The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1896-12-28
AR|STOCRATS WHO
RULE THE ROOS7
Very Few "Junkers" Sc
cure Commissions in
the Army.
Poor Germans Have No Chance
Against the "Divinely"
Caste.
This Grasp Also Extends Into the
Lower Regions of Williams
Adm nistration,
copyright. 1896 by the United Associated pressesl

tensions of the German aristocrat, espe-
ciaIiy the army officer, recruited as he
always is from the junker families, to De
treated as of divinely constituted caste,
are undergoing the severest exposure and
criticism from the progressist and indie
pendent press. The question is being dis
cussed whether the army is national,
excep. in the sense that the people con-
tribute the rank and file. pay the money
to support it and allow the aristocrats to
monopolize every post above that of non
commissioned officer. The notion that a
career of advancement is open to any man
OF ability applies least of all to the Prus-
sian regiments. Progressist papers, analyz-
ing the condition OF the army, show that
in forty-six Prussian regiments there is
only one officer not drawn from the nobil-
ity; that in the cavalry. with 173 officers.
only one can be regarded as taken from
the bourgeois, and that in the artillery
there is also a single isolated and probabl
most uncomfortably situated officer who
does not belong to what is called mobile
family" This grasp OF caste upon Office
extends beyond the army into the lower
regions of administration, where it might
be supposed the junker would not seek
employment.
Since the Tausch process opened to the
public view some of the secrets of the Sc
cret police service it has been ascertained
that the greater number of the political
police officers are, like Tauscn and Luet-
zow, scions of aristocratic families. The
same preference extends throughout all
branches of the administration. The
dead-beat aristocrat, the ruined spend.
thrift and other wreckage of the upper
classes found refuge in some Government
post.
The Kaiser Wilhelm l centenary fetes
begin on March %. which day will officially
be declared and everywhere observed as
national holiday. The Berlin cele bration
programme opens at 10 o'clock in the
morning with services for the Protestants
in the Reichstag and Landtag in the
cathedral and for the Catholic Reichstag-
ers in Hedwig Church. The imperial
family will attend special service in the
royal court chapel. At IL: 80 o'clock q
grand military function is to be held near
the schloss in front of the national monu-
ment. Com biped battalions. squadrons,
and batteries OF all guards, regiments and
of the body regiment of William l will
form a square and line from the castle
through the Lustgarten to and around
the monument. A salvo of 101 guns will
be fired and the bells of all the Berlin
churches will be rung.
Tie veterans of 1866 and 1870 forming in
the Thiergarten will head a procession
wherein will be represented academic stu
dents in historic costumes and trades and
guilds also in historic array. The process
sion marches through the Branden burg
gate and Inter Der Linden to the monu-
ment, where they will salute the Kaiser,
Kaiserin and princes. who will be there to
receive them. At 4 o'clock in the after
noon banquet is TO be held in the castle.
to which representatives of all classes,
Reichstag mem bers. excepting socialists,
mobiles and trading citizens are being in
vited.
"Commers" will be general throughout
Berlin and other centers. At 8 P. NJ. gala
performances OF the historic play ''181Z"
will be given at the Royal Opera house,
the Royal Play house and KrolI's Theater.
To all three hou e, The Kaiser invites the
soldiers of the Berlin garrison and the of
ficers will feast them. The Kaiser will
deliver q political pronunciamento at the
castle banquet.
The coming general elections for the
Austrian Keichsrath are the most seriously
interesting to all parties in Germany. The
dissolution appears likely to take place
without the Prime Minister, Count Badeni
having decided upon issuing programme
upon which the elections can be contested.
He is practically sitting on the fence and
watching whether clericalS, antl-SemlieS
or German Liberals may gam strength
enough to be worth cultivating as Minis
terial supporters Pledged when he en-
tered office to oppose the anti-Semites and
to give at least liberal tendency to the
ministerial policy, Count Badeni now
awaits upon the result of the elections,
and frankly causes 1t to be known that the
Government will build its programme on
the character OF the new Reichsrath. He
will shape his policy according to the ma
jority, and as every informed forecast
shows the coming Reichsrath to be cleri-
icy must be reactionary. The new pro-
grassist German party, whose platform
can be summarized in a few words as Ger
man solidarity, Liberal, economic and So
cial reforms, is conducting an active
propaganda, which bids fair to create
political group so formidable as TO make
it an important factor in The new House.
Der Confektionaer asserts that 300 Ger
man factories have resumed work since
Mckinley was elected President of the
United States, and that about 300 factories
have increased their hands. The factories
resuming include Is woolen-goods mills,
Is cotton-goods works, % gentiemen's out
fitting works and Is carpet factories. All
of these have been closed for several
years.
The social functions for the winter sea-
son have to certain extent commenced,
although they are not yet as lively as they
will be after the Emperor's birthday,
which occurs on January q. The impe-
rial family and the court are fully aware
of the prevailing hard times among trades
men and the general distressamong tn e
poorer classes, and 1t is now evident that
it is their intention to, give impetus 10
trade by holding rapid succession of
brilliant fetee. The series of official and
diplomatic dinners began on Monday last
with banquet given by the Austrian
En- bassado-, M. de Szogyeny- Marich, in
honor OF the new French EN- bassador, the
Marquis de Noailles, and on Tuesday Sir
Frank Lascelles, the British ambassador,
gave a grand dinner to Prince Max of
Baden Baden, Prince and Princess Ari-
bert OF Anhalr, Prince and Princess Vic
toria of Schleswig- Holstein and several
foreign En- bassadors and Ministers.
On Thursday the Italian Empassador,
Count LAMA di Busca, gave dinner in
honor of the MARQUIS Qe Noaiiles. at