The San Francisco call., 1897-01-04
Big Guns Being Turned Out Day
and Night at the Krupp
Works.
Russia Seeks to Negotiate an Enormous
LOan-Signs of Better Times in
the Cars Dominion.
Copyright. 1897, by the United Associated Presses

heICuStaR soon aIIef ID6 OQhmDer re-
sumes its sittings, will propose an addi-
tion to the military budget of III, 100000
marks Certain semi-official papers, COM
menting on the reports current last week
that 200, 600, 600 marks should be demanded,
have denied the accuracy OF the statement
and inferentlally suggested that the coun-
try had at present no reason to fear an ad
ditional burden through the army esti-
mates. In point of fact the new bill has
for some time been drafted and forms part
of general scheme involving the creation
of new regiments of infantry and new
grouping of battallons and brigsdes.
Military authorities who are permitted
to speak on the subject, and whose opinion
is worth having, deny the current reports
that the impending reorganization of the
artillery is due to the Canet quick-firing
gun being adopted for the French army.
The new German field-gun, which was
tested at Krupp's in the presence of the
Kaiser and special staff of officers more
than year ago, was approved as the most
potent field piece yet invented, and bas
since been under constant construction.
The Kaiser keeps in close touch with
Krupp's, at whose works guns on the new
model, but of different caliber, are being
rapidly manufactured and tested.
Leading Berlin banking firms concur in
crediting the report that the Russian
Government has been negotiating a new
loan in Paris, amounting to no less than
6000 600 marks. Private advices from
st. Petersburg, supported by letters from
Paris at first mentioned an even greater
sum-S00, ,000 000-and added that the
French bankers had refused to consider
terms on the ground that France was
overloaded with Russian loans; that part
of the last loan had not yet been absorbed
by the public, aud further, that under the
conditions OF that loan Russia was de-
barred from raising another before April,
1897.
Some tentative action toward negotiat-
ing with Berlin and Frankfort houses has
been going on since the reluctance of the
French bankers to loan became known at
st. Petersburg. but these overtures were
not received favorably, so the Russian
Finance Minister has resumed communi-
cation with Paris firms. The loan, if OBJ
tanned soon after April, will be the pre-
luoe to the resumption OF specie payments
by Russia, provided nothing happens in
Europe to endanger the Cars present
peace policy.
Apropos of the now known tendency of
Nicholas II toward liberal and pacific
regime, advices from Warsaw and other
centers in Poland concur in speaking OF
a marked change In the restrictive meas
ures enforced against the people by the
authorities, greater freedom being allowed
to the press and the public. A notable
instance of the change of spirit in the
Russian authorities is seen in the CORE
spohdence of the st. Petersburg Novoe
Vremya, which has opened it's columns to
advocacy ofthe conciliation of Poland, a
larger degree of toleration for the Catbo-
lie Poles and the cessation of restrictive
measures throughout those now wide
regions where the Russian Government
has the adhesion of the people.
The Novoe Vremya has long been the
fierce enemy of the Catholic Poles, and
this change of front is therefore signifi.
cant. The Cars recent action in resist
ing the pressure OF the Moscow authorities
to punish the riotous university students
by deporting them to Siberia is another
favorable sign of better times in Russia.
The first reception at court of the new
French Embassador, the Marquis de No.
allies, is fixed for the third week in Janu-
tends to mark the occasion as an especially
brilliant court function. The substitution
Of French aristocrat of polished man
ners for a bourgeois, M. Herbette, whom
court and Kaiser alike detested, may do
much to smooth diplomatic relations be-
tween Paris and Berlin.
The non-committal tactics of Count
Badeni, the Austrian Prime Minister, on
~, 4 1t
Reichsrath and the consequent holding of
new general election. as described in
these dispatches last Sunday, remain lit
orally true, but there are now signs that
the Premier will favor the clerical party
whenever he can. Hitherto he has been
virtually sitting on the fence and observ-
ing the indications of increasing strength
of the various parties with a view OF as
certaining which group is worth while
cultivating as suppo rters of the Ministry,
but within few days he has shown his
preference by filling number of vacan-
cies in several provinces by the appoint
ment OF men of clerical, or at any rate,
anti-semitic tendencies.
Berlin as well as Vienna court circles
have recently been eagerly watching the
development of scandal connected with
the career of the Austrian Crown Prince
Rudolph, who with his mistress, the
Baroness Marie Vetsera, committed
suicide at Meyerling in January, 1889. 1t
is known that the EN- mperorFrancis Joseph
had paid enormous sums TO meet the re-
sponsibilities which his son left behind
him and to conceal some of the Iament-
able results of his dsorderly life.
Some correspondence which the Arch
duke left fell into the hands of man who
did not scruple to have part of it photo
graphed and sent to the Emperor, with an
offer to restore the~eriginals for a large
sum, the alternative being publication.
As the letters contained some frank criti-
cisms of the Emperor's secret policy and
Of the personages around the throne the
affair became matter of reference TO the
Cabinet. Arrests and legal prosecution in
camera were talked of in Austrian court
circles for time, but now it is understood
that there will be no public scandal, the
matter having been arranged privately.
The members of the Berlin Produce Ex-
change began business yesterday under
the Bourse law, which went into effect