Identifier: greatestnations05elli (find matches)
Title: The story of the greatest nations, from the dawn of history to the twentieth century : a comprehensive history, founded upon the leading authorities, including a complete chronology of the world, and a pronouncing vocabulary of each nation
Year: 1900 (1900s)
Authors: Ellis, Edward Sylvester, 1840-1916 Horne, Charles F. (Charles Francis), 1870-1942
Subjects: World history
Publisher: New York : F.R. Niglutsch
Contributing Library: University of California Libraries
Digitizing Sponsor: Internet Archive

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and England (1898), acknowledged French authority overmost of central and northwestern Africa, including the little known depthsof the Sahara Desert. In these colonial efforts France has expended immense sums of money, sothat her national debt is now the largest in the world, being twice that ofEngland, which is second. This enormous burden is a source of serious anxietyto some of her statesmen; and yet another peril that confronts them is thestrange fact that at present the people of France are not increasing in number.In other European countries, the population grows rapidly, but in France forthe year 1901 the deaths exceeded the births. The government has securedvast territories for the overflow of her surplus population; but she has no colo-nists to plant there. As to her foreign relations in Europe, the most intimate friend of republi-can France just now is despotic Russia. The triple alliance of Germany,Austria, and Italy, combined with the hereditary rivalry between England and
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CLOSING THE CATHOLIC SCHOOLS IN FRANCE, 1902 France—Recent Difficulties 949 France, has left the Republic isolated in western Europe, and compelled herperforce to seek the alliance of the Russian bear. Just how strong or howreally valuable the mutual support of the two may prove to either, only thefuture can decide. Of late the French government has shown increasing signs of stability andpermanence. In 1899, M. Waldeck-Rousseau became the prime-minister ofPresident Loubet, and real ruler of the country. His ministry held office overthree years, the longest period that any government since 1870 has been ableto retain its popularity. Indeed, M. Waldeck-Rousseau might be still in office,had he not voluntarily resigned in May, 1902, just after the voters had ex-pressed at the polls a renewal of their cordial support of his party. His suc-cessor, M. Combes, was pledged to follow the former ministers policy, whichwas distinctly radical in tendency. To be radical in France means to desire

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