St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1891-11-28
Germany's Policy Defended
and the Troops Highly
Praised.
No European Government in
a Position to Provoke a
Struggle.
III. De GierS Announces the
Plan Of the Russo-FPeneh
Alliance.

| Caprivi was present at the session of
the reichstag today, and in speech re-
| ferred to the rumOrs which have been
circulated that he intended to resign his
position as head of the imperial chan
! cellOry. He said that these rumOrs
were ridiculous. lie was by no means
tired of holding Office, and he declared
| that he intended to remain at his post
| as long as the emperor was pleased to
retain his services. This announcement
by the chancellor was greeted with ap-
| plause.
Herr Rickert declared that there was
| general dissatisfaction throughout the
country, but it was not the fault of the
| present government. 1t was an inner
! itance from Prince Bismarck'S system.
| He condemned the extravaganza shown
| in the military and naval estimates, but
approved the conclusion of commercial
treaties, to which he said the Freisin-
| NICE party would give their strongest
support.
Defending His Policy.
Chancellor Won Caprivi followed
After denying that he intended to re-
| sign, he refuted the reproaches uttered
! against the government on account of
/ its sO-called Vacillating policy. Truth
and frankneSS, he sold, were the best
methods in foreign politics. The kai-
| ser'S journey to Russia, he continued,
had established friendly intercourse be-
| tween the two mOnarchs, but no politi-
cal matters had been discussed between
! them. The press had INDUCED in too
| much drumming and trumpeting in re-
/ gard to the visit of the French fleet to
CrOnStadt, which had engendered on
the other side wish for more drum
ming. The position OF France and Rus
STA toward the dreibund has not
changed. All that happened at Cron-
stadt was that the existing conditions
became manifest.
| But there was no need of uneasiness.
| The cars intentions were most pacific.
Only care must be taken to avoid clumsy
errors. The cars government was in
| a position TO make its will prevail. Its
| increased confidence constituted no
| danger to Germany. Referring to the
| state of general armament in Europe.
the chancellor said that this would con-
tinue much longer, uninfiuenced by the
! resolves adopted by peace congresses.
/ 1t was, however, matter of satisfac-
| ton that the general preparedness for
war had increased
The Desire for Peace.
In East Africa Germany had hard
task to fulfill. She had been obliged to
have recourse to the doubtful plan of
lottery; but Germany's possessions in
| Africa were ten times more important
than those of England. with which ma
ton Germany had not made a bad bar
gain. Continuing. the chancellor said
that the abolition of compulsory pass
| ports in AlSace-LOrraine had been re-
| garded as an act of weakness; but
continuance of that system as a perma-
nency was impossible. The assmila-
ton of the Reichsland with Germany
! was progressing surely. The best con-
Meeting link was the army. After few
| generations the ReichSland question
| would be settled.
| There was no cause for uneaSiness on
account of the army. although a certain
military pesSmism had lately become
apparent. The worlds habit of esti-
| mating the worth of an army according
to its numbers was wrong. Germany
| never before possessed so many capable
military leaders. and no other nation
had such chances for the next war.
Banking on the Army.
Referring to the movements of troops
on the Russian and French frontiers,
the chancellor said that Germany, as
| we'll as Austria, had in this respect
| probably exceeded tnelr duty. 100 much
! anxiety prevailed because Russia had
| dispatched an army corps to a place as
near to the German frontier as Co6fentz
| was to the Russian frontier. Germany
| was in a fortunate position in being able
to rely upon fine army. He could not
see why this policy would not be able to
protect the interests of Germany in any
circumstances.
The chancellor, in referring to his
| journey to Russia with Emperor Will
| lam. said he knew that the interview
| between the two emperOrs had given
| great satisfaction to Russia. Nothing,
he said, could shake his conviction that
the personal intentions of the car were
the most pacific in the world. mo ex-
listing government" he added, has
sufficient military preponderance to in
| duee it to provoke war with light
| heart. The stronger government is,
the more easily will it avoid a danger
Gus contretmps. 1t is a source of salts
| faction to know that Russia possesses
! this strength. France would not have
sought the Cronstadt meeting had she
! doubted thst Russia was strong enough
TO be relied upon."