North Otago Times• PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 3, 1898. THE OZAR'S PROPOSAL.

North Otago Times, Volume XXXVI, Issue 9301, 3 September 1898, Page 2

North Otago Times• PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING . SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 3, 1898. THE OZAR'S PROPOSAL.

Tjir proposal of tho O/ar for tho disannamenb of European nations has not only created astoniahmmir, bub has led to a dosico for a knowledge of the circumstance that) broughb about this unexpected suggestion from a country that never moves without u far-reaching ulterior motive. Tho Ca»r of Russia may personally bo a m<m of peace, bub ho is not a strong enough parson to take tho bit hetwoou his too'h and doclaro a millennial policy on his own account). Whatover the Czar, h'is dono hag boon done at tho suggestion of his State advisors, and with their concurrence, and wo may bo assured of this, that the roason for bho now development is nob bo hasten on tho " thousand years of peace," but because Russia will advantage more by disarmament than by living in a stivfco of perpetual preparedness for war, Tho fact] is that tho load has boon moro that) tho resources of Russia can bear. Unliko tho gontloman who will oxperionco some difficulty in shaking oft tho cognomen of Bun Tuck, tho Government of the Czir has had to admit an enormous dolioir, and 1 tho rcaourcofu new of his Government is not equal to carrying forward tho apparent dolicib of this year, and making a surplus out i'f it tor the next, with tho further power to borrow to (ill in any otray chink or ohabin that might 1 prononb ilBolf as tho yoir rolls round. If Russia continues hor present) efl'oTb to ostabliah lmrself in tine Ets\ to build a now navy, and equip an Extern army, Great Biitain need never strike a blow at hor. Time will bring about all that) could be oxpeotod from a war. Tho oondition of Jlus-ia is much bolter than that of Turkey, ,but she ia slowly but surely drifting into a position of ii/uuchl ombarassmont that Bho will bo unable to ex'rieato hernoll from withoub imposing fresh burdens on a people who are so poor time thoy cvn bear no further increase. To increase tho loid mi.;ht mean revolution, and revolution might soo the v^st ompiro of bho Ozir split in twain, and tho Cair himself ruling over an ompiro of small proportions, and little pover. A Muravioff, who lied his country inloPorb Arthur and Ta-lion-wau, and lied himself out of an »pparcntly inextricable aibuatiun, floes not stick at triflos 1 , and for Europe to accept his declaration that tho Ozir'a proposal is purely in tho interests of peacu is perhaps moro than thnso with a knowledge of this sb<»tO'inan'a charaotef aro prepared to tuko in without adequate investigation into ics i ruth. Tho Government of Xtuoaia never hositutes to Ho for an object, and this proposal, although tho best) thing that could happen for tho world, will bo accepted with sufficient hesitation to mtke his Imperial Majesty of Russia rogrob that ho evor fathered ib. Ru9»iu is distrusbed, and this will bo tho ctuso of failure,