia op otalia and the grand old val leys ul f the tigris and euphrates to where at the head of the persian gulf they shall meet allks alik the waves and commerce of the orient what a transfiguration will then take place when the natural riches of the east shall be enhanced with the industry and vigor of the west woon the citizens of britain can caa take their autumn holiday by visiting the of cyrus and alexander and the ruins of nineveh babylon and palmyra I 1 I 1 perhaps the next great social also great political event will be the grand reception of the emperor of germany at borne in october this wal be the first official dial visit of a crowned head since it became the capital of united italy plenty of bonaros ve visited 13 but hey have coma came some tl old emperor william came as far as milan in 1875 ana aock was there met by king victor EMa emanuel rittel but bat no official visit has yet been paid to the capital of lp modern I 1 ialy I 1 aly for fear of wounding the susceptibilities of the pope by the way it is said that considerable diplomacy 1510 macy was necessary before the pro gramme of this visit was finally arranged the pope is said to be satisfied that the visit shall take place the government of italy is making great preparations thirty thousand of italis finest troops will ivill be reviewed on OD the famous campagna Ron montana tana A grand rece reception tion will take place pace at the capitol zo adso a fantastic illumination of the colosseum the ancient palace of the caesars caesara Cae sars and the ancient roman itoman forum J H W EUROPE september 1888 |