The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1893-01-08
THE ARMY BILL
BISMIRCK'S PAPER OPPOSING THE
KAIsER'S FOND HOPE.
An Enormous Decrease in the Business
Usually Done In Berlin at This Season
OF the Year-The Money Troubles.

1
more or less freedom in public places.
No measure of recent years affects SO
| closely the home life of the German peo-
pie. The Reichstag will resume its sit
tings on Tuesday. The committee of the
House to which was referred the Army
bill will meet on Wednesday. Chancellor
Won Caprivi has requested the president
OF the committee to ask the members to
| expedite their deliberations, I'm order not
to retard the final decision of the Reich
stag, for which, he said. not Germany
alone, but all Europe awaits with anxiety.
According to the belief entertained in
official circles the Chancellor has COM
| pleted statement giving as the private
reason for the Governments demands for
an increase Ia the number of the army
effective that an increase OF the effective
Is Indispensable. not only in the present
bill, but in any army measures that
might be proposed. The Chancellor hav-
ing nothing more to tell, the committee
ought to report promptly. but the MEM
bers representing the Centre. or Clerical
party, remain In state Of indecision. ex-
pecting the Chancellor to offer an induce
ment that will suffice 10 excuse their
surrender when they are called upon to
face their constituents. The Clerical pa
pers vaguely hint that the negotiations of
the party with the Government Will turn
upon the recall OF Jesuits to Germany
as the price of the partys support. None
Of those within the inner political circle
believes that the Chancellor has COM
mitted himself on the question. The ut
most length TO which he has gone Is be-
lieved to be a promised leave TO the Gov
ernments supporters to take an inde-
H.. fra - n
gets a remote chance of dividing the
Reichstag on the Jesuit question.
In his private dealings with the leaders
of the several parties the Chancellor IS
displaying much tact, and his course or
action is such as to elicit the admiration
OF even his adversaries.
Nothing is now heard of the Chancel-
lor's retirement from office His position
with the Emperor Is stronger tran ever,
and his development Of personal re-
sources, finesse and audacity staggers his
opponents, who are becoming weak under
the apprehension that the bill Will be
passed without a single concession OF
Importance being made by the Govern
ment.
The War Office Is taking action antici-
patory 10 the passage of the bill by or
dering new armaments i'm the recruit di-
visions throughout Germany.
In ten centres. including Berlin, Frank
fort, Stettin and Madgeburg, new councils
have been formed, with view 10 the ex-
tension OF recruiting. The Emperor, be-
yond doubt means that the bill shall
become law In the course of the year.
The proprietors OF leading stores in
Berlin concur in their statements that the
holiday season just closed shows an enor-
nous decrease in the business usually
done at that period of the year. The
average reduction OF receipts, they say,
amounted TO so per cent.
The annual reports published by the
various chambers of commerce in Ger
many state that depression prevails
everywhere in the Empire. Reports from
Frankfort Chemnitz and Kiel agree that
the marked decline in trade in 1882 can
be attributed TO the bad harvests of lS9l
the cholera epidemic and the growth OF
competition without concurrent expan-
sion of unfavorable tariffs.
The strike Of the Sa1r miners is ex-
pecfed to collapse next week owing 10
the lack of both popular and trade sup
port. The delegates sent 10 Westphilia
and the appeals issued TO the Belgian.
French and Bohemian miners met with
no response. Thousands of strikers and
their families are in a starving condition,
backbone OF the strike. This strike will
be but another instance OF the futility Of
miners associations without the means
attempting to fight the combined capital
Of the mining companies.
The ReichsanZieger referring to the re-
cent article in the Vorwaerts,
in which it Was said that many
men prominent In public life had been
beneficisries Of the Guelph fund says the
Government had supposed that the re-
ceipts considered last spring concluded
the whole affair. Deception and forgeries,
the Reichsanzieger continues, are evil
dent from the fact that when any draft
was made on the fund for secret politi-
cal purposes the only vouchers were re-
ceipts signed by the chancellor or an
official designated for the purpose. These
vouchers were burned after the accounts
had been made UP. No form of the re-
ceipts mentioned by the Vorwaerts ever
existed.
The opposition papers are trying TO
raise popular storm over the Emperors
recent use OF the phrase. 81 will crush
(Zerschmettern) those who oppose me-"
The Freisinnige Press assumes that
the words meant that the Emperor in
tends to override the vote OF the Reich
stag should IL be hostile TO the Army
bill by a resort TO the application OF arti-
Gle 50 of the German Constitution, by
which every able bodied man may be
compelled to serve in the army; and arti-
Gle 63, which enables the Emperor to fix
the strength Of the army. IL is defect
in the Constitution that while 1t grants
the Emperor such a right the powers of
the Reichstag over the military budget
are now clearly determined. Bismarck,
who in 1866 went to war first, got the
Prussian diet TO afterwards vote an in
demnity.
Now. through the Hamburger Nachrich-
ten, Prince Bismarck assails the Emperor
and Chancellor Won Caprivi as intending
violation of the Constitution. lie warns
members Of the Reichstag to defy the per-
sonal viii OF the Emperor; calls upon
them to vindicate the rights of Parlia-
ment, and cautions the Government
against the perils of unconstitutional
practices, which endanger the unity Of
the empire. The abundant partisan fury
expended over the ch-discussed phrase
seems TO be wasted, since the official or
gans deny that the Emperor used the
language as attributed to him by the op-
position, The official papers suggest that
II the language was used at all II was
directed at military personages who are
unfriendly to the bill. Upon this sugges-
tion appearing report at once indi-
Gated that General Won Waldersee was
the parsonage referred to. as he is known
to be an opponent OF the measure. This
report is, however. not borne out by the
facts. The Emperor gave costly vase
10 General Won Waldersee as a Christmas
present, and the General has visited at
the court this week. There was no sign
that he had incurred imperial displeasure.
IL Is probable that the Emperor used
the threat generally. IL he used II at all.
not designing TO attack the privileges OF
the Reichstag or any particular person.