Topics of the Moment

TOPICS OF MOMENT. European Complications. Last year, England and France entered into apolitical arrangement, in the language of diplomacy called an entente, by which France was to have a free hand in Morocco and to bring that Mohammedan country into a sort of protectorate of France. This understanding did much to adjust former serious differences between these two countries. It was especially helpful in reconciling the French to the control of the English in Egypt. At the outbreak of the war between Egypt and England, France held equal political power with England in that country. When, however, France declined to join in the war, she lost her share of the political control. This loss to her prestige in Egypt always wounded French pride. That wound has been very largely healed by the acquiescence of England to the assumption on the part of France of paramount influence in Morocco; and it has since been clear that these two ancient rivals have been nearing harmonious relationship. The Morocco question, however, was not to be thus peacefully adjusted. A short time ago, Emperor William, of Germany, while sailing in the Mediterranean, after formal arrangements and prior announcements, paid a visit to Morocco. Nobody doubted the political significance of that The French were perceptibly visit. disturbed by it, and the English pricked up their ears. At the same time Buelow, on a public occasion, announced Germany's intention to contend for the commercial open door in Morocco. France would very much regret a conflict with Germany whose superior military powers the thoughtful Frenchmen must recognize. France, therefore, preferred to treat the movement as

a bluff, and pay no special attention to it. The French ministry, however, was disposed to propitiate Germany by some sort of negotiation. The Prime Minister, Delcasse, manifested a willingness to explain satisfactorily to Germany the policy of his country in Morocco. Somewhat to the surprise of both England and France, the German newspapers began a bitter campaign against these countries, and proposed international negotiations which should ignore any prior understanding of France with respect to Morocco. This demand was resented by Delcasse, the French foreign minister; but because he considered his associates in the French ministry so lukewarm in support of him, he offered his resignation. This resignation President Loubet persuaded Delcasse to withdraw. The downfall of the French minister of foreign affairs, Delcasse, would have been a gratifying diplomatic victory to Germany. There is strong suspicion that the English came to the support of the French, especially if we may regard the words of the Spectator as having any significance. This is what it says: "We can assure the German fire eaters that we shall not fail to do all we agreed to do in maintaining the Anglo-French agreement, and that France, if she were wantonly attacked by Germany, would not call on us in vain," In the diplomatic world, motives are not generally looked for in the direct'object of a controversy. It is not easily conceivable that Germany |is really very much concerned about who has the upper hand in Morocco. Germany, like other nations, has the goal of her ambitions. What Germany desires above all other things is the mastery of Holland, which would not only give her an immense sea frontage, but the immense colonies of the Dutch. Colonial ambition is a great moter power in Germany today. With Holland and her colonies, Germany would be a formidable rival to Great Britain. Both Holland and Belgium realize that their national integrity depends much on the hostile attitude that for years has existed between Germany and France. Diplomats are now asking the questions: Is Germany really fishing for political advantages in troubled waters? Does she wish to provoke France to armed resistance, with the assurance in her own mind that she

TOPICS OF MOMENT. 615 could easily win out and add to her domain Holland and, perhaps, Belgium? As long as Russia was regarded as so powerful an ally of France, Germany did not entertain ;for a moment the thought of such an undertaking; for of all countries in the world that Germany has most feared, it has been Russia. Now, however, Germany believes, after witnessing the war between Russia and Japan, that she overestimated the Czar's strength. With the defeat of Rozhdestvensky, Russia would be so weakened that Germany could easily rest assured that Austria could very well take care of Russia, in case of a war between Germany and France. This supposition of Germany's motives is supported by a declaration of the: Cologne Gazette, a semi-official German newspaper, that Germany could not afford to enter into negotiations with France about Morocco; because, if Germany made any demands upon France respecting that North African country, she would be bound to see her demands carried through. That means that whatever demands she makes must come in the form of an ultimatum. France would have to yield and suffer humiliation or fight. People are asking quite naturally. What will England do? The English have taken much more seriously the Germany than have the threats of French. Both English and French policy is to isolate, as much as possible, the Germans in European politics. France and Great Britain have reached a harmonious understanding over their colonial policies, and it is now unlikely a more substantial unity of purpose will be reached. France would be really better off with England and Japan as allies than she would be with Russia. The action of Germany in Morocco will encourage the resistance of the Sultan there. The country is constantly threatened by insurrections, and is held together only by outside pressure. France must act in case of disorder, and then the world will look on anxiously to see what Germany is going to do about it. The Czar's Easter Ukase. It was generally considered that great trouble would result in the empire when the Easter celebrations were to take place, on April 30. The predictions, however, were not realized as fully as.

