The morning times., 1896-12-28

Copyright. 1896, by the United Associated
Presses.
Berlin, Dec. 27.-The pretensions of the
German arstocrat, especially the army
officer, recruited as he always is from
i the Junker families, to be treated of
| divinely constituted caste, are undergoing
| the sevcrest exposure and criticism from
| the progrcssist and independent press.
The question is being discussed whether
| the army is national, except in the sense
| that the people contribute the rank and
| file, pay the money to support it, and
allow the aristocrats to monopolize every
post above that Of fnon-comnissOned officer,
| The notion that a career Of advancement
is open 20 any man of ability applies least
OF all TO the Prussian regiments
Progressist papers analyZing the condi-
ton of the army show that in forty-six
Prussian regiments there are only officers
dra wD from the nobiity;that in the cavalry,
with 1T3 officers, only one can be re-
gardcd as taken from the bourgeoisie, and
that in the artillery there is also a single
isolated and probably most uncomrortably
situated officer, who does not belong to
what is called noble family
Extends Beyond the Army.
This grasp OF caste upon office extends
beyond the army into the lower regions
of administration, where it might be sup
posed the Junker would not seek employ
| ment. Since the Tausch process opened
| to the public view some OF the secrets of
the secret police service, it has been ascer-
tained that the greater number of the
political police officers are like TausCh
| and LuetZow, scions of aristocratic fami-
lies.
The same preference extends throughout
all branches OF the administration. The
dead beat aristocrat, the ruined spend
| thrift, and other wreckage Of the upper
| class, find refuge in some governme mt
post.
The Kaiser Wilhelm I Centenary fetes
begin on March %, which day will be
officially declared and everywhere OBJ
served as a national holiday.
The Coming Elections.
The coming general elections for the
Austrian Reichsrath are most seriously
interesting all parties in Germany. The
dissolution appears likely to take place
without the prime minister. Count Badeni
| having decided upon Issuing program,
A.! upon which the elections can be contested.
| He is practically sitting on the fence and
watching whether CleriCals, anti-Semites
| or German Liberals may gain strength
! enough To- be worth Cultivating as min
isterial supporters
Pledged when he entered office to op-
pose the anti-Semites aud to give at least
liberal tendency to the ministerial
| policy, Count Badeni now awaits upon
the result Of the elections and frankly
causes it to be known that the govern
| ment will build its program on the charsc-
| ter OF the new Reichsrath.
He will shape his policy according TO
! the majority and as every informed fore
cast shows the coming Reichsrath to be
| Clerical and anti-Semitc, the next Badeni
policy must be rcactionary.
The new progresSist German party, whose
platform can be summarized in d few words
as German solidarity, liberal, economic,
and social reforms, is conducting an active
propaganda. which bids fair To create Il
political group so formidable as to make it
| an important factor in the new house
Effect of McKinleys Election.
Der COnfektonaer asserts that $50 Ger
man factories have resumed work since
Mckinley was elected President of the
United States, and that about 800 factories
have increased their hands. The factories
resumin z include twenty eight wooden goods
mills, fifteen cotton goods works, twenty
three gentlencn's outfitting works, and
eighteen carpet factories. All of these
had been closed for several years
Prince Bismarck gathered around him
at Fredrichsruhe on Christmas Day his
entire family, consisting of his son, Count
Herbert bismarck, his wife and child, his
son, Count william Bismarck, his wife and
children; his daughter, the Countess Won
RantZau, aud her husband Count Won
Rantzau, and his physician and confidential
Trend, Dr.. Schweninger, who arrived at
FriedrChsruhe on Tuesday.
The eX-chancellor is in excellent health
considering his advanced age, and takes
walks Ill the park surrounding his castle
daily. Christmas presents directed to the
old chancellor arrived al Fredrichsruhe
on Christmas Day from all parts of the
world.
Empress Frederick. who is now visiting
her son, Prince Henry of Prussia and his
wife, Princess Irene, at Kilel will arrive
in Berlin on New Years Eve and remain
six weeks Her majesty has promises TO
dIltHu tue pTlnClpa! court leteS during the
season, and will herself entertain IavishIy
Empress at Berlin.
Among her guests in Berlin will he Prince
and Princess Henry of Prussia, the Prince
and Princess of SaXe-M einiugen, and Prince
and Princess Frederick Charles of Hesse-
Xassel. Throughout the present session
the court OF Empress Frederick will be
the scene of the most brilliant receptions
that have been held there since the death
Of her husband, Emperor Frederick III, on
June 15, 1888.
Prince Hohenlohe. the imperial cha ncellor,
viii celebrate his golden wedding on Febru-
ary &c.
The accouchement of the cZarina for
merly Princess AliX of Hessel is expected to
he about the end of January 1t has
been arranged to have the event occur at
TsarSkoe Selo.
John Gregory Smith, of Vermont, is
among the Americans visiting Berlin
Miss Leonora jackson, the American
violiniste, recently performed at Il con-
cert in Krolls Theater and was especially
honored by the presence of the empress