Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-11-25

Chancellor Won Caprivi Said to Have Oh.
posed . SIMILAR Measure Six Years Ago.
The North German Ga.efte. referring IA
Chancellor Won Caprids, spyech In The
reichstag Wednesday, expresses the hops
that the authentic information furnished by
the chancellor in regard to The Ems dis
patch will silence the critics who are
basing their attacks on false concep-
tons. Continuing, the Gazette says that the
chancellor gave his statement with his
sword In its sheath and his hand on lie
hilt. typifying the attitude imposed upon the
nation by the history Of the Prussian and Ger
man peoples, who stand in armor with sels-sac-
rncing perseverance,: Thev had to win their
position among the civilized nations, and they
viii certainly guard with patriotic zeal what
Emperor Williams grandfather and father OBJ
tanned. To this end IL is incumbent upon them
In time Of peace to remain mindful OF the pos
sibiity OF being confronted by events that will
render the future Of the people dependent
upon the employment Of the entire defensive
system.
With the exception Of the semi-official press
the.newspapers of Berlin contain chilling criti-
cisms upon the chancellor's speech.
The Kreuz Seitung dismisses 1t with few
words Of colorless comment. The radical Jour
nails are dead against the chancellor
The Tdgeblah says that no military bill ever
excited SO much dislike. Chancellor Won
Caprivi cannot hope to have the house pass his
demands they stand. The bill must be modi.
fed or it is doomed. II the measure is re-
jected and the reichstag dissolved the new cleo
tions will increase the opposition. Then if the
government still persists in forcing the bill
upon the reichstag . new period Of conflict
will open. In order to avoid this the govern
ment has only to introduce the two-years' serv-
ice system. contenting itself with increasing the
annual army contingent to such an extent that
the peace effective will remain unchanged.
The Vossiche Zeitung points out the contra
diction In the chancellor's present attitude and
his position in 1885, when he denounced VIVA,
he called the rage for numbers" and refused
to support bill similar to the one now intro
duced by himself
The London Times Berlin correspondent
commenting upon Count Won Caprivi's
speech. says that the audience was cold
except at the close, and they were rendered
rather as personal tribute than as an
Endorsement Of the speech. Considering the
occasion the attendance was surprisingly
small The public galleries were by no means
full, while scarcely more than half Of
the deputies benches we're occupied
One could not help being impressed tina,
the diet, if not actually hostile, was skeptioal
and suspicious, and that the government will
have hard task to overcome the manifold preju.
dices. Itlooks as though the fall of the bill will
be decided less inside the house than by pressure
of public opinion outside. 1t is not too much
to say that never since Germany became an
empire has q session been anticipated
with such intense interest as the present
one. The democratic leaven, which
Bismarck SO alphabetically introduced
has begun actually to work since he disap-
peared, and public opinion. surrendered SC
many years into his hands, now ventures to
live and move. Nobody can venture to
prophesy the fate of the military
measure. 1t is the general belief, how
ever. especially in official circles. that unpopu-
lar though the bills are the country would pre-
fer to accept them rather than TO precipitate
such crises as would result from the defeat OF
the government.