Foreign Correspondence

IX. Bkblin, Gkbmanv, Dec. 8, '8G. To the Courier: Before continuing niy retnarks on the Germán University I wlib ti meiition a few local matten. "Thanksgiving" was observed by the Americans here with as much deüght and enthusiasm. as by tlioae at home. It has been the custom for sonie time among the Americana realdlng at Berlin to celébrate the day by a social gatherlng, dancing, et cetera Included. As oaplwwi antness arose last year through sorae party taking too mach wloe, the Ladieg' Union of the American Chaptl made arrangements tliis year for a separate "Home Gatheiins,'' without wine and dancing. 80 there were two partits. Each numbered about 200 We went to the "Home Gatherlng." The others had the wine and dancing, and, as 011e of tliem told me, very poor refreshments, while we had a jolly, socia' time and excellent dinner, a genuine American dinner. We had ehicken salad, tvventy-fuur turkeys, American cranberry sauce, home-made bread, baked in the American way, and to cap the climax, minee pie. Yon may think it strange thit I mention these little things, but when I teil you that I have not had anythi"g of the kind for five months, you will not wonder at my spe;iking of sncti things. Europc m cranberries are about one-sixth as large as our. The cninmittee sent fnr American benies to Breinen and to H imburg without succes?, but flually obtaineil a box from Dresdcn. Tlie pie, too, has a history. One of the ladies, (the wife of our American pastor, I think), had a pie tin, which she liad brought over with her. This 8he took to a tinsmith to have others made like it. The tinsmith usked why the sides were made slanting, and il they could not be tnade straight. On being told, "uo!" he said he could not make them. They were flnally made at another place, and the lady went with her servant eacli day into a bakery until she had baked sixty pies. I presume we were the more sociable 011 tliis eveniug, as the most of us, probably, had studiously avoided meeting, or niaking the aequaintance of Americans. I knew there were a number of American gentlemen in Berlin, but was not a little snrprised at the number of ladies who appearcd. The uumber of ladies at each place must have been nearly a huudred and twentyflve. This week we vislted the lteichstag. The seats in the auditorium were conspicuous mostly for the absence of members. Bismarck was not present. The most distinguished inember that I saw was Count von Moltke. I should think leas than half of the members were present. The reason is, propably, that no question will be brought u, to which any decided opposltlon is to be ma.de. The most important question is in regard to tbe strength of the standing army. By a law passed in 1880, the number of men to be held under arms was fixed up to the lst of April, 1888, but the rnpid and extensive development ín the armies of neighboring states, and especially of France and Kussia, has catised the government to bringforth a measure to locrease the standing army at the begining of the next fiscal year by forty-one thouaml men. Another bil', which will probably pass with little opposition, is for the establishment of a school of oriental languages in connection with the University of Berlin. The 8um of $18,000 a year is to be appropriated for salaries, half of which the Empire is to pay. Theoretical and practical instruction is to be given in the Turkish, Arabic, Perslan, Japanese, Chinese, and Indian languages. The professors are to be Germans, but are to have a native assistant in each tongue. If I ani not mistaken, similar schools already exist in Paris and Vienna. It is a noticable fact that the assistant and full professors in the modern languages throughout the Germán nnlvenltlef are all Germans, and not natives of the countries whote languages they teach. Although the government strengthens the army, the "¦ThronretW" euds in the followlng pacificatory manner : "The relations to the Germ .11 Empire to :ill forelgn stati's ire friendly and satisfactory. The policy of His Majesty, the Emperor, Is unceasinglydirected notnnly to the preservance of the blesslng of peace to the Germán people, but also for the niaiutenanee of harniony MBOBg all powers, lo tin; use, 11 the counsel of Etirope, of Uiat ufluence whlch the policy of Geniiany lias acquired through lar Mtabllahed love of peace, tlirough the Donfldeooe of other nations resulting therefroni, tlirough the absence of qucstions touehing her own interest-, and eapecially tlirough the close frieudahip that blnds His Majesty, the Emperor, to bolh the neighboring imperial courts." Ia this connection it may be of interest toadd a few remarles respectlng the force of the principal powers of Europe. In 1870, the standing army