The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-02-24
In GERMAN POLITICS
THE COLONIAL QUESTION IN ITS RE-
LATION TO ENGLANDs AFFAIRS.
Significance of the Funeral CeremO-
MES Over Cardinal Melchers-
Matters Of Varied Interest.
Berlin Letter in New York Post.


the Transvaal. takes precedence. 1t drove
the Turkish question and the Venezuela
question into the background. and it fairly
buried for the time being all strife and
problems of internal politics. 1t also
brought to the surface that latent distrust
of, and dislike to, England and her polity
which have been slumbering in the German
breast for, 10! these many years, but which
are, for all that, very real factors in the
political catechism of the new empire. /
take no account here of national animosi-
ties and prejudices, although these. too,
played an important part in the access of
fury which for fortnight swept like wild
fife both over Germany and England, and
in the shaping and shifting of latter-day
politics these intangible elements-what
Bismarck called the inponderabilia = have
much more influence than Contemporaries
| Gus historians are apt to admit But leav-
| ing that consideration aside. there remain
| enough tangible, concrete facts to explain
| the surprisingly vivid spell of hostility ex-
| hibited on both sides, the German as we'll
as the English.
For one thing, Germany has been chatting
| under the weight of English colonial pre-
| dominance ever since the young empire set
| out in the attempt to create chain of
| transmarine possessions for colonization
| and enlargement Of commerce. And though
| at first, when these attempts were weak.
| child-like, and undertaken with insufficient
means and inept hands, the Briton stood
by, smiling benignantly and telling his
| German cousin, through the mouth of
| Gladstone, how glad England was to have
| somebody else help her civilize the heather
| African and Poynesian. that state of feel
| ing soon passed away. AS the colonial
party in Germany gained in numbers,
l. wealth. and political influence they per-
\ siyteritly complained of British ill-will, in
/ trfgue and ,eRotism whenever and wherever
j German Colonial interests clashed with
Britfsh-and in the very nature of things
they nearly always did clash.
| AS for the Emperor, he has been con-
| yerted by such men as DR.. Carl Peters,
| Wissmann, Count Pfei. Count Goetzen,
Duke John Albrecht, of Mecklenburg, and
| needs is a colonial empire, and that convic-
| ton with him. which is only about two or
| three years old, necessarily has nodded his
| political views considerably. To subserve
| German colonial interests is now an aim
| OF magnitude second only to the preserva-
| ton of peace with him. And this change in
| the aspirations and sentiments of the Ger
| man people and its Emperor has but lately
become known and been duly appreciated
| in England. And though the Transvaal
| affair In itself was of but moderate i'm
| portance, as the forerunner of events sure
to come in Africa. 1t is ian, an Indicative sign
| terests for both Germany and Great Brit
1 ain. Their colonial paths will cross and re-
| cross, oiverge and converge, from now on
| so frequently that a plain understanding
| or sort of agreement to disagree will be
| required, unless one or the other of those
| of it's pretensions-and there is no chance
of that AS far as Germany is concerned,
In fact, 1t is quite certain that her colonial
/ policy hereafter will be a more vigorous
| one, and, above all. frankly ant-British
one. For outside of Europe. it is England
alone which is in Germany'S way every
4 where. and England has had ha of
| atridging the advantages of and rendering
| less valuable every German colony, setting
Zanzibar up right at the outlet of German
East Africa. and robbing Germany of
| Whale bay, in German West Africa. With
France. Holland. and Italy. with Portugal
and Belgium, ii is comparatively easy for
| Germany to get along in her colonial ven-
lures, but England is forever in the way
GERMAN TRADE.
The immense strides forward which Ger
| man industry and export trade have made
| since 1871 is another thorn in Engands
flesh, and though. in an interview had with
the correspondent of a German newspaper
Sir Charles Dixie sighted the idea CT Ger
many outstripping England in manufacture
ing and foreign trade, saying that this
| would be but temporary and that England
in this respect had but one real foe 10 fear,
the United States, the average English
manufacturer and trader thinks otherwise
| There have been, in truth, too many signifi-
| cant occurrences of late years tendiag TO
show that the German Is too alert and
| English, even III statistics did not gut
the statement that Germany is gaining and
| England is losng-comparatively speaking
lin the markets of the world. The trip
| recently undertaken by emssaries Of the
British iron and hardware Interests TO
| study the methods and ways of their Ger
man competitors by the Rhine and in West
phalia was in itself an admission CT SUI
| periority, and this superiority has now been
frankly admitted In England.
| Internally there has not been much to en-
| gage attention in German politics save one
single event, viz: the iEterment of Arch
bishop Melchers in the Crypt of Saints OF
| Cologne Cathedral. In itself the pomp and
circumstance of the ceremony the orations
over the body of the rebellious, stubborn
high priest. were impressive enough. That
the Emperor and his government, however
| permitted the transference of the corpse
from Rome, where the Archbishop had lived
and died in exile, one of the most pic
turesque victims and leaders of the "Cul.
fiant warfare against Bismarck and the
state. stamped the matter with the seal OF
imperial approval and manifested openly
the end and total collapse of that very in
furious period in Germany's recent history
dubbed the 'Culturkampf." AS such. too Il
was universally interpreted by the Catholic
clergy and laity In Germany, as the many
addresses and funeral orations proved that
were spoken over the catafalque of this
One-tlme prOuueSt ana most pugnacl0uS O
German Catholic warriors of the church
militant. And the presence of many mill
tary officers and government officials at the
brilliant ceremony in Cologne served still
more to emphasize this lesson. 1t was, III
deed another walk TO Canossa.''
Otherwise there was not and Is not much
doing just now. The Reichstag after a lon,
vacation, has just started in on serious leg
islative business. but the various bills such
as the margarine, bill. the Kanitz bill. tn,
boerse reform bill. the new civil code, are
of but moderate interest to outsiders TIL,
Prussian Diet has just reconvened. am
among the work before that body the bill
TO reorganize the Prussian lower public
school system. and, more particularly, TO in
crease the wholly insufficient salaries pait
the teachers, is of some general interest.
PROSPEROUS PRUSSIA.
A safe indication that Prussia is fairl,
| prosperous. despite the troublous time.
through which the agrarians are passing
| may be found in the fact that during n,
year since the war of 1901 have deposit.
Increased at such n rate in the saving.
banks as during last year. The increas.
| was 2i9, 600 marks. and the deposits nov
| amount to 1900. 100000 marks, which is fou
times the sum reached in deposits in 1876
The scientific discovery of Professo
| Roentgen, of Wurzburg University, will b
known and discussed i'm America, no doubt
| before this reaches you. The Emperor de
| lighted TO honor the young scientist-for n
| Is only about thirty-ive, tall of dstin
| guished bearing and hne impressive fea
| lures with a long, flowing beard-and con
! ferred, after privatissimum of some fou
/ .s.wt, 4