616 IMPROVEMENl ERA. expected. While there were some disturbances, they were not of great consequence. But the Czar celebrated the day by issuing a decree, which, among many other concessions, abolished the severe restrictions on the freedom of worship in regard to the Dissenters, Roman Catholics, and non-Christian religions. It provides that hereafter secession from the Orthodox Greek Church, will no longer involve persecution, or deprivation of civil rights. Children under fourteen will be permitted to follow the belief of their parents. Dissenters will be admitted to cadet and military schools, and may even be promoted to be officers. All non-Christian sects, such as Mohammedans, will have equal rights with Christians, and are no longer to be styled Pagans. But few or no concessions are to be granted the Jews, who are thus punished, undoubtedly, owing to their activity in revolutionary movements. Certain classes of prisoners, including those arrested for participating in the great disturbances of January 22, receive pardon; the mirs, or village communities, are relieved from all arrears of taxes, amounting to $37,500,000, and what is still better, from all back payments on account of lands given to them at the date of their emancipation. Harper's Weekly says: It should be borne in mind that of the forty million serfs emancipated by Alexander II, only about one half, namely, the serfs of the crown, received a gratuitous endowment of land. To the other half was apportioned estates belonging to their former owners, saddled, however, with the obligation of paying for the lands in installments stretching over a long period. From this point of view, the operation was analogous to that which we see going on in Ireland under the operation of the act intended to transform tenants into peasant proprietors. The difference is that in Ireland the peasant acquires his land in severalty, whereas, in Russia lands were allotted to a commune in his collective capacity and, of course, the commune became collectively liable for the debt due the former owner. Sometimes the land apportioned might be poor, sometimes there might be no harvest in consequence of a drought; in any event, the number commune's inhabitants would continuof the ally increase, while the area of its landwould remain stationary. The inevitable result of such conditions was that many communes would fall into arrears as regards payment of the installments owing to the former landowner, and, for like reason, would default in the payment of the taxes exacted on behalf of the imperial government. It is the hopeless.

TOPICS OF MOMENT. 61T Tiess to which the moujiks, or members of the peasant com*mune, hare been reduced by the joint incidence of these burdens, and not the very slight success of the attempt to inoculate them with revolutionary doctrines, which is accountable for the agrarian outbreaks and outrages that of late have terrified the nobles and larger landowners in manj provinces of European Russia. It is, therefore, easily seen how this Ukase of the Czar has had a corciliatory effect upon the rural population, which, in turn, accounts for the failure of the threatened Easterday uprising. Then, again, the comprehensive act of toleration in religious concessions, is a specious substitute for constitutional government which Russian Liberals are clamoring for. By it the Czar seeks to conciliate the Moslems and Buddhists of Central Asia, the Roman Catholics of Poland, the Lutherans of the Baltic Provinces and Finland, and above all the seceders known as Old Believers, who inhabit the center of European Russia and number about seventeen million souls. These include a large proportion of the merchant class, who are, of course, the richest people of the empire outside of the Grand Ducal coterie. These Believers refused to consent to the ritual reforms introduced by Peter the Great, but otherwise they believe in the doctrines of the Greek church. They make the sign of the cross with three fingers instead of two, and refuse to use intoxicating liquors, tobacco, tea and coffee, and are sober and industrious, and consequently well-to-do. It was reported some weeks ago that in return for permission to worship according to the dictates of their own consciences, they were raising millions of dollars to give to the government for the expenses of the war. It is indeed surpassing strange that only for the difference in ritual forms from the Orthodox church, the Old Believers for nearly a quarter of a century, have been forbidden to use their altars for religious purposes, to endow their churches with real or personal property; to establish monasteries, to build schools, or even to print and circulate their religious books. The son of a Believer could not enter a military or naval school, and hence could not be a commissioned officer in the army; or, if he did a valiant act as a common soldier, the medal of bravery was withheld from him. These galling prohibitions, on so many millions of people, instituted