The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-09-09
Odium Attaching to Their Faith
LesSened by the Vor-
waerts Episode.
GENEROUS WORDS FOR FRANCE.
Fluctuations of German Papers
Upon the Anniversary Of the
Third Republic.

eminent prosecution Vi tHe FoI"deIto'
the leading Socialist organ OF Berlin, has
had a reactionary effect. The arrest Of the
editor has elected from several Socialist
leaders not only protests against Govern
mental interference with the liberty OF the
press. but q fat denial of the official
assumption that the Socialist party ought
to be accused OF having failed in patriot
ism. The Vorwaerts in an article reply
ing to the Characterization by the EN-
peror that the Socialists were a band of
persons who were unwilling TO bear the
name of Germans, declares that the
best patriots in Germany are those who
are aiming to give all Germans the fullest
measure of political liberty, genuine equal
ity and sure prosperity by destroying the
existing system of exploitation of work
ingmen.
The Vorwaerts refrained from making
any defense of its supposed hostility and
also of the presumed hostility of the So
cialist party to the celebration of Sedan
day. This, of course, is to be expected
from newspaper which has been put
under the ban of imperial dlspleasure, but
the utterances of the Vorwaerts are upheld
by speeches delivered by Herren Auer and
Vollmar, who voice the sentiments of
large section of the Socialist party. The
speeches cf these gentlemen have had the
effect of greatly lessening the popular
odium attaching to the supposed Socialist
faith and have also checked the alienation
of great many Iukewarm Socialists from
the tenets of the sect.
Herr Auer, in a speech delivered at
reunion of socialists at Berlin yesterday,
defended the action of the party in re-
framing from participation in the celebra-
tons commemorative of Sedan day. He
takes the ground that it would be impolite
to irritate the French democracy. Pursu-
ing his subject, he said that this did not
imply that the German socialists were enc
mics of the principles of the unity of the
Fatherland, nor of the unity of the en-
pire. So long as it was necessary to pre-
serve unity, he said, all socialists were
ready now, as they were in 1870, to march
against France or any other nation pre-
Stunning to assail the empire. Moreover,
they were ready and willing to fight in
defense of or for the protection of the
Reichland. These utterances were received
by the meeting with prolonged cheers.
Herr Voilmar, in letter written to friend
in regard TO the abstention OF socialists
from the celebration of Sedan day, says:
''Like all Bavarian veterans of the war
of 1870 I hoisted the flag of the Emperor
upon my villa on Walchensee, and L am
grateful to be able still to recall the victor
les of Germany during the period. The
truth is that though some extremists have
succeeded in divesting themselves of ma
E IL {
the socialists throughout the empire retain
the sentiments which have been expressed
so ably by Herr Auer."
A distinguished American soiourning in
Berlin who has been an unbiased observer
of the series of celebrations, and knowing
the German people Intimately, said:
Some of the Socialist press gang mis-
represent the national sentiments of the
workingman-a few of them perhaps un-
Willingly but the most of them wiIlfully.
Still the military sentiments, in a patri-
otto sense, continue to pervade them. No
matter how many socialists may be
elected to the Reichstag there is no fear
whatever that their patriotism will be
lessened or that revolution similar to
that which occurred in France will ever
occur"
The Socialist committee of Berlin, which
sent a telegram to the Paris socialists on
Sedan day proclaiming the solidarity of
nations, has not. says the Vossische lei
tung, found sympathy even among its own
political friends. The Cologne Gazette, in
an article on the same subject, reiterates
the assertions of last week that no excep-
tional laws are contemplated by the Gov
eminent, the democratic press to the con-
trary notwithstanding. The Gazette con-
tends that the Emperor's speech to the
guards on the occasion of the banquet in
the white hall of the palace on the eve of
Sedan day cannot be so interpreted. Pur-
suing the subject the Gazette declares that
if the Kaiser had desired the passage of
such laws he would have said so clearly
and distinctly. Moreover, he would have
appealed not to the people, but directly to
the Legislature.
The generous tone adopted by most of
the German newspapers in their articles
commenting upon the anniversary of the
third republic of France ought to have
helped to compensate the French for the
irritation which they experienced through
the ebullitions of the Germans in their
commentator OF Jl6 Dabtle OF SEDAN.
The Vossische Zeitung says that although
founded in the hour of Frances greatest
trial the present republic has saved the
national honor and preserved the existence
of France against the plots of the reaction
lists. 1t has also advanced the economic
and military strength of France until she
has become a stronger and richer power
than she has been at any time since the
First Empire. Many other German papers
have treated this subject in similar man.
ner.
A strong force of Berlin detectives has
been sent to Stettin to assist the police of
that town in preserving order and protect
ing life and property during the military
maneuvers which take place there this
week. Additional to many other preceu-
tions is an edict which has been issued
ordering that any person arriving in Stet-
tin between September and September
IL shall report himself to the police within
six hours. Failure to comply with this
order will subject the delinquent to the
penalties which would be imposed upon
criminal under parole. Excursion trains
will run at frequent intervals from Berlin,
Hamburg and other cities to Stettin