The morning news., 1891-03-01
FRANCE IN A WAR FURY.
TEE CRISIS THE GREATEST SINCE
TIE CLASH OF 1870.


The Visit TO Versailles end a Sub
ssquent Remark by the Empress the
First Events to Raise French Ire--The
Removal of Wreath and the Cologne
Gazette Article Increased the Re-
sentiment.
PARIS, Feb. 2S.-It is no exaggsration to
say that this has been one Of the most
critical weeks for France and Germany
both since the outbreak of tho Franco
Prussian war of lS70-7l. So early as Tues
day last IL began to be felt in several CIR
cles that the Empress Frederick was pro-
longing her stay in Paris TO a dangerous
extent. The surprise caused by her practi.
cally unannounoed and sudden arrival
and the curiosity which her
movements ocoasioned slowly gave
way TO feeling of anxiety.
Early in the week prominent member Of
the diplomatic corps privately informed
Count Won Munster, the German ambassa-
dor, that 1t was evident that the empress
was making a mistake IN staying so long in
Paris. To this the German ambassador re-
Piled: "I am quite of your opinion, but
am powerless TO change the situation Of
anairs.h
CAUSE OF THE FRENCH WRATH.
Then in rapid succession occurred three
events which raised the ire OF Parisiaus TO a
dangerous point. and which crowned the
empress mission both in it's political and
artistic sense with disaster, aud actually
threatened the peace of Europe. The first
Of these events was O drive 10 Versailles.
When the public clamor caused by this drive
arose on the day following, the
| attention OF the empress was called to the
matter by the wife of one of the prominent
members OF the diplomatic corps In reply
the Empress Frederick said; 81 went there
for reasons Of sentiment; SO many recollec-
tions Of my husband center there This
remark was made before the newspapers of
t is city took up the incident and began by
their unfavorable criticisms of the imperial
visitors action to fan tho smoldering spark
Of discomfort into flame.
THE SECOND MISTAKE.
| The second incident or mistake which
still further excited Parisiaus was the
thoughtless removal by an over-zealous
French official of wreath laid on the
tomb Of Henri Rignault, celebrated
French painter, who died at Buzonval when
only "A years of age, while fighting
against the Prussans during the Franco
| PI ussian war. This caused another outs
break Of popular clamor and another series
OF articles IN the newspapers, commenting
unfavorably upon the visit to Paris Of the
mother OF the Emperor of Germany.
The third incident, and the one which
most enraged the Parisians, was the publi-
cation Of anti>French articles In the Cologne
Gazette of Thursday and read by the people
here at the very moment the ex-empresS
was driving to the railway station. The
savage editorial was q coup de grace; il
iutterly destroyed every vestige of good
that might have otherwise been done by tho
imperial visit.
The French government, naturally, has
not done anything In the matter, and
neither in the Senate nor In the Chamber of
Deputies has French representative
opened his mouth In regard to the Empress
| Frederick's visit to Paris.
THE ROW OF THE ARTISTS.
Another influence, though minor one, in
bringing about the strained relations has
been the rivalry of two saloons.
Bougereau, the painter, led a party now
known ns the Berlin Party" and Meisso-
pier's successor, as president of the Champ do
Mars seceders, was the leader of the anti
Berlin party. The result was that from the
starting Of the agitation until It's end, at the
departure OF Empress Frederick, there has
been a grand victory for the Champ
de Mars painters, who received n great
setback by the death OF Meisso.
nier. During the course Of an Inter
view published to-day N. Bougereau said
"In December last Count Won Munster, the
German ambassador, called at my studio
and invited me to send some of my pictures
TO the Berlin art exhibition. | was on tho
point Of sending three paintings to the art
exhibition at Moscow, SO held back two OF
them with the intention Of sending them to
the Berlin exhibition. On Wednesday last
the ex-empress called at my studio, but she
asked no questions az to whether or not
was going TO send pictures for exhibition at
Berlin.
NOTHING OF A POLITICAL NATURE.
"There was nothing Of a political nature In
the whole affair. At the start the ex-em-
press. at least in my hearing, said or did
nothing about asking me to be represented at
Berlin, but now the matter has become in
ternational. :. For my part, / am In no hurry
to come to conclusion either one way or
the other. At present am undecided what
to do. The incident proves again that the
French public is apt to go off half-cocked,
and we may be called down nnprepared at
this moment for war. / do not forget AL
SAGE Lorraine-no true Frenchman will
ever pardon that-but il would be lament
able error to strike for the restitution of
those provinces while both Germany and
France are in state Of excitement"
vow oAPRTvI's ORDER.
The general confidence that the uupleas-
ant incident had ended with the departure
Of the empress was rudely shaken to-day
upon the public learning Of Chancellor Won
Caprivi's order to Prince Won Hohenlohe-
Schillingsfurst with respect TO the passport
regulations. The proposed mitigation
of the regulations was for the
purpose of enabling the Inhabitants
Of French communes adjoining the from
| tiers of Alsace Lorraine to attend the mar
kets and visit the fairs in upper Alsace.
The chancellor's action has caused great
excitement, portion of the press denounc-
ing it in fierce and bitter terms, and call
ing it willful provocation OF the people OF
France.
BERLIN's COMMENTS
The comments of to-day's Berlin news
papers on the passport incident have been
telegraphed TO this city. In these comments
it is admitted that Chancellor Won Caprivi's
action was tho direct result of the treat
ment the Empress Frederick received from
Parisiaus. Naturally the Berlin newspaper
utterances serve to intensity the feeling of
dsouiet An article IN the National
Zeittsng is especially offensive to Parisians.
That paper declares that the recent decree
making more strict passport regulations in
Alsace-L Lorraine is like stream Of cold
water poured on Paris.
BoULANGER BUSY.
Gen. Boulanger seems likely to try his
h.na - 81 aA ~ the avcffad