The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1896-12-28

Berlin, Dec. 27.-(Copyrighted, 1896,
by the United Associated Presses. y
/ The pretensions of the German arts
tocrat, especially the army officer, re-
cruited as he always is from the junker
families, to be treated as of divinely
constituted caste, are undergoing the
severest exposure and criticism from
the progressist 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
on-cOmmiSsioned officers. The notion
| that a career of advancement is open
to any man of ability applies least of
| all TO the PrusSian regiments. Pro-
| greSSist papers, Analysing the condition
of the army, show that in 46 Prussian
regiments there are only two officers
not drawn from the nobility; that in
the cavalry, with 173 officers, only one
can be regarded as taken from the
| bourgeoise, and that in the artillery
| there is also a single isolated and prob
ably most uncomfortably situated Of
ficer. who does not belong to what is
called noble family
THIS GRASP OF CASTE
upon office extends beyond the army
into the lower regions of administra-
ton, where it might be supposed the
| junker would not seek employment.
Since the Tausch process opened to the
public view some of the secrets of the
secret police service. it has been as
certained that the greater number of
the political police officers are like
1
cratic families. The same preference
extends throughout all branches of the
administration. The dead-beat arts
tocrat, the ruined spendthrift and other
wreckage of the upper class find ref
uge in some government post.
The Keiser Wilhelm fetes begin on
March %, which day will be officially
declared and observed as a national
holiday. The Berlin celebration pro-
gramme opens at 10 in the morning
with services for the Protestants in
the rechstag and landtag, in the ca
thedral, and for the Catholic reichstag-
ers in the Hedwig church. The i'm
perial family will attend separate serv-
ices in the royal court chapel.
At 1870 a grand military f.nction is
to be held near the schlosS in front of
the national monument. Combined
battalions, squadrons and batteries of
=
regiment OF William 1 will form
square and line from the castle
through the Lustgarten to and around
the monument. A Salvo of 101 guns
will be fired and the bells of all the
Berlin churches will be rung. The
veterans of 1866 and 1870, forming in the
thiergartan, will head a procession
wherein will be represented academic
students in historic costumes and
trades and guilds also in historic ar
ray. The procession marches through
the Brandenburg gate and Inter den
Linden to the monument, where they
will salute the kaiser. kaiSerin and
princess. who will be there to receive
them. At o'clock in the afternoon
banquet is to be held in the castle, to
which representatives of all classes,
reichStag members, excepting social
lists, mobiles and trading citizens are
being invited. "CommerS' will be gen
eral throughout Berlin and other CEN
ters. AT D. m. gala performances of
the historic play, 1872" will be given
at the Royal Opera and other houses.
To all these houses the kaiser invites
the soldiers of the Berlin garrison and
the officers will feast them. The kaiser
will deliver a political pronunciamento
at the castle banquet.
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 a
programme upon which the elections
can be contested. He is practically sit
ting on the fence and watching
whether clericals, anti-Semites or Ger
man Liberals may gain strength
enough to be worth cultivating as min
isterial supporters. Pledged when he
entered office to Cypress the anti-Sem-
ties, and to give at least a liberal ten
dency to the ministerial policy, Count
Badeni now awaits upon the result of
the elections and frankly causes it to
be known that the government will
build its programme on the character
of the new reichsrath. He viii shape
his policy according to the majority
and, as every informed forecast shows
the coming reichSrath to be clerical
and anti-Semite. the next Badeni pol
icy must be reactionary. The Prog
resist German party, whose platform
can be summarized in a few words as
German solidarity, liberal. economic
and social reforms, is conducting an
active propaganda, which bids fair TO
create a political group so formidable
as to make it an important factor in
the new house.
M'KINLEY'S ELECTION.
Der Confectionair asserts that 300
German factories have resumed work
since Mckinley was elected president
of the United States, and that about
800 factories have increased their
hands. The factories resuming include
% wooden mills. cotton goods works, %
gentlemen's Quitting works and Is
carpet factories. All of these had been
closed for several years.
SOCIAL FUNCTIONS.
The social functions for the, winter
season have to certain extent COM
menced, although they are not yet as
lively as they will be after the en-
peror's birthday. which occurs on Jan
uary 81. The imperial family and the
court are fully aware of the prevail
ing hard times among tradesmen, and
the general distress among the poor
classes, and it is now evident that it
is their intention to give impetus to
the trade by holding d rapid success
sion of brilliant fetes. The series of
official and diplomatic dinners began
on Monday last with a banquet given
by the Austrian ambassador, M. de
Szogyeny-Maric in honor of the new
French ambassador, the Marquis de |