The San Francisco call., 1896-11-22
GE NU|NE REFORM
IS NOT EXPECTED
William Will Not Curb the
Brutal Tactics OF. His
Army Pets.
Shows No Disposition to Per.
suade Military O fcers They
Are Not Superior Beings.
Liberals Oppose the Scheme of DR..
Miguel for the Conversion of
the Prussian Debt.

BERLIN, GERMANY, Nov. 21.-It is now
conceded on all sides that the debate
which took place in the Rechstag this
week involviE discussion of the subjects
of dueling in the army and the killing of
Siebmann by Lieutenant Baron Won Bruse-
witz at Carlsruhe, instead of modifying
the attitude of military officers toward
civilians, or tending to alter the military
code duello, has, on the contrary, had q
tendency to intensity the exiting preIu-
dices on the part of both officers and
civilians.
When General Won Gossler was ap-
pointed Minister of War upon the retire.
ment of General Bronsart Won Schellen-
dorf, it was surmised that the Emperor
had very slight intention indeed of in
| iervening to prevent dueling, and the at
titude assumed by General Won Gossler
in the Reichsta has confirmed the very
worst forebo dings.
The new War Minister showed himself
throug out the discussion as possessed of
the very narrowest ideas of military caste,
and plainly showed that he WAS fretting
under the necessity OF responding to the
remarks of the members of the Reichstag.
The result is that the Governments
promised measure of reform in the mill.
tary judicial procedure is already thor
oughly distrusted. Nobody believes that
the Kaiser Is willing to initiate a system
of genuine reform in the army or that his
Majesty is in the slightest degree willing
to lead movement to persuade military
officers that they are not superior beings,
but mere citizens.
The proposals of DR.. MIGUEL, Prussian
Minister of Finance for the conversion of
the Prussian debt from per cent into 81
per cent bonds include the paying OF the
debt annually, with the creation of a bal
ance or sinking fund. This proposal is
due to the fact that the surplus amounts
to 60,000 600 marks, a sum transcending
the most sanguine calculations. The Lib
erals oppose the scheme, as they want to
have the surplus devoted to the reduction
of tie rate of taxation. Nevertheless DR..
Miguel has got his own way in the forma-
ton of the budget and this fact confirms
the mpression that he will be the COM
plete master of the Prussian finances.
The bill briefly referred to in the speech
from the throne read in the Landtag by
Prince Hohenlohe yesterday is a measure
dealing with the law governing Alsatians,
and restricts the privileges of public meet
ings, especially those of societies and clubs
organized and controlled by a central as.
sociation. Purely local unions however,
are less restricted by the operation of the
mea sure than heretofore.
The FreisiDnige Zeitung (Radical), COM
mentIng on the bill, expects that there
will be systematic limitation of the right
of association.
The Kreuz Zeitung advocates the plan of
leaving the various Federal States to en-
act their own laws in regard to the So
cieties.
Last June ambassador Uhl lodged
complaint in the Berlin Foreign Office set.
ting forth that accord ng 10 German sta
tistics considerable percentages OF the
wines, beers and spirits exported from
Germany to the United States were found
to have been adulterated, and asking what
measures would be adopted by the Ger
man Government to prevent a continu-
ance OF the practice.
The Foreign Office did not reply to this
communication until few weeks ago.
and then evaded an explicit statement as
to VIII at means of prevention the Gov .rn-
ment proposed to taGe. This response
not being satisfactory EN- bas.ador Uhl re.
peateu his com plant, and now it is given
out that the Government will ORDER an ex-
haustlve inquiry into the matter.
The Frankfort Zeitung, commenting
upon Mr.. UhPs protest, suggests that the
United States Government is searching for
rreteXts to limit the volume of German
imports, and for this reason is decrying
German pro !ucts. 1.-The charge LEVIED
against the exports of bad beer, wine. and
spirits, " the Zeitung says, 'may be dis
proved, but utterances without proof are
dangerous weapons. The whole question
Is one of high Importance to Germany. as
he exports of beer to the Un ted States in
1895 reached total of ! 600 900 marks and
the exports of wines 5000, 900 marks"
The United States Consuls in Germany
have reported 10 the Washington Govern
ment upon the effect OF the gold currency
upon prices ana wages in Germany and
the consensus of their views and observa-
tions is that the price of goods has fallen,
wages have risen and the deposits in saw.
ings banks have increased.