Show A DANGEROUS ALLIANCE transatlantic dispatches bring us the startling intelligence that russia and france have entered into an alliance both for offensive ond and defensive purposes the czar did not manifest until recently a disposition to enter into any relations with france beyond the external forms of comity demanded by international courtesy the parts paris treaty of 1887 though approved by the grand dukes vladimir and nicholas yet was rejected by the czar after the late elections election sin in france this same treaty was again presented to to him for ratification but by him a second time rejected nw now comes the news by way of berlin that this treaty has been accepted by the czar and that the fact will be announced officially in a short abort time the czar of russia has invested president carnot with the grand crow cross of the order of st andrew this is the highest russian decoration and heretofore has been confined to mem bers ben of the imperial family or to sovereigns peculiarly favorable to the russian throne the question is what induced russia to this action it is well known that up to a very recent dute date the czar was opposed to an alliance with france was it because Ger germany aWny austria and italy bad formed a sort of triple alliance was it because the czar knew that alliance with england was out of the question and that there was a possibility in the event of war of england going with that triple alliance the czar saw that the only power in europe to ally himself with was france between German yand france a cordial feeling can not exist for some time at least As to preat britain her ber interests ln have been threatened by the czar for many years yeam and it will be her benefit to ally herself with powers hostile to him she has her asiatic provinces to protect and retain she has also interests interest in egypt and in the suez canal and in the event of turkey getting embroiled she could not well stand aloof the czar is pushing his bis dominion in asia with mighty strides he is building railroads and working schemes by which he can establish a vast industrial empire on that f continent already he has ham announced his intention of raising cotton by irrigation and enough of it to supply the whole of europe he has demonstrated that it can be done at the present time he be has commissioners in this country who are informing themselves of the latest and most moist improved methods in cotton raising and manufacture the best market for american cotton is in russia and it if this scheme should prove a success it would hurt one important industry of the united but what appears most moat serious of all is in the prospect of a great european war with alliances alllan cef offensive and defensive of the kind now in force among european nations it to is fearful to bontem 1 plate what that would mean inde pendant of the life and property that would be destroyed destroy eds it would mum a reconstruction of the whole map of europe and possibly of asia whether it would affect this continent it is hard to tell but then when confusion is king what is safe or what is unsafe cannot be well defined ned europe wants a war and war is one of the probabilities its millions of standing armies must have bave employment or they will turn and rend their own governments then it is likely that the shrewd and ambitious rulers at their heads may turn them loose on each other and let them exercise their martial cial callings lings there is danger in the air of europe |