The San Francisco call., 1896-02-16
English Entertainments in South
Africa to Be Vigorously
Resisted.
MEASURE AGAINST SOCIALISTS.
Plans to Abolish the Present Electoral
System and Shut Out the
Poorer Glasses.

BERLIN, GERMANY, Feb. 15.-Tne in
vectives which for some time were hurled
by the semi-oficial press against England
had lull last week, out this week they
have been renewed but in q somewhat diff
ferent vein. Though these expressions
are more guarded than formerly they in
dicate that the German Government is
thoroughly dissatisfied with the statements
which have been made in Parliament by
the British Ministers in regard to the situ-
alton and England's relations in the
Transyaal.
Nor does this condition of affairs fur
nish the only grievance which Germany
has, according to these sources of informa-
ton. There is reason to state, it is al
legged. that the advices received at the For
eign Office from South Africa are of a char
act r that tend greatly to increase the
strain upon the relations between England
and Germany.
Although the Berlin press is almost
unanimous in praising the frankness OF
the statements made in the Reichstag by
Freiherr MarschaI Won Bieberstein, Min
lister OF Foreign Affairs, in the debate on
the Transvaal situation on Thursday in
which he declared that nothing had oc-
Cured TO change the good relations be-
tween Germany and England, an analysis
OF the Foreign Minister'S statement and
the White Book containing the Transvaal
correspondence disclose notable and sue
cessful concealment of the very things
that the public are most desirous to know.
Freiherr Marschall Won Bleberstein as
sured the Reichstag that the White Book
oil n ba
possession of the Government bearing on
the subject, but any one looking in the
book for the important telegram from
Pretoria, of December 81, mentioned in
the dispatch to Count voE Hatzfeldt, Ger
man ambassador to Great Britain, would
fail to find 1t, and this is only one instance
out of several wherein important commu-
nications have been suppressed.
There is no doubt, however, that the
Foreign Minister'S vindication of Ger
many's rights in the Transvaal is ap-
proved by the whole of Germany, the
Hamburger Correspondent going to the
length OF saying that the Transvaal and
Delagoa Bay, the ground with the strip of
Portuguese territory between Delagoa Bay
and the Transvaal, are under the protec-
tion OF the European powers. The North
German Gazette, however. corrects this
statement as being in conflict with the
recognized political and territorial situa-
ton.
Germany, the Zeitung asserts, does not
claim the right to such protectorate as the
Correspondent describes and declares that
the main point of Germany's dispute with
England is that of the formers safeguard
hQrcplf aoaInet EnnlanH'S
ments upon German interests in South
Africa.
The speech delivered by Freiherr Mar.
schall Won Bieberstein in the Reichstag,
which has been revised and published in
the Reichsanzeiger, the official gazette puts
the whole case in one sentence, thus: The
German Government will uphold the status
quo of Delagoa Bay and also the rights in
volyed in the ownership of the German
railways and the maintenance of the inde.
pendence of the South African Republic
as guaranteed by the treaty of 1884.
The Cologne Gazette, while warning
England not to interfere in the internal
reforms OF the Transvaal, advises the Beers
TO remove any possible pretext for such
interference by granting some concessions
to the Uitlanders.
The Vossisehe Zeitung says that Eng
land if she is desirous of living upon good
terms with Germany must become ac.
customed to see Germans maintaining q
hold upon part of the mainland o.
Southwest Africa, besides having interests
in South Africa. Germany, the Zeituns
says, has subjects there and must also pro
tect her right to save nation allied with
her by race from brutal violence and tc
compel respect for treaties.
The sum of the matter is that if Grear
Britain should menace an attack upon the
South African Republic upon the pretex-
of defending British subjects in that terri
tory Germany would be unanimous in ap
proving the Intervention of the imperia
Government in the most active form il
defense of the Beers.
The lower house of the Saxon Diet, afteI
a debate of two days upon the measure
has referred the electoral bill TO a specia
committee. The bill proposes to abolish
the present electoral system and to sub
stitute therefor the system which prevails
in Prussia OF indirect election in classes
The first of these classes comprises thos,
having incomes of 10000 marks wear; tn,
second, those receiving incomes of not les
than $500 marks per annum, and the thirC
composed of workmen and ratepayers
Each class elects one-third of the colleg,
of electors which selects the deputies to 81
in the Landtag. The result of this system
would be that all of the workmen and rate
payers comprising the third class wouls
be in two to one minority in the eIectora
college, and would, of course. have no rep
resentative in the Landtag.
In the course of the debate Her
Metzsch, Minister Of the Interior and O
Foreign Affairs, avowed that the bill wa
especially directed against the socialists
and the Deputies of the latter party mad
an attack upon the Government. charging
them at aiming to establish a system O
class despotism and persecution which
would surely lead to reyulsion of popu
lar feeling endangering all the institu
tions of the State.
Prince Bismarck, in an interview with
mem ber of the Saxon Diet this week, ad
vised modificat ton of the electoral bill
and expressed his strong disapproval Q
the arbitrary provisions OF the measure il