UNEASY EUROPE. RUSSIAN DESIGNS ON CONSTANTINOPLE MASSING OF TROOPS. OMINOUS MILITARY PREPARATIONS. THE GERMAN EMPEROR AND PEACE. SIR CHARLES DILKE'S OPINION. London, September 12.

North Otago Times, Volume XXXV, Issue 7270, 19 October 1891, Page 4

UNEASY EUROPE. RUSSIAN DESIGNS ON CONSTANTINOPLE MASSING OF TROOPS. OMINOUS MILITARY PREPARATIONS. THE GERMAN EMPEROR AND PEA CE. SIR CHARLES DILKE'S OPINION. London, September 12.

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bly be reinforced by Russia if there were any proapeot of an unprovoked attack on her, bat above al', he reoognises the inoreaiing power of European opinion, and seen the necessity of deferring to it. In the next great war the Power, which is kb decisively condemned by the publio opinion of Europe as wai France in the first few months of 1870, will fight under a real, thoagh invisible, disadvantage. Of course it will still be possible) for a mastor of diplomacy lo give his oountry all the appearanoe of the provoked and injured party, while at the bottom, the first proTooation and aggression cornea from bis aide. In the recently pub« liehed life of Max Duncker, tho friend of the late Emperor Frederick, and the historian of the Mediterranean people, there it a letter from the then Crown Prince, in which, writing after the Danieh war, and before the Auitrian one, he says that war is desired a« a meani of esoapiog fiom the diffioultiei of domestic politico. That ii perfectly plain, and were even the Duke of Aaguitenburg to yield to or accept still harder conditions than those whioh have been oflered to him, we have a man (Prince Biamarok) in our midst who would know how to manage 10 as to bring about complications and have the war they want. That ia one of the several admissions whioh we have had from German sources lately, and a particularly interesting one. The common theory is that Franca will attaok Germany as soon as she considers herself ready, but I am of the opinion that neither Germany or France will deliberately and conßclouily bring abuut a war, and yet we all expect a struggle that will involve moßt of Europe, and he would be a very sanguine man who expected the nineteenth century to close without iti taking plaoe, The real danger is not, in the first plaoe, either Franoe or Germany, but Rueiia. There is a profound racial antipathy letweon the Germans and Russians, which has hardly a parallel eleewhere in Europe. Certainly there is such an antipathy between the Frenchman and the German, who would indeed understand and appreciate eaoh other well enough it they wore not divided by unfortunate historical events. In tho eeoond plaoe, the temptation to escape from internal difficulties by forcing war is almost constant with the Russian Government. In tho third place, Rußflia has before her the proipeot of having to renounce her secular ambitioas in eouth-eaatern Europe, and she gains nothing by postponement. It ia hardly conceivable that Rußßia will not make at least one desperate effort to recover the ground she has lost, and to stand at leaßt as well in tho Balkans aa ehe did before tho war of 1877. In other words, she aud Austria will oome to blows, for the way to Constantinople lies through Vienna, and Germans will, by the inevitable force of ciroumetunoes, take part with Austria, Thou will oome tho day of trial for the French stiteamou and the Fiench people, and thon will be seen the danger of such effusions aa thoue of Oronetadt, It will be praotioally impossible for Franoe, after all that haß been eaid and done of late to look on while Russia is involved in a great war, aud the first of Germany's troops to the Russian frontiur will ccc the advance of Franoe upon the Rhine."

