Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1891-03-08
GERMAN AFFAIRS.
THE GOVERNMENT CHECK AZ ToeN-
tARGEMENT OF THE NAvy,
Public Opinion Agdinst Making Germany
Great Naval Powcr--Ths Labor
Question-Rumored Changes.
Copyrighted. 1891, by the Wow York Associated
pressl


! BERLIN, March by his personal in
fuence the Emperor William hassucceeded
In preventing the defeat in the Reichstag
OF the Government on the proposed addi-
ton to the navy. but this has only been
done by inducing some of the members to
abstain from voting. The debate on the
subject disclosed the fact that both the
Centre and the Freisinnige parties were
strongly opposed to conceding the amounts
required for the construction of the two
or three gunboats-one ironclad and one
dispatch boat. The question itself though
not OF striking import, became one of Sc
rious moment for the Government when
the two. parties combined to oppose in
crease OF the navy on general principles.
THE. GOVERNMENTS METHODS.
During the week past the Ministers en-
tertained at dinner the leaders of the
Centre party, and the Emperor bestowed
personal courtesies upon several inhuen-
tial members of the Reichstag. The Gov
ernment's demand was finally limited to
two gunboats. To-day's division In the
KeichstaR gave the Government l2l against
"a. The Constitution requiring that to
make the decision on the measure valid
one half of the members must vote, and
there being one short of that number
voting IN the division to-day, the question
VIII be resumed on Monday.
EVEN REASONABLE DEMANDS RESISTED.
Since the committee of the House heard
OF Admiral Hollman's frank disclosure of
the hdmiralty's project to raise Germany
70 the rank of O great naval power the
Reichstae has been thoroughly alarmed
and 1t has been difficult to persuade that
body to concede even reasonable demands.
MI To
privi yesterday evening plead the necessity
Tor two more gunboats to guard the ap
proaches to the Baltic canal. DR.. Wind
thorst. the Centrist leader, contended that
the canal would not be completed before
1893, and that the building and equipping
OF gunboats could well wait.
THE GOVERNMENTS LAST RESORT.
Won Caprivi asserted that the canal
world be opened in 1895 and held that
Germany ought to have vessels ready to
protect 1t. as IL could not be protected by
10 nd Notifications alone. He would sim
ply ask the members to refer back the
vote to the committee. AS last resort
the Government was prepared to strike
of sufficient amount from the install
ments allotted for the construction of four
great ironclads to enable the naval au-
thorities to build two gunboats.
THE GOVERNMENTS PRACTICAL DEFEAT.
On motion Of Baron Manteuffel, the mat
ter will again be referred to the committee
on Monday, the Government having sus-
tanned decisive check to its ambitious
scheme for q navy. The action of the
House clearly declares that national opin-
ion is adverse to any attempt to make Ger
many great naval power, and that any
contest with a foreign power must be
fought out on land.
THE EMPEROR THOROUGHLY DISSATISFIED.
The Emperor William is very much dis
contented over the defeat of his cherished
idea of grand navy. He lays the blame
for the defeat upon the indiscretion of
Admiral Holman in making his disclosures
ard Chancellor Won Capriyi'5 want OF pnr-
hamentary tact. Admiral HOLMAN has
offered to resign the secretaryship OF the
Admiralty. The position of Won Caprivi is
understood TO be critical, although the
Emperor ought not to blame the Chancel-
Tor for following his orders with far dis
play of skill or for the reverse in the
Reichstag.
CAPRIyI PROBABLY TO FALL.
Succeeding the episode of the Empress
Frederick's visit to Paris and the menacing
labor conflicts. imperial circles consider
the Chancellor as unable to control the
combination and point to his early down.
fall.
Won wALDERsEE IN FAVOR.
The Emperor has openly taken Count
Won Waldersee into favor. The Count has
twice been called from Altoona during the
past week and yesterday was granted O
prolonged audience by the Emperor. 1t
is entirely improbable that he will succeed
Chancellor Won Caprivi unless Emperor
William contemplates sudden reversal
of his present policy. Some momentous
change is felt in the air. and an atmos-
phere of anxious expectancy enwraps off,
cial circles. The Emperor, it is believed,
contemplates q stronger foreign policy,
together with a return to the rigorous sys-
TEN of Socialist repression practlced by
Prince Bismarck.
BIsMARcKIANIsH TO THE FRONT AGAIN.
The signs of a readopton of the Princes
method OF government have given rise to
reports that the Emperor has opened COM
munication with the ex-Chancellor. Court
circles credit General Won Wedell- Piesdorf.
who has ostensiblv gone to Copenhagen on
private business, with having been sent by
the Emperor on a mission to Friedrlchs-
ruhe. The ministerial reaction against
Liberal principles in dealing with labor
questions is an undoubted fact.
THE DEMANDS OF THE MINERS.
The Reichsdnzeiger. in denouncing the de-
mands of the miners IN the Government
pits, warns the men that if the strikes are
The Congress of Mine-Owners' delegates
now in progress to-day resolved unani-
mously that il was impossible to grant the
demands of the men and that 1t would be
reprehensible to endeavor to bring about
O general strike.
TIE MINERS THREATS WILL NOT AVAIL.
The congress further declared that the
threats of the men to go on strike will
not induce the mine-owners TO make any
concessions. The attitude of the mine
owners has the support of the Govern
ment. The authorities of the mining dis
tricts of Westphalia and the Rhine pro-
yinces have been ordered to consult with
the directors of the mines with view to
the adoption of concerted measures against
the strikers
THE GOVERNMENT AND THE MINE-owHERs VS..
THE SOCIALISTS.
A semi-oficial note published to-day in
the Neuese Ndchrichte'a announces that q
manifesto il in course of preparation by
the Government. which proclaims the dis
pleasure of the Emperor with the miners
agitation as in direct defiance of his plans
for the amelioration of the condition of
the laboring classes. The Socialists are
accepting the gage of battle thrown down
by the nine-owners, backed by the Gov
eminent, and support the miners, who
show no signs of surrender Bebel. Leib-
I.oooht oud other leaders will start on