Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1897-12-19
SOME INTERESTING DEVELOPMENTS
IN THE REICHSTAG.
TALK OF TARIFF RETALIATION
DIG SCHEME UNDER WAY TO GUARD
AGAINST FLOODS.
Five Huge Accumulation Tanks to BE
Built in Silesia and Water Pow
err Thus Developed to He
Utilized - Minor
Gossip.

Berlin, Dec. 1S.-(Copyrighted0 The past
weeks sittings of the reichstas We're inter-
esting. The government. throughout, was
Oh the defensive and Herren, Bebel Rich
ter. Lieber and other oppostionsts Haunted
the fact in Prince Hohenlohes face that
he had broken his word to the reichstag in
not securing for the workmen the right
of coalition. and in failing to secure the
right of liberalization for political clubs.
The chancellor's replies We're decidedly
lame.
Herr RichterS speeches, however, were
devoid of fire. while Herr Bebers were so
impassoEed that they forced nearly the
entire cabinet to reply. Some OF the adj
missions thus made are valuable; for in
stance the statement of General Won Goss-
ler, the minister of war, on Tuesday. when.
replying to Herr Rickert's criticism OF the
army, he declared the government did not
propose to change the system OF two years
service, nor increase the infantry. adding,
however that the reorganization OF the
field artillery was urgent.
Another important statement. made joint
" by Baron Won Thielmann, the minister
of foreign affairs. and Count PosadoWsky
was that Germany was preparing an au-
tonomous tariff to enable her to Immediate
ly retaliate upon countries enactlfg tarlHs
unfavorable to German industries and COM
merce. This announcement was greeted
with wild cheering and cries Of delight from
by the Conservative press.
On Thursday the government announced
that the measures We're under way to re-
lieve the distress in Silesia. caused by the
flood. and to guard against a recurrence
of such disasters. The principal features
will be the construction of five huge ac-
cumuation tanks. of a capacity of S9.U00 900
cubic meters. in the mountainous districts.
where are the rivers Lober, Zaokor and
Quiess costing 1I.c10GOO marks. 1t is pro-
posed to utilize the water power thus ac-
cumulated for industrial purposes.
The damage done by the Hoods during the
past summer in the above named districts
is officially computed at 5.6U0,000 marks.
The emperor has been Enthusiastically
t busy the whole week Besides Kiel. he at
ant meetings. While at Hamburg and
Klel his majesty made several noteworthy
remarks. For instance. while inspecting
! time was not distant when Germany would
have such fine vessels afloat in every sea.
When dining with Admiral .Von knorr.
| choke it has to be eaten bit by Bit
| The government has decided to make a
considerable increase in the number of pro-
: fessional consuls. especially in the United
States in the British colonies and in South
America. "A number Of recent cases in
maintaining trained Consuls of diploma tic
experience, in many places now served by
local residents.
/ A German railway. official. who was an
/ eyewitness of the facts. tells the CORE
I spondent here of the Associated Press an
! from Darmstadt to Coburg in October last.
Information reached Russia through the
secret police of a plot of nihilists, studying
at German universities, to wreck the czar S
. train, and most extraordinary precautions
were taken to protect his majesty.
| The train only travelled seventeen to