THE STATE OF EUROPE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXIV, Issue 7903, 23 March 1887, Page 6

THE STATE OF EUROPE.

PEACE OK WAR,

London, February 11. In the sitting of the Lower House of the Austrian Reichßrath on the sth inßt., Herr Ziemikalovski, member of the Council of Ministers, speaking on behalf of Count Kalnoky, who was absent in consequence of an indisposition, replied to an interpellation on the condition of foreign affairs. Herr Ziemikalovski declared that the absolutely satisfactory relations existing between Austria and the Powers wore unchanged, and that the Government continued to cherish tho hope that peace, which iB doaired by all the Powers, nnd especially by AustriaHungary, would bo maintained, notwithstanding the insecurity and tho serious character of tho general European situation. He added that neither the precautionary military measures, nor the assembling of tho Delegations in connection therewith, were to be considered as pointing to war. According to the Berliner Politischen Nachriohton of February 7, Count von Moltke, in receiving a deputation of Conservative electors, declared that the political situation was most serious, at the same time authorising tho deputation to give publicity to this statement.

The Temps states that all the Ambassadors in Paris, and particularly Count Miinster, the German Ambassador, express themselves in pacifio and reassuring terms with regard to the aspect of affairs. A telegram from St. Petersburg, publishod by the Journal dea Debats on February 4, states that the Emperor William, replying to a recent massage from the C»r, telegraphed that Germany in no way intended to attack France. A communication couched in identical terms has been forwarded by Prince Bismarck to M. de Giers. Both despatches wore communicated to M. de Laboulaye, French Ambassador at St. Petersburg. The St. Petersburg correspondent of the Standard iB able to state with assurance, and upon the best authority, that there will be no war at present. Tho Russian Press, and public opinion generally, continues to regard a Franco-German war as inevitable, but the correspondent's information is that this is an error.

A Vienna despatch to the Standard says : —Sir James Ferijusson's statement is regarded by the Vienna Press as a distinct symptom of peace, outsbadowing the more pessimistic declarations of Prince Hohenloho at Strasburg, and exposing the second warlike article in the Borlin Post as "a frivolous electioneering manoeuvre." Evon the Vienna papers, however, which carefully collect every word that falls from the lips of sovereigns or statesmen in favour of peace, comment seriously on the mission of General Martinoff, the Czar's Adjutant, to Paris, and on M. Katkoff's last article, in which he bluntly says that the outbreak and the result of a German-French war depend solely on the policy of Russia, a truth which everybody haa felt, but which comes with superior piquanoy from the pen of the Czar's influential .'adviser. The Politische learns from Athens that the officers of the Russian warships stationed at the Piniius say that the Russian Mediterranean fleet is ordered to Japanese waters, where about thirty vessels will shortly assemble.

A Paris correspondent writeslf the accounts received here from Germany and Alsace are correct, it is difficult to regard the preparations going on there without serious misgivings aB to the intentions of the Cabinet of Berlin. However, I can only repeat that people in France will make almost any sacrifice to avoid war.

A telegram from Athens, published in the London Standard, says : —The unanimous voting of the Extraordinary Military Credits in the French Chamber has given rise to much uneasiness here, and grave apprehensions are felt as to its effect on the peace of Europe.

From Salonica it is announced that the Turks, in accordance with the plan of General von der Goltz, are steadily concentrating troops in Macedonia, largo garrisons beinjj established along the frontiers of tCpirus and Thessaly.

The following .is the principal passage in the speech delivered by Prince Hoheuloho on February 9 at the dinner given by him to the members of the Strasburg Provincial Committee : —" Che more my feelings of attachment to this Country grow in strength, the more ardent becomes my wish that God may preserve it from every affliction, and especially from the terrors of a bloody war. If to-day I utter this fateful word it is not because I regard war as near at hand. But on this point wo must not give way to any illusion. Danger docs exist and will continue to exist, so long as our Western neighbours cannot accustom themselves to the idea of the permanent nature of the legal state of things created by the Treaty of Peace. Danger will confront us the moment that a restless minority may succeed in dragging the otherwise peaceful and industrious Frenoh people into resolutions which would compel us to enter the lists with all our energy and the whole power of the Empire in the defence of our rights. If this is the case, then every public manifestation on this side of the Vosges gains in importance, and especially the approaching elections to the Reichstag, affording, an they do, to Alsace-Lorraine an opportunity of giving proof of its pacific sentiments, and of co-operating in the work of maintaining peace. Nothing would be more calculated to kindle the desire for hostilities entertained by the minority in Franco than the election of men who share the doubts as to the duration of our legal condition of things, or of persons who decline to grant to the German Empire the means required for the permanent maintenance of a strong army,"

According to news (from Bulgaria, 4000 Macedonians are collected at Kusteudil, Dubaitza, Tran, and Sistova, ready to inarch into Macedonia and raise a revolt there in ease of a European war—or, as a correspondent puts it, in case Turkey should support Russia in dictating to the Regency about the settlement of the Bulgarian question.

The Berlin correspondent of the Times, telegraphing on January 28, says that in the course of conversation at a reception on the previous evening, the Emperor more than once referred to the intention of his Government to ciSll out 72,000 men of the reserve shortly, but for no other purpose, bo was careful to explain, than to accustom them to the use of the new repeating rifle. Still, this is a l ,significant enough purpose in itself. According to another correspondent, the Emperor used the following words: — " Gentlemen, Reserves are called in to be instructed in the use of the repeating rifle. This will give rise to renewed war rumours; but I positively assure you thore will be no war."

A Barlin letter to the Vienna Tagblatt, which is published aB coming from an exceptionally well - informed correspondent, describles the activity now prevailing in German barracks and depots, and says that a Franco-German war must now be looked upon as inevitable. The writer then says that the aged Emperor has quite overcome his repugnance to a new campaign. He long struggled against the idea ; but, having let himself be persuaded that the dangers of delay would be all for Germany, he has ceased to oppose those of his councillors who urge that France ought to be fought before she becomes too strong.

The St. Petersburg papers have been forbidden to publish intelligence concerning the movements of troops or military armaments other than that which ia officially communicated to tbem,