WAR IMMINENT.

Colonist, Volume XL, Issue 8807, 5 March 1897, Page 2

WAR IMMINENT.

The weakness of international treities in tbe face of popular feeling hiß perhaps naver been so completely demonstrated as at the present time. A few months ago the whole world was aisured that the triple a'liacca between Germany, Austria, and Italy was so firmly established that nothing could shake it, and tte unholy combination between Republican France and Autocratic Kussia was affirmed to be founded co securely that there was no chanca ( f its being over.urned. But at the fir it serious bre nth thfS9 compaota appear to have been c mpletely shattered. Statesmen r, it-i reputations to maintain may adhere to tha understandings ihey have beoome par ies to, bat the stronger powers behind them may, aa they appear to be doing now, show how f. tile it is for men to attempt to direst destiny. Russia, from interested motive?, ia Btronply averse to tbe dismemberment of the Ott >man Empire, G^rimny, or its ruler, is wrath at the present aims of Greece, Austria is antagonistic to the Greeks, and the I alian i Admiral is supported by the bix great Power?, who are apparently bent on preventing tha is'and of Crete failing under G ecian rule. But in spite o! the resolves of tho Great Powers it seems that Frenchmen are willing to fight for QreEOi egaiost the desires of Rusfia, and to risk coming to blows with the very Russians whom they were recently embracing. The Italian Republicans offer to place a hundred thousand men in the field to fight for Greece in opposition to Austria and Germany, and what the English may do yet remains to be seen, but the probabilities are that Lord Salisbury will suffer defeat. With such offers of assistance, the Greeks would be more than human if they retired from the position they have taken up, ani conscqusntly wo niiy conclude that tb.9 horrors of war are about to fall upon at least a portion of Europe.