The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1892-10-23
GERMANYS MILITARY BILL.
Meeting With Much Opposition
From the People.
The Policy of tho Government to X eep It's
PROVISIONS Secret Denounced by tho
Press-The Number of Annual Recruits
to BE Increased and the Cost of the
Army neutrality-suspicious. to Pro-
posed Duty on Tobacco.

I'D
BERLIN, Oct 2s.-lSpectall- Public
interest in the military bill does not
show the least sign OF abatement; on
the contrary 1t has been increased by
the secrecy maintained in regard to the
provisions OF tho measure, though few
details have been allowed to leak out
in order to satisfy the growing public
demand for information on tho SUBJECT.
The governments decision not to pub.
lish the full text of the bill until it is
discussed by the .Bundsrath meets with
general condemnation from the press,
which Is unanimously of the opinion
that this policy of silence will not have
the result of weakening the opposition,
q result the government appears to
reckon on.
An article in the Berliner Politsche
Nachrichten, which Is accepted as in.
spired, contains the fullest informal ton
as to the history and nature of the bill
that has yet appeared. The paper de-
clares that Chancellor Won Caprivi nm
to the day the measure received the inn.
perial signature, was hard at work scru.
tinizing every Item. Everything not
considered absolutel, Indispensable was
eliminated in order to effect the great.
est reduction in expenses, but no changes
In the principles on which military re-
forms are based was mado. The result
of the chancellor's labors is a bill of
which no part can be removed without
iniuring the whole.
The chancellor thoroughly remodeled
the proposals made some time ago by
General Verdi Du Vernois. which were
imprac ticable, owing to their exorbitant
demands. The cost of General Du Yer
nois' plan Is estimated at over Ito, OOO,-
700 marks annually, which is twice the
amount 81, involved by the present bill.
The article concludes by diIatinp upon
the necessity Of providing counter.
poise to the armed forces of Franco and
Russia. 1t eXhorts political parties and
military authorities who are disposed to
Maggie over the prop sails, not to exhi-
Dit to foreigners such on evident sign
OF political and military weakness.
The discussion of the measure by the
Bundesrsth Is expected to last about
three weeks. According to good author
1ty the number Of recruits to be raised
annually will be increased by 10000,
making the total MI N Der 23O, 900. There
Is little doubt that the discussion OF the
bill In the Reichstsg will be stormy aud
e'ehIIut' Inc opposition to the pro-
posed taxes TO Offset tho increased ey-
penditure that will be incurred through
the bill Is gaining in strength. This
opposition is especially directed against
the proposed tax on tobacco. A mass
meeting has been called to meet at
Erstein noxt week to consider the SUBJ
ject.
1t will be attended by tobacco plant
ers from Alsace Baden and Palatinate.
Preparations for SINH ar meeting are
being made at Appeln, where the new
burden, in the shape of taxes placed on
tobacco, will render idle thousands of
workmen. Munchener Nachrichten as.
serts that ID 1000 men will be made idle
in Bavaria alone, while the poorer
classes throughout the country will
suffer. as cheap foreign cigar will be
an lmpossibility. and the price OF Gig
ara made Of homegrown tobacco is Ger.
tain to be raised above that at which
the. poor will be able to purchase them.
Several papers assert that Prince Bis
marck will appear in the Reichstag to
lead opposition against the bill. Prince
Bismarck is at present suffering from
acute neuralgia. He was deeply at
fected by the death OF his great friend,
Letha Bucher.