, 1892-01-03
Old world News Budget.

DEhJIN, JAu. S.-0epOrts lave reaCneQ
here by cable that the German minister
had offered the good offices of Germany
as mediator between Chile and the United
States. These reports have been semi
officially denied. The foreign depart
ment does not think it necessary to tele-
graph the minister asking how the rumor
arose, as no instructions warranting such
an interference has been sent him. Bleak
winds and drenching rains ushered in the
New Year.
Such miserable weather, of course, had
some effect on the celebration of the day.
The court functions we're the same as
usual. At the levee were all the com-
handing generals, the government officials
and the court officers who filed past the
throne. The emperor wore the gala uni
form of a Prussian general, with a ribbon
of the order of the Black Eagle. The
empress was attired in a magnificent court
robe. She also wore a ribbon of the
Black Eagle and the decorations Of many
other orders. At noon the Emperor rode
to the %arsenel to perform the usual New
Years ceremony of giving a parole to
the troops.
Everybody here expected him to make
IL ultCiauOCo VI ms OCCdblOu, DuI
he said nothing beyond a few words in
addressing the group of officers. He
advised them to speedily acquire a knowl-
edge of the power and the use of the
latest military improvements.
The French government is too late in
trying to meet the dreibund's zollverein
by commercial alliances with various
European states.
The overtures made from Paris to
Sweden, Denmark, Greece and Italy are
are perfectly known in Berlin. These
overtures till now have resulted in moth.
ing further than an agreement with
Greece and Denmark; both these allies of
Russia are getting minimum French tariff
in exchange for the favored nation"
treatment to France. Negotiations for a
treaty with Italy have ceased. With
Sweden. France stands "a better chance,
but nothing the Paris government does
now can weaken the dreibund's zollyerein
which ere long will include Belgium,
Holland, Roumania and Servia and
probably Spain.
For a solid vote of the Centrists in the
reichstag which has enabled the govern
ment to pass the commercial treaties,
that party is about to obtain the long
desired concession granting the clergy a
greater control Of the instruction in the
primary schools. Count Won Zedlitz,
minister of public worship, will submit to
the landtag. a project comforting power
on the clergy to examine candidates for
leadership on religious questions.
The Catholics regard the concession as
one which will enable the clergy to control
the schools through the teachers. The
project will cause a bitter fight in the
landtag. as Conservatives hold it will
revert the character OF volksschule.
Influenza has claimed another victim
among the diplomats in this city. Mar
QuIs de Penafel, ambassador of Portugal
to Germany, died here today from that
disease.
Advices from st. Petersburg are that
the illness of the c~zsrina is a low fever,
partly u from worrying over the plot
against the car in which the highest
court and imperial ~personages are sus-
pected. Private letters state some Of
these plots are aimed at obtaining the
constitution BY which the mobiles and land
holders will appoint members of the as
sembly.
Rumors are current that negotiations
are proceeding to obtain the adhesion of
Russia to the commercial convention, but
there is no foundation for them.
Among the new ear articles appear
ing n the German press is one In the
National Zeitung which specially COM
ments upon the growth OF the American
Union as a decisive factor of the century.
The Frankfort Gazette that
immense quantities of wheat and rye have
been stored in the Rhine fortresses.
The wheat, it saws, was chiefly i'm
ported. The American legation here Is
busy with cases OF American citizens of
German birth who haye been arrested IN
this country for desertion from the army.
American Minister Phelps finds the gov
eminent ready to accede to any reasonable
demand for the release of the returned
deserters even when the laws would per-
NIT oftheir retention. but it would be
better if the men liable to prosecution on
this charge should remain in their adopted
country.