The San Francisco call., 1896-04-27
The Reichstag to Be Asked for
Credits for Further Mill.
tary Equipment.
ENGLAND AND THE TRANsvAAL
Civil War Predicted Unless the Cape
States Are Granted Complete
Autonomy.

placing no control over the power OF SIN
gle chamber, is regarded in responsible
Government quarters here as matter of
the gravest concern. The mere resigna-
tion of Cabinet upon a party question
has long been considered matter of small
moment, but the present situation threat
ems to shake the sta bility of the Eastern
relations of the French republic.
In an article commenting upon this state
of affairs the National Zeitung holds to the
belief that henceforth the permanency of
the policy of France is impossible to rely
upon, and that sooner or later the internal
troubles of the republic will be reflected
upon the relations of France with foreign
powers.
The Vossische Zeitung expresses fear
that the constitution of France will not
furnish President Faure with adequate
means to avert an ultimate conflict be-
tween the two chambers, though he may
be able to hit upon temporary expedients
to delay the struggle which is nearing the
inevitable, and the interested Europeans
ought to exert their influence to the end of
securing new form of government for
France. The feeling of uneasiness inspir-
ing these and similar comments by the
press is due to the belief that the exist
ence of the Senate restrains the dangerous
impulses of the democratic Oh amber.
Whatever political stripe of government
France has had since 1870. not one OF them
has ceased to prepare to take the fore
front in a conflict for the restoration of
her military supremacy in Europe.
1t has been learned by the German War
Office that the Bourgeois Ministry some
time before its fall had decided to ask the
chambers for a credit of 100000 frans for
the purpose of supplying the army with
quick-firing guns of a pattern superior to
any that has yet been produced.
This, however, was not a surprise to the
War Office, which had already provided
designs for a new quick-fring gun sup
posed to be a great deal more effective than
the French weapon. The French inven-
ton has long been in possession of the
War Department and has been kept a
strict secret, the Government being reluc-
tant to order the construction of the guns,
as radical change in the artillery equip
ment of the army would involve an out
lay of 200, 900, 600 marks. Now that France
is likely to obtain new and formidable
gun it is imperative that the Reichstag
must be asked for the necessary credits to
strengthen the artillery equipment of Ger
many. Confidence is felt in official circles
that the Reichstag will recognize the fact
that the artillery arm of the military SER
vice urgently requires the credit and that
upon hearing the Ministerial statement
upon the subject may also grant a naval
credit and SO bring both the military and
naval services up to date.
The officially inspired press, speaking
freely on the subject, are giving out an
accurate expression of official and public
opinion as to the relations of Great Britain
in South Africa, which the papers declare
are not alone confined to encroachments
upon the Transvaal, but upon the whole
Afrlkander interests to which Germany,
these journals assert, is now inclined to
tender.her moral support and even diplo-
matte Intervention.
The North German Gazette argues that
the Cape States ought to sustain as COM
plete autonomy as Australia and the re-
naming members of the British empire
and with as full a measure of inde-
pendence. Nothing short of this, the
Gazett adds, will effectively prevent civil
war.
The Vossische Zeitung blames Mr..
Cham berlain, the British Colonial Secre-
tary. for want of tact in dealing with Presi-
dent Kruger of the TransvaaI Republic,
for insulting the Boer administration by
accusing it of wholesale corruption, and
for acting throughout as though it were
an absolute fact that South Africa is going
to pieces.
sit is an extremely serious matter" the
@ =
race war are current throughout the
Cape. If conflict takes place between
England and the Transvaal the British
possessions in South Africa will be at
stake"
The Altdeutsche Blatter boldly contends
that Germany and the Beers ought to
hold together and force back English in
vasion and forever make South Africa
great field for German immigration,
where Germans could preserve their ma
tionality and give solid support to German
doctrines, theories and interest every
where.
The Altdeutsche Blatter is less diplo-
matte in its utterances than the North
German Gazeste, but the paper better ex-
presses the popular sentiment.
Apropos of the general German feeling
in regard to England the cognate question,
"Wiil the Emperor go to Cowes in the
autumn as he had proposed to dor" has
been variously discussed with the result
that the preponderance of opinion is that
he will not visit England If the present
tendency of the English policy continues
and that no inducement that can be offered
by family connections is likely to persuade
him to go.
In an article upon this subject the in
spired Magdeburg Gazette says: The Kaiser
will not visit England without fully con-
sidering the political situation. and the
rapidity with which changes are being
made therein make 1t hardly possible for
him to decide what he will do in the mat.
ter several months ahead.
Recurring to the policy OF the Dreibund
in regard to the succession of the Papacy
the object being to secure the selection