Kansas City daily journal., 1896-12-27
CABLE LETTER FROM BERLIN.
SOME INTERESTING GOSSIP OF
CHRISTMAS WEEK.
Festivities at the New Palace of Pots
dam-Proposition to ReOrganize
the French Artillery Gre
ates Sensation.

Berlin, Dec. 26.-ChriStmaS eve, which is
the principal festival of Christmastide in
Germany, was celebrated in the usual quiet
manner by Christians and Hebrews alike,
the latter having trees on which We're
lights, apples, nuts, gingerbread. etc. There
were Christmas trees, not only in every
family, but in the hospitals. public insti-
tutions, asylums, prisons, soup kitchens,
casual wards and barracks. Snow fell and
made the streets indescribably filthy.
Business has been remarkably good, and
thorough festal mood was manifest, with
the absence of the note of uneasiness and
dissatisfaction usually present in the press
AT the new palace of Potsdam the fes-
tivities began with the empress and chill
dren presenting gifts to the servants. The
Christmas trees of the court were lighted
at o'clock in the beautiful hall of Shells
At one end of the hall stood the empress
at table on which were many works of
art and near by the emperor's table, with
his numerous presents, including a tall
carved clock from the Grand Duchess of
Baden, goblet and a wine jug of finely
carved silver.
The children's tables, standing at the
other end of the hall, had over them their
trees, the smallest for the Princess Vic
toria, and then. each little higher were
tables and trees for each of the imperial
children, up to the crown prince who had
the highest. The tables were crowded with
playthings, books and useful presents.
The emperor was somewhat serious in
his demeanor, but the empress was in good
spirits and the children were full of de-
light.
In the barracks everything was astir.
After religious service, the rooms were
decorated and the presents were arranged.
AS the officers entered, the men sang in
chorus, and each soldier then received n
present. In some regiments the men were
allowed to choose pipes, clothing, writing
desks, purses, ETC., and each man also re-
ceiVed a basin of goodies and some ct-
gars from his commander
Inc announcement In the French press
that the Conseil Superieure had decided to
reorganize the French artillery has Great
ed considerable sensation and If the news
is true, Germany will proceed to substitute
Tor the present field artillery a gun equal
IL not better than the new French weapon
which is recognized in Germany as being
lar superior to the present German weapon
in range. quickness of fire and general eff
ficacy. The sum of 200. .0O0, 900 marks will be
required for this organization of the Ger
man arms, which, it is intended, should be
accomplished by 1899. If France re-arms,
Germany, it is stated will do so at once.
In spite of the Christmas truce the po-
litical controversy and social pickering
coming from the Won Tausch trial is still
the center of interest. The preliminary in
quiry into the conduct of the former COM
missioner of detectives, charged with libel
and four-fold perjury, is assuming consid-
cradle dimensions. Nor has Won Bruse-
witt Ghe lieutenant who killed peaceful,
pleading mechanic for accidentally knock
ing against his chair in a cafe) been for
gotten, particularly in view of another
case of military brutality reported from
Stargard, Pomerania, in which an officer
who, according to his own account, was
attacked by street urchins, drew his sword
and chased the children. One of them
stumbled and fell and was hacked on the
head by the officer. The boy in question is
now suffering from concussion of the
brain and severe scalp wounds. The af-
fair is causing the liveliest indignation.
References to the lockers strike at Ham,
burg occupy a prominent place in the re-
ports of peace and good will published by
the press. Two strike meetings were held
at Hamburg yesterday and the socialist
deputies, Molkenburg and Frome, urged
the men to continue the fight. Further
meetings with the same object in view
were held to-day.
The dispute seems to be taking turn
| less favorable to the employers than was
| likely a week ago. In view of the holi.
| days, a number of workmen who had tax
| en- strikers places have left Hamburg and
| 1t is now said they will not return. Some
| of the employers are trying TO come TO
terms with their own men.
Considerable irritation continues every
| where at the utterances attributed to the
| emreror in regard to the strike. His
| majesty is credited with having expressed,
| at Prince Hohenlohe's banquet. his pleas
| ure at the attitude Of the Hamburg en-
| pioyers in "staunchly resisting the unjust
| demands" of the dock laborers and to have
| dwelt at length upon the idea of founding
| coalition of employers, adding that such
| step upon the part of the employers
| "wculd be blessing for the seduced work
| men and enable them to resist the incite-
| ment of hatred within the world of labor. =
| It is probable, however, that some agree
| ment between the employers and the strtk-
| ers will be reached within the next few
| days
The Russian government is systematic
| ally repressng the agitation in the Polish
| provinces. The archbishops and bishops
| have been notified unless they stop the
| propaganda among the lower Polish clergy
| the government must treat the Catholic
| church more severely. Domiciliary searches
| have been made in the cases of members
| of the Society of Sokol at Beuthen. and
| President Dombeck was arrested. All the
| Polish Sokols are closely watched.
The bill for the subvention of the North
| German Lloyd Steamship Company is moi
supnorted by the Conservatives and will
! probably fail.
After the holidays the government will
introduce a bill to benefit the agrarians.
- -a~RrH nrIIrrt rn