The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1897-05-20
OUR BERLIN Gable LETTER
AN UNDERSTANDING REPORTED
PERFECTED BY GERMANY,
FRANCE AND RUSSIA.
Il WAS entirely ANT-ENGL|SH.
South African and Egyptian Az
fair to he Adjusted-Cnbiy-t
Crisis Considered Settled.
High Treason Trial.

Berlin, May 15.-(Copyrighted by the
Associated Press.)-The correspondent in
this city of the Associated Press is re-
liably informed that during the past week
a definite understanding was perfected
by which the cabinets of Germany,
France and Russia will soon reach the
solution of the Egyptian and Transvaal
questions, and this will be done system
atically in an anti-British sense. As
soon as the Greco-Turkish trouble is
ended the subject will be jointly taken
up unless Great Britain in the meantime
precipitates matters, in which case she
VIII encounter the united, open hostility
OF the three continental powers. The ul-
innate object of the agreement is to force
the. evacuation of Egypt and the nullif-
cation of the Pretoria convention of 1886
and to put the Transvaal upon a per-
fectly independent basis. France, in the
settlement of the peace conditions with
Greece, will persistently side with Rus
STA and Germany in spite Of the strong
current of public opinion to the contrary.
Both the bills proposed by the imperial
chancellor, Prince Hohenlohe, one re-
forming the right of association and the
other reforming the military trials pro-
ceduree, are understood to have secured
imperial approval, and the cabinet crisis
is considered to have been adjusted for
the time. ~ f-'
The reiehstag and diet, however, will
hardly pass these measures this session,
being tired out and anxious to adjourn
at the end of the coming week. Besides
in the diet the bills will meet violent op-
position, owing to the agreement reached
between the emperor and the officers of
the German Colonial society, of which
Duke Albrecht of Macklenberg is presi-
dent, that at the annual meeting in June
ut Munich a resolution will be passed
to launch thorough agitation through
out Germany in favor of charging the
German navy, the aim being to equal in
strength the navy of Russia and to have
q navy two-thirds the size of that of
France. Mass meetings will be organ
lied everywhere for this purpose and the
press will be utilized. 1t will be further
proposed to make the naval apprOpria-
ton of the reichstag quinquennial, like
those OF the army. Several political
meetings on the subject have already
been held. Dllh4 71TT
During his sojourn at the Chateau Ur-
vile. near Metz, this week, Emperor
William was present Mt big sham fight
In the district of Gravelotte and Moulins.
Several divisions were engaged. During
the operations snow fell fast but the
emperor, the empress and Prince JAdel-
bert, third son of their majesties, watch
ed the military movements throughout
ON horseback without wraps The en-
perOr also inspected the sites in the vi
cinity of Metz upon which a number of
new advanced forts. will be built He
insisted in one instance ON change of
location.
His majesty, while on his way to
Wiesbaden, paid short visit to Stras-
burg today. The church bells were
pealed and artillery was fred. He was
received at the railroad station by Prince
Hohenlohe Tangenburg, he governor of
Aisace-Lorraine. accompanied by the
princess, his wife. The emperor and en-
press, who was with him on this occa-
sion, was heartily cheered by the peo-
pie and were escorted to the governors
palace by detachment of mounted
rifles, the emperor driving with Prince
Notwithstanding, and the empress
occupying the carriage with the princess.
After lunch their majesties proceeded to
Wiesbaden.
A high treason trial in the imperial
court at Leipsic this week brought out
a number of sensational details. DEPOT
Master Meinecke of the artillery at
Mentz, was shown to have been for years
past in. close connection with French
spies, especially with the French police
commissioner, Ismert, and n coal dealer
named Hanne Of Montingny, to whom
Meinecke sold all sorts of valuable ma
tterial, such rs new types of shells, fuses,
bullets used with the new rifles and lists
OF the plans for equipment of mobiliza-
tion. Meinecke made enough money by
this means to retire recently from the
army and live on the interest of the pro-
ceeds of his rascality. He was sentenced
to six years and three months hard labor
with loss of civic honors for ten years.
Two OF the witnesses against Meinecke