The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1892-11-24
NO Prize TO GAIN IN WAR.
Therefore Germany Will Not Pro-.
woke Conflict With Any
Other Power.
That Country Was Not Respon.
sible for the War With
France in 1870.
Caprivi Denies That BISMARCK Falsified n
Dispatch, ms tho Latter Recently
Claimsd-Army Bill.

BERLIN. Nov. 23.-The long looked for
event OF the present session OF the reich
stag occurred to- day. The army bill was
introduced by Chancellor Won Caprivi. He
eaid he did not intend to justify the bill by
referring to war in sight or by indulRing in
gloomy forebodings. He added: II will
disclose the whole truth. We arc Mt peace
with all nations and encounter no difficulty
in any quarter in maintaining the dignity
of the nation. His majesty the emperor
has justly remarked that Heligoland was
tho last piece of the globe We desired to ac-
quire. Germany will not provoke war, for
there is no prize to gain by victory. But
neither will she undertake to prevent war
az she did in 1907 The chancellor then
referred to the alleged forgery by Prince
Bismarck of the famous Ems dispatch
which precipitated the Franco German war
and read the genuine dispatch. The chan
cellor also read the draft Prince Bismarck
prepared. which appeared in the North Ger
man Gazette Of July ID. 1870, and which
read as follows:
| After the news of the remuneration of
\ the hereditary prince of Hohenzollern was
officially communicated to the imperial
French government by the royal Spanish
government, the French Ambassador at
Ems further demanded of his majesty the
king of Prussia to authorize him to tele-
graph to Paris that his majesty the king
engages for all the future never again to
return to their candidature. His majesty
the king thereupon declined to receive the
French ambassador again, and had him
told by the adjutant i'll attendance that his
majesty had nothing further to communi-
cate to the ambassador"
The last sentence of the above is what
Prince Bismarck alleges he forged with the
intention of SO wounding the amour propre
of France that she would declare war
against Germany. and thus allow him, in
the event of Prussian victory. to bring
about the formation of the German empire.
Capriyi declared emphatically that Prince
Bismarck had not falsified the dispatch.
and that it was untrue that King William
was too Gonciliatory, or had not struck the
proper note in dealing with France. King
Williag3, he said, even as late rs July 3, 1870,
j had dispetch sent to the German minister
at Paris intimating that he was indignant
at the Duo de Grammont's demand, ad-
dressed to him through M. Benedetti, and
reserved any further steps. The whole of
Europe was of the same opinion as Ger
many at that time, as shown by Gladstone's g
declaration and Prince Gortschakoffs dis
patch to the Russian ambassador.
II refer to those matters" said Chancel-
lor Won Caprivi, lin order to show that Ger
many did not play provocative part. The
French love wars and glory and the more
complete their ornaments, the stronger
grows their self and desire to
conclude an alliance, naturally not for de-
fensive purposes. but with view to revis-
ion of tue map of Europe,
| Referring to Russo German relations the
chancellor aaid the present czar eis one of
noblest minded and most peaceful of mon
archs, and appreciates the peaceful and
loyal policy of Germany. I'm Russia. how
ever, hostile currents are working against
us, but it must not be concluded that be-
cause Russia is developing her army war il
imminent From her preparations we must
assume that kussia's next war will be to
the westward. Undeniably there is rap
prochement between Russia and France. in
the face of which we cannot yield Alsace-
Lorraine, nor break off relations with Aus
tria. The strengthening of our ornaments
constitutes no threat to Russia. We only
want to repel possible attack. We must
.hink of war with the possibility of having
for such exigency. We would have to de-
fend ourselves against superior numbers.
We have the highest opinion of our allies
and the dreibund is nowhere so popular as
in Germany, but even the drebund is
weaker in troops than France and Russia
The chancellor then proceeded to explain
the proposed reforms in military service,
and referring to the measure by which he
proposed to. meet increased expenditures,
he stated the beer tax would scarcely be
felt as it amounted to only two-ffths OF
one pfenniR per litre. I'VE DESIRE" he
said Ito enforce universal servive eifectu-
ally, but considerably. The bill, perhaps
is unwelcome. but war, perhaps defeat
would be much worse. After such reverse
n political and economic struggle would
arise involving our very existence. l lap-
peal to the house to enable the nation to
say in time of future wars: 'Lieb Faterland
Magst du Ruhig Sein.''
The chancelor's speech was followed by
prolonged applause. Here Richter made o
short speech and the house adjouined