The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-01-12
BERLIN THINKS IT'S BOMBAST.
SALISBURY LOOKED UPON As PLAY
ING TO THE MOB.

II
That the TrnnsvaaI Republic Is a
Power Under No Obligations 10
Great Britain-The Claim Also
Made That the BritOnS Themselves
Have TacitIy Admitted This Fact.
Berlin, Jan. 1.-THE whole tenor of the
information being CLEANED from govern
ment quarters points to an early restora-
ton Of amcable relations between Ger
many and England. If the emperor, his
ministers or the German people were in
f1uenced in the least by the savage and
unrestrained language indulged in by the
English newspapers, as shown by the
summaries Of their articles telegraphed
here, an open rupture between the two
governments might be imminent. But the
kaiser has for long time recOg gnized the
responsibility of the diatribes of the
English press and the English people.
and though he is deeply irritated thereat.
he does not seem to believe that there is
any possibility whatever of the outbreak
Of war between Germany and Great Bri-
tain over such question as that involv
ed in the Transvaal disturbances. If the
emperor has any motives beyond mere in
reference in behalf of a government ask
ing his assistance in prevailing against
an alien revolution and for the purpose
no indication here that would afford the
slightest clue to them. The semi-ofiicial
newspapers certainly discuss the question
of the population of England. but they
make not the slightest allusion to any
alliances against Great Britain which the
French and English press regard as be-
ing projected
In. Berlin the tone of the foreign Office
concerning the excitement of the English
press and public and the English naval
demonstrat tions and exhibition of sea
strength is nearly akin to contemptuous
indifference. There is a constant exchange
of communications between the two gov
ernments with a consequent disclosure Of
a difference of policy at various points
of contact, apart from the Transvaal, but
none of their disagreement involves such
radical disturbance of the relations of
the two powers as would cali for an in
crease of armament on either side.
In official circles the view taken OF
Lord Salisbury's fleet demonstrations is
that the English premier is playing to the
mob and that his attitude cannot mean
an attempt to influence the policy of the
emperor. which Lord Salisbury well knows
will take it's own developments unatfect-
ed in the slightest degree by menaces or
demonstrations from any quarter. -
The North German Gazette prints an
article which is obviously inspired, which
reiterates the German contention that the
South African republic, under the terms
of the convention of 1884 became no long
er a suzerain of the government of Queen
Victoria, and as proof of this assertion
calls attention to the fact that since 1881
the Transvaal government has appointed
enVOys and conSuls to foreign states with
out consulting the government of Great
Britain, and also that the Boer govern
ment sent a delegate as an Independent
power to the International postal con-
gress at Vienna. without the slightest COM
plant from England that such a pro-
ceeding on the part of the TranSVaal gov
ernment was in excess of its authority
and an infringement upon the rights of
Great Britain.
The semi-official press generally refrains
from any expansive comment upon the
war preparations which the English gov
ernment is so oStentatiously making, but
the journals which are free-handed and
not hampered by any official obligation
The Vossische Zeitung asks the ques-
ton: Whom is England threatening,
Germany or the Transvaal republicY'
The National Zeitung attaches no spec
ial Importance to England's naval demon
strationS but suggests that the govern
ment ought to ask the meaning of them,
nevertheless.
The Tageblatt says it understands that
Count Won HatZfeldt, the German ambaS-
sador to Great Britain, has been instruct
ed by the German government to inform
Lord Salisbury that these manifestations
are supposed to be directed against Ger
many, and are likely to provoke serious
The 'Boersen Courier concludes that the
English excitement has we'll nigh fizzled
out, and the crisis is drawing to an end,
everything tending towards peace.
Apart from purely Prussian opinions,
which the kaiser unqueStionably repre-
Isents, the sentiment pervading the whole
of the German states continues to uphold
the emperor's action in interfering in the
Transvaal and it will be a bitter national
dispute if the imperial government shall
retire a single step from the position it
originally assumed. The entire press of
Bavaria, Saxony and Wurtemburg and
even the Goth2 Gazette and the Coburg
Gazette, the official organs of the Duke
of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha Duke of Edin-
burgh) are warm in their approval of the
course the emperor has taken, though
from no quarter is war advocated.
The National Zeitung accurately reflects
the universal feeling upon the continu-
ance of good relations between Germany
and England, saying that Germany will
be found Oftener than hitherto allied with
England's opponents in disputes affecting
English interests until the British gov
ernment shows itself convinced that Ger
many's friendship is more desirable than
her enmity, and that Germany's interests
need fear but little from the policy of Eng
land.