The record-union., 1896-07-19
Interests the EX- X-ChanCellOr Less Than the
Plat Of Land in His Garden.
The Foreign Office and Emperor. How
ever, Feel Different.
in Progress for the Call
ing of a Conference of the Euro
pean Powers to Consider the Ad-
visibility of Concerted Interfer-
ence, Fearing an Extension of the
Rising if the Turks Are Allowed
to Maintain Absolute Authority.

Rising if the Turks Are Allowed
to Maintain Absolute Authority.
BERLIN, July 1S.--Prince Bismarck's
opinion upon the Cretan question, as
given by the ex-Chancellor in an inter-
view published in the "Neu Erie Presse"
Of Vienna, that it interested him less
than did the small plat of land in his
garden, is being widely quoted by the
German press and quite as extensively
commented upon. This opinion, how
ever, is not shared in the Foreign Office,
where the expected developments of the
situation are best appreciated. Nor is
it shared by the Emperor, who during
his northern trip is daily sending and
receiving kilograms upon the subject.
Until recently German diplomacy has
been kept in the background so far as
Cretan matters have been concerned,
and the German ambassador at Con-
stantinOple Baron SaUrma Won Geltsch,
has acted strictly in consonance with
Baron de Calice, the Austrian Embas-
sador to Turkey, in his intercourse with
the Porte, aiming at maintenance of the
Turkish regime in Crete, with some
notifications favorable to the inhabi-
tants of that island.
The tide of affairs, however, has now
changed, and there is high authority
fer the statement that negotiations are
in progress for the calling of confer
ence of the European powers to consider
the advisability of concerted interfer-
ence. Some of the Faris newspapers.
indeed, announce that NJ. Hanataux,
Minister of Foreign Affairs, has actu-
ally made direct proposal that such a
conference be convened, but this asser-
tiCn has been semi officially denied.
Still semi-official statements are not al
ways, or even often, correct. Whether
N. Hanataux has even initiated active
negotiations looking to the calling of
conference or not, it is a fact that com
municatiOns are being exchanged among
some of the powers, with a view to
bringing about a settlement of the Gre
tan troubles
The basis of the difficulty lies in the
scope of the suggested conference. All
OF the powers are now convinced that
the Cretans will no longer submit to
the absolute authority of the Turks. and
they fear an extension of the rising of
the islanders in Macedonia and the
consequent precipitation of the whole
Eastern question to an acute stage
The powers constituting the dreibund
Italy, Germany and Austria-together
With England, will accept a conference
If it shall be limited to consideration of
settlement of the troubles in Crete.
nd E.ra
wider basis of consideration.
In the meantime the Porte steadily
opposes all intervention on the part of
the powers. The general belief in dip
lomatic circles here, however is that
conference will be arranged upon the
terms laid down by the dreibund powers.
and that it will be held in Constantine
pie, if the Porte will consent to it, and
probably in Vienna if the Turkish Gov
ernment refuses to have it meet in the
Turkish capital
Two notable bye-elections for mem
bers of the Reichstag have been held
this week. In the Loewenberg District
the F'reissinige candidate was elected by
L, 100 majority over the candidates Of the
Agrarians and the Conservatives The
AgrarlanS explain their defeat in every
way except the true one, which is that
the once strong influence of their party
is fast waning in Loewenberg, and to
that cause is due the last of their series
OF defeats since the general elections
In the Schwet District the general can
Gldate beat the Polish nominee by only
lS1 votes, after an exceedingly bitter
contest, in which number of free fights
occurred. In one instance a party of
German electors assailed a Polish land
owner while he was on his way to the
polls, and attempted to prevent him
from going to the voting place. The
land owner drew a revolver and fired
into the crowd, killing one of his assail-
ants and wounding another very seri-
ously. The Polish election summoned
the Polish workmen for all parts of the
district to uphold their national ticket.
Under Secretary of State Won Boes-
cboten of the South African Republic.
who has been in Berlin for some time.
has left the city. and his departure has
caused the issuance of semi-official COM
asserting that he was not
charged with any special mission to the
German Government. Nevertheless, he
made repeated calls at the Foreign Office
while here. The fact is without doubt
that the renewal of amicaible relations
between Germany and England, which
were in degree disturbed by the Trans
vaal troubles, caused by DR.. Jameson's
raid, foiled Won Boescheten in whatever
purpose he may have had in coming to
Berlin.
The "Reichanzeiger" announces that
in the Governments new colonial bill
there will be a striking provision where
by colonists liable to service in the Ger
man army may perform such service in
the colonial forces instead.
The Standard Oil Company has pur-
chased nearly one-haf of the shares of
the syndicate of the Nobel Brothers. the
great Russian oil merchants, thus enab-
ling the formation of a union Of the
great American and Russian producers
of petroleum. The German-American
petroleum syndicate has acquired by
purchase the business of the Roth Com
pany and the Baku Standard Comnauy