The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1896-01-26
MORE BATTLE SHIPS
A Project Is Being Considered TO In
crease the German Navy.
1T WOULD PLEASE WILLIAM
The Courts Don't Know How to
Apply the Emperor's Amnesty
Decree. So indefinitely Was 1t
Worded-A Birthday Party.

Copyrighted. 1896. by the Associated
Press.
Berlin, Jan. 25.-A project is now be-
ing seriously considered by the emper-
or and the cabinet of providing for a
formidable increase of the German
navy. 1t is we'll known that his majes-
ty has long wished to do this; but the
refusal of the reichstag to vote the ne
cessary funds has rendered the scheme
impossible. Recent events, however.
especially the attitude of Great Britain
toward Germany. have ripened the plan
to accomplish an extension of the navy
without the grant of large sums of
money by the reichstag. The emperor.
during the last fortnight, has had a
number of conferences with authorities
on colonial affairs with reference to
the position and needs of the German
colonies, compared with the naval re-
sources, and the inadequacy of the Ger
man navy, particularly in first class
iron clads and cruisers, to maintain
Germany's pretensions as "a colonial
power, was generally recognized. This
years budget shows but "a small item
for new battleshfps, and the present
reichstag. which expires in 1898, will
Therefore. in order TO overcome the diff
ficulty thus presented. it is proposed to
raise a loan of 800. .00o. 900 marks, the
means of which are to be obtained by
the conversion of per cent. funds
tnto 3h per cents. His majesty sounded
the leaders of the parties in the reich-
stag and IN the diet during the recent
fetes and received encouraging replies.
DR.. MIGUEL, minister for finance, was
favorable ITO such a scheme, but Prince
Hohenlohe, chancellor and several 9TH
er ministers are opposed to 1t.
The colonial party has been much en-
couraged by Emperor Williams speech
delivered on Jan. IS, upon the occasion
of the 25th anniversary of the reestab-
lishment of the German empire. 1t has
stirred them to Increased activity, and
at an enthusiastic meeting of the colo
nIa1 association ON Thursday evening
last, DIR. Petrs urged that petition be
drawn up and addressed to THE chan
cellor in favor of a large increase of
the navy in order TO protect Germany's
worldwide interests at, for insua nee,
Adelaide, San Francisco, on the Orino-
co and on the Yang Use Ktang. Among
other things, Dr. Peters said that Ger
many must have the power to act and
not have to waste time in talking.
Prince Won Arenberg, who presided,
condemned any precipitate action, and
pointed out that it was impossible for
Germany to create a navy which would
rival that of Great Britain. The meet
ing, nevertheless, adopted Dr. Peters
resolution and a petition setting forth
the demands OF the colonial association
will be presented ito the chancellor and
to the reichstag. 1t will contain the
request that 3oo.0o0.OOO marks be ap-
propriated to increase the navy.
An instructive contrast to these de-
mands is furnished in the official report
of the colonies which has just been
published. From this document It ap-
pears THAT out of the thousands of Ger
mans to whom the emperor referred,
only 700 have apparently elected to take
up their residence in Greater Germany,
and of this number 250 are military and
civil authorities. These figures do not
include Southwest Africa, for which no
statistics are given. The trade of the
German colonies, the report also shows,
Is steadily decreasing, necessitatin an
increase of imperial subventions by l.
100000 morlzs. making "a toral cost of
more than 11,000, 900 marks.
EHlpSIOT w lIIdIIl = DfTInuay, on Mon
day next, will be celebrated in the usu-
al way. Among the princes present will
be the king of Saxony, tire grand duke
of Baden and others of almost equal
rank.
The amnesty decree which Emperor
William issued on Jan. Is was so in
definitely worded that the courts doubt
how to apply it. In Hamburg and AL
Hoona 500 prisoners were released, but
of this number 164 had to be reincar-
cerated the following day. The i'm
perial court at Leipsic on Monday last
ruled on a. case which affects the rights
of COMMUNICATIONS. F. w. Beohine
of Brooklyn, n. Y, was fined in Sep
eember last the sum of 200 marks for
evadtng military service by emigrating.
The court quashed the sentence as not
being in accordance with the realty
rights.
Secretary of the Interior Herr Won
Reicke is drafting new regulations for
the purpose of rendering the petroleum
harmless in Germany,
The government architect, Herr
Sopke, has accepted the position OF
professor of engineering al Columbian
University. Washington.