The San Francisco call., 1896-03-22
Adhered to the Statutes and Pre-
vented an Imperial Sink
ing Fund.
WILLIAM HEARDTHE sQUABBLE
The Prosecution of DR.. Peters for His
Barbarities in Africa Will Not
Be Dropped.

BERLIN, GERMANY, March 21.-The
strong divergence of opinion existing be-
tween DR.. MIGUEL, Prussian Minister of
Finance, and Count Posadowsky-Weh
Imperial Minister of the Treasury, over
the question of the years surplus of the
imperial revenue has come very near pro-
ducing a Cabinet crisis. The affair has
been very widely discussed by the press
and public, and has divided public interest
with the matter of the attitude of the
Dreibund toward the Anglo-Egyptian ex
pedition. The newspapers have made the
announcement that Count Posadowsky
had resigned and have also hinted at DR..
MiouePs resignation, but neither the an
nouncement nor the suggestion was true.
The facts OF the case are that an actual
crisis has been averted, leaving DR.. MIGUEL
in occupation of the stronghold of advan-
tage, fortified by the statutes. Unoer the
laws and constitution of the empire the
surplus OF imperial revenue goes to the
Federated States by division. The trouble
came about in this way:
Count Posadowsky proposed to comply
with the spirit of a recent vote of the Reich
stag and divert part of the surplus for the
amortization Of the debt of the empire, and
DIR. Lieber leader of the Centrist party,
supported Count Posadowsky by introduc-
ing into the Reichstag motion proposing
the creation of an imperial sinking fund,
while MIGUEL adhered to the statutes pro-
viding for the division of the surplus
among the Federated States. The dispute
came during the proceedings of Cabinet
council at which the Emperor unex-
pectedly made his appearance. Not one
of the Ministers seems to have suspected
the intention of the Emperor to interfere,
and it is probable that his action was the
result of suddenly formed resolution.
HIS Majesty first drove to the Chancel-
leIie, presumiug that the council was being
held there. He found that Prince Hohen-
lohe was absent and that no council was in
session there. From the Chancellerie he
drove to the Reichstag building and entered
the Bundesrath chamber, where the Minis
ters were assem- bling.
He took a seat next to Prince Hohenlohe
and gave close attention to the discussion.
In the debate which ensued DR.. MIGUEL
supported the Bavarian, Wurtem berg and
Saxony plenipotentiaries in the Bundles
rath. He insisted upon the strict obser-
vance of the provisions of the statutes, con-
tending that the question had close rela-
ton to financial reforms which he had
long planned. 1t was necessary, he said,
to demonstrate to the Reichstag that the
disposal of the surplus of the imperial rev.
enue must have a bearing upon these
plans. 1t was finally agreed to prepare a
bill providing for such temporary appro-
priation of funds for the purpose of amor
tization OF the imperial debt from part of
the surplus as will not interfere with the
claims of the Federated States. This dis
cussion is a compromise indorsing the
principle of DR.. Liebers proposal without
Infringing upon the statutes.
The debate in the Reichstag on the
colonial estimates has had another victim
besides DR.. Peters in DR.. Kayser, the di-
rector of the Colonial Department of the
Foreign Office, who resigned. 1t is prob
able that Prince Arenberg will become the
head of the Colonial Office and Freiherr
MarschaIl Won Bieberstein Minister of
Foreign Affairs, with a view of making
the post acceptable to Prince Arenberg,
who is understood to be willing to raise
the Colonial Office from mere adjunct to
the Foreign Office to an Independent Sec
. ton with Secretary of State at it's head.
This would imply that Prince Arenberg
will be a colleague of the Foreign Min
lister, not subordinate, as DR.. Kayser has
been. This step will secure to the Govern
ment the support of the Colonial party
and the Centerists in the Reichstag. 1t is
possible, however, that the Emperor will
not find Prince Arenberg to his taste as a
Secretary of State, as the latter is strong
opponent of the idea of increasing the
strength of the navy.
The inquiry into the accusations made
against DIR. Peters has been confined to
the direction of Councillor Schwartkoffen.
The principal witness will be Herr Bau-
mann, Austrian Consul to Zanzibar, who
went to Kilimanjare after the executions
which Dr. Peters ordered had occurred,
and cleaned from the natives the details
of the executions. The inquiry promises
10 last a long time, as the necessary wit
nesses are scattered the world over; but
the investigation will not be suffered to
fall through in consequence of the delays
which will be inevitable. The Centerists,
Freisinniges and Socialists are as eager to
see DR.. Peters punished as the other par
ties are to see him vindicated, if possible.
The Kaser's visit to the Court of Vienna
in the middle of April will be strictly pri-
vate. There will be no fetes and no dis
play.
Professor Fine of Princeton University
is in Berlin. He has been introduced by
]. B. Jackson, United States Charge d AT
faires. to DR.. Bosse, Minister of Ecclesi-
astical Affairs, Instruction and Medicinal
Affairs. There is now reason TO state that
a prominent Berlin savant will go to the
Princeton celebrations commemorating
the one hundred and fiftieth anniversary
of the organization of that institution as
the guest of the university. Although the
Berlin University, through its rector, Pro-
fessor Wagner. will decline the Princeton
University's invitation and the Breslau
University also declines, there are plenty
of German professors ready to become the
guests of Princeton as individuals. but if
the university wants such guests as repre-
sentatives of the German universities they
will be difficult to obtain.
A court report, which IS accepted
as accurate, has it that the Gar
and Czarina of Russia will 90 to