of France num bered 380,000 men, or 1.09 % of the population; in 1880, 444,000, which was 1.34 % of the populatlon; in 18S6, 473,500. The above ligures tlo not include the offlcer8; with ollicers, etc., the present army of France is over 510,000. Russia has completely re-organized her army since lier last oriental war, and haa, exclusive of officers, 547,450 men, to which should be added 200,000 reserve and irregular troops, makiug 750,000 for her army on a peace footing. By the law passed in May, 18S0, the nuinber of men in the standing army of Germany was fixed at 427,000 for the period from April 1, 1881, to April 1, 1888. The number of men in the standing army, since the adoplion of the constitution of the Germán Empire in 1867, has been 1 % ot the population. As the census of 1885 shows a population of 46,800,000, the anny 13 to be ncreased, aa I have above remaiked, to 408,000, if the measure is not defeated by the opposition. England had, in '84 and '85, in the regular army. 202,000. Italy, 'S4, had a standing army of 1.34,000. Austro-IIungary, '84, had a Standing army of 2!)0,000. Taken on a war footing, A(Mtro-Hungary coinmnnds an army of 1,078,000: England, 775.000; France. incliidiiig tertilorial anny. 1,780,000; GeraiaBy, wltbout the Landuturm and tpéclal fon&atfcms, 1,590,000) Italy, without her territorial troops, 1,090,000, with the territorial torces, 2,120.000; Rnssia, regular war army, 1,767,000, nehicling Cossacks and Irregular, 2,020,000. From the above figures It will be seen that France, although her population nmnbers several mllliooi less titan Gerinauy, supports a larger army. Gertnany'a anny and navy co.t her $110,000,000 annnilly, about $2.30 for each person. Lnrge as this sum ia, wben compared to the oost of supporting the irmy and navy of France, it is highly compli inentary to Germán management. The anny and navy of France cost her annually $170,000,00, or doublé the amount per capita that Germany pays. No wondeT ihat the people in Europe say: "You, u the United States, you are rich, the riclies', nation In the world, because you do not have to support an army.'' Compared as to toial expense of governmeut, army and navy, and Interest, etc. on national debt, Russia pays $3.36 ; Germany, $3.60; Austro Hungary, $4.56; England $8.88; France, $9.S4 per capita annually. At the close of the Crimeau war In 1850 there were only two large naval powers in the world, the Euglish and the French. Since that time Germany, Austria, Italy and Russia have all exerted themselves to become respected 011 the seas. Germany has made sucli rapid advanceinent since the war of 1870-71, that she is at present not far behind the French. Her late appropriations for the navy and the building of new ships cause the French ofllcers to fear that, unless France awakens to the reality, tliat it is possible for lier to lose her rank as second naval power, the Gurmain will overshadow lier, and not far in the future. Wlien one considers for a moment the i'ondition and inelinatioiis of the people of Russia, it is easy to see that upon her dependa the future peace of Europe, more than upon any otber power; and to-day the actions and plans of the Czar of Uussia are watched with more Inteiest tlian those of any other man ia Europe, r.ot even excepting Uismarck, who has come to be regarded as the guicling hand in the history of the continent. Alexauder III is said to be not fond of war, nor eager for conquest. So, ako, are iiis nearest and most trusted advisers, Oiers, Tolstoi, and Pobiedonottseff peacefully inclined. But there is au enormoui pressure back of thein. As a nation the Uussians are warllke and de-iroua for conquest. This is a natural reaalt of the oondHloo of the people. Wii ii her vast Qumber of msn to draw from, 90,000,000 in Europe and 17,000,000 more in Aia. and under such a form of government, what else could be expeotedf Thora Is no chance for the expression of one's opinión thronjrh the preM; tree speech is prohibited. The dominion of ïlteratore offen llttle attraotion, and Is more likely to lead to martyrdom and deatb, than to glory. A man in the civil service is a non-entity, for the higiiest olllciils in civil lifc are merely tools. There It tlius but one road left to preferment and dittlnotlon, and tlmt i tlirough the army. The energetlC and daring that are not in the army fors ¦ecret ploti and oonapiracie. The active pari Of the population, Uien, is divuled largely tito lwo clataef, the military and the nihilists. Both patties are eager for war, the one, because advanceinent In the army in time of peaee Is slow; the utliei-, heeause ilu'v hope that, by plunging the governnient, inio dangerous undertaklnffa, soinething may happen to overturn it, and occasion a república