The Foreign Office liore is kept in a stati- of somo uneasiness over projeos ascribed to hussia involving the opening of tho Dardanelles aud the seizme of ( onstantinoplo. These intentions muy exist only in the imaginations of certain correspondents, but there is information in the Foreign Oflico sufficient to justify tho belief that Russia is about 10 »tmt on a new and important lino of policy. Tie contingfucicx ia question have n< t been spiling upon us untwares. 1b y were foreseen when tho German Emperor was hore Beyond a doubt they euteicd iuto tho subjects discussed during his visit to the Queen at Windsor and to Lord Salisbury at Hattield House. They were considered on all sides, and the tone of the German press at this moment shows the impression which was made. The most important journals point out thafc an attack by Russia upon Constantinople, or hostile movement against England in Egypt would not affect Enghnd alono but would concern all Europe. England could not be Jeft to deal with tho difficulty single-handed. That is surely a very important notification to nil whom it may concern Hussia is rapidly increasing her fleet and is trying to get her finances straight, and means to have a general mobilization of all her forces next year. Tt may be that all this means nothing, but that is not the view taken in Berlin or London. Preparations on one side justify preparations on the other. England and Germany will not bo idle dining the next few months. As for helping Russia permanently out of tho Dardanelles difficulty, it cannot be done, and ought not to bo at tempted. Th.t ia tho growing feeling here. A correspondent who has been visit ing the Russian south western frontier, in Bessarabia, as far as the Danube, says that troops arc rapidly arriving, and in large numbers. This would be the base of departure for a Russian army advancing towards the Balkans and Constantinople. At Tvitschkoff four regiments were quartered, where, last year, there were only two. At Vulkova Kilia five regiments had re cently arrived in addition to the men alieady there. At Kogul three regiments arrived about a month ngo, and at Julpuch reinforcements of 7000 men had recently taken up their <juai tors. Troops are pouring in at tho same late iuto other villages. These places are of little consequence apait from their s tuution, where an army of invasion would naturally conceutvate. In view of these Lets the correspondent concludes that Rusiii in'ends at no distant day to mike acrcsi the Danube tor ConatAatinople, and that ber pie- i paratiooa should jliow that tliis time | 3he means to have a force sufficient to overcome all obatacles. Og September 7, the Emperor William, in the coarse of his reply to the iddress of welcome by the Munich municipal authorities, referring to tho peace of Earope, said he would be q atefal to his high allies if he were supported in his efforts to preserve fictc', At the Town Hull next day, Lroj^rcr "William, reply to an address of welcome tendered him on behalf of the citizens of Munich, and distinct from the official welcome extended by the Burgomaster and other municipal officers last night, said : " I shall give your city a warm place in my heart, if only on account of the many tokens of devotion manifested by the citizens of Munich toward my grandfather, my father, and myself, which are a guaran. tee of your loyalty " There was a parade of all tho German troops stationed in the Cassel district to-day, which afforded a biilliunt spectacle. The Emperor and Empress, King of Saxony, Grand Duke of Hesse, Grand Duke of Saxc- Weimar, Duke of Edinburgh, Prince and Princess Henry of Prussia, Prince Albrecht, and others of high rank were present. Emperor William will now go to Etfuir, where he will review tho Fourth Army Corps Some of the phra.scs used by Flis Majesty in his «peech at the banquet at Cassel havo added to the uneasiness which now prevails throughout tho country. Ho recalled the time when, as a staff' officer, he entered Cnssel in 1871 with •.ho victorious Hessian troops. Ho trusted, he said, that the Hessians, in the event ot f reign tioubles, would help him to fulfil his duties. Coming ho soon after the allusion made at Munich to future triumphs of tho f'.ivfirinn troopß, His Majesty's utterance at CciHKfl is folt to be a veiled rnonnco to foreign enemies and a warning for tho country to courageously prep iro for tiouble. Hill the convicton remains unshaken in official en elf % that a prolonged period of diplomatic intriguo will precede a collision of tho Powers.

London, September 12. European feeling has been rendered kr-finly sensitive by the proofs that luivo been lately given of the understanding between France and Russia, by Emperor William's recent speech, in which ho said if war came it would not bo Germany's fault, by the Dardanelles affair, and lastly by rumors of the Husso- Afghan trouble. Sir Charles Dilke, one of the best informed statesmen on Europeans affairs, in an interview, said to-day : 11 Thin disclaimer of all warlike intentions on the park of Germany is a »ood thing, as it indicates that Germany will bo very careful to put herself light with European feeling boforo bho embarks upon a war. In other words, no such attack as that which was only prevented by England and Kussia in 1875 is any longer possible. 1 he young Emperor quite understands that Fiance is a great deal stronger than she then was, and would proba{Coalinned on hi Page.)