, 1889-02-24
FOREIGN GOSSIP.
Bismarck Will Avoid Trouble
With Friendly Powers.
His Anxiety With Regard to
France.
Emperor William in a Poor
State of Health.

Copyrighted 1889, by n. Y. Associated Press
BERLIN, Feb. 23.-Diplomatic and
ministerial dinners are now the order of
the day and are eagerly discussed as al
fording indications of personal and inter
national relations. Bismarck yesterday
gave a dinner to members of the lower
house of the Prussian diet and during
the serving of coffee complained Of the
heavy labors put on him by what he
termed the so called colonies. He ascribed
the blame for no small portion OF his diff
~ficulties to the action OF colonial officials
who, he said, frequently acted without
requisite knowledge of circumstance and
especially did not know how to treat ma
tives. 1t was impossible, the chancellor
said, to allow trivial disputes to introduce
any discordant element in Germany's
relations with the great friendly powers,
as the slightest disturbance of the har
mony prevailing between the imperial
government aud foreign states might
have the most ~preiudicial effects upon
German commercial and business rela-
tons.
Bismarck is SAID to be greatly annoyed
at the consul's proposal to annex Samoa.
The NoSsiche ZeitunQ's question as to
what would be thought of a consul who
.telegraphed a proposal TO annex Zurich
or Luxembourg is believed to be identical
with the opinion of the chancellor.
In explanation of the reported ordering
of the German squadron to Samoa, the
National ZeituRg observes that the i'm
pending punishment of Mataafa will have
no effect upon Germany's relations with
England and America. The right of
Germany to intervene in the matter has
not been contested in any quarter. The
report must, however, be received with
reserve The squadron is provisioned for
Port Said in order, probably, to be in
readiness to proceed to East Africa or to
await development OF affairs. 1t may at
least be assumed that the squadron will
only go to Samoa in the event Of the
American government proving exacting or
unreasonable.
Bismarck desire to avoid colonial
troubles is due in a large measure to the
uncertainty of European politics. especi-
ally those of France. The North German
Gazette and other leading German papers
predict the overthrow of the Tirard cabi-
net within n few weeks. Bismarck
opinion that the crisis will result in the
accession to power of Gen. Boulanger is
well known, and there are a few persons
who do not regard his triumph as mere
probability.
The emperor is far from being free
from painful earaches. The recent
changes in the weather give him much
trouble. He is obliged sometimes to
have recourse to morphine in order to
obtain a few hours sleep. He will honor
by his presence Count Won Achillendorff' $
farewell dinner as minister Of war on the
9th inst.
The police find the utmost difficulty in
preventing the entry into the country of
sOcialistic literatures printed abroad.
During the past week numerous domicil-
larry visits have been made to chiefs of the
socialist party and the searchers discov
cred a quantity of pamphlets, etc, ready
for distribution intended to influence
voters in favor of the socialistic pro-
paganda.
The king of Wurtemberg Is suffering
from a severe attack of catarrh.