The record-union., 1896-04-20
HOne.


BERLIN, April 19-The time of the
introduction in the Reichstag Of the
Centerist Interpolation in regard to the
practice of dueling has been fixed for
Tuesday next, and if the Government
should fail to make satisfactory state
ment in regard to the matter the Cen
iterists will either offer motions demand
ing the suppression of dueling or sup
port the resolution of the Freissinnigs
demanding that the chief authorities
of the respective Federal States shall
exert all their powers to put a stop to
the custom, especially in the army. The
debate upon this matter will afford the
Freisinnigs and Socialists a splendid
opportunity to assail the Emperor's re-
peated remission of sentence imposed
upon duelists after they had spent brief
and easy terms Of confinement in a for
tress. The Government will find it a
peculiarly difficult task to arrest the
Centerists' Interpolation in terms which
will be sufficiently satisfactory to OBJ
Viate the Introduction of a motion to
totally suppress the practice Of dueling.
Both the Center and the Freisinnig par
ties are desirous that the Government
shall issue an edict of such a character
as will absolutely prevent recourse to
dueling, without reference to military
courts of honor, whose decisions have
frequently rendered duels imperative.
It was the action of the military court
i'll eXpelling Leiberecht Won kotZ from
his rank as an officer for neglecting to
challenge Baron Won Schrader and suing
him for libel in a civil court instead,
that eventually caused the fatal en-
counter between the two men. The
Emperor himself thought that Kotz
ought to fight and consequently
quashed the decision of the, military
court, thus enabling KotZ to regain his
position as an officer and fulfill the re-
Quirements Of the military code by
sending Schrader a challenge 1t is not
expected, therefore. that the Emperor
will instruct the Ministers to promise
what the Centerists and Freisinnigs
demand. The utmost that can be hoped
for from the debate is an abatement,
but not the extinction of the evil. The
kaiser's prerOgative of extending Glenn
ency is absolute and cannot be con-
trolled by the Reichstag, but the aim Of
the CenteriSts is to make the Ministry
SO far responsible for the remission of
sentence imposed upon duelsts as to
enable the Reichstag to demand expla-
nations in cases where sentences are
RENTED. This will act as a partial
check to dueling, if the Government as
sents to the Centerists' demand.
Next to dueling the leading cause Of
popular excitement is the preparation
which England is making for action
against the Transvaal. All of the Aus
trian and Italian influences in the
councils Of the Dreibund which have
been thrown on the side of England
will become paralyzed if events shall
confirm the suspicious entertained by
Germany that Great Britain intends
to coerce the Beers. The peaceful as
surances given by the British Minis
ters and the British Parliament are
distrusted here. The North German
Gazette" cautiously advises delay in
the dispatch of English troops to South
Africa, in difference to President Krue-
gers peace policy, but the unofficial
and more outsrpken 'Tageblatt" sees
plan on the part of Great Britain to
use the Matabel rising as pretext
for sending troops to the Cape Colony.
The ''Vossische Zeitung" approves the
action of the Beers in arnling them
selves to protect their independence,
and predicts another Majuba Hill dis
aster to England. The "Boersen Zei-
tung" declares that the British army is
wholly inadequate 70 the task of con-
Quoting two wars at the same time, one
on the Soudan and the other against the
Beers. If England refuses an entente
with Germany through jealousy of the
growth of German influence in South
Africa, the paper adds, the loss will not
be Germany's.
Although the report that President
Cleveland has offered the friendly serv-
ices of the United States in settling the
Cuban troubles is not confirmed the
North German Gazette in an intense
ly hostile criticism thereon, written
upon the assumption that the report is
true, tells Spain to decline positively to
admit that the President of the United
States has any right to tender his advice
IT the Cuban matter, or rather to tell
the American Government to mind its
own business.
The "Vossische Zeitung" says: "If
the United States Government gives ef-
feet to the resolutions passed by the two
houses of Congress recognizing the Gu
bans as belligerents, Spain must toler-
ate the act. She cannot go to war with
the United States, but America cannot
expect any European State however
weak or distressed, to submit without
protest to such interference"
The United Press finds excellent rea-
sons for stating that the views ex-
pressed by the two newspapers above
quoted do not represent the opinion Of
the Kaiser, who thinks that Spain ought
not to reject the friendly diplomacy of
the President of the United States, but
rather should show willingness to nego-
tiate with and assist the Government at
Washington to find a way to settle the
Cuban question.
Professor Gutenberg, the eminent Ger
man physician and assistant to the
clinic of the University of Berlin, has
written a letter to the Medical Ca
zette," in which he declares that there
IS no cause for hostile campaign
against DR.. Behring's dyphtheria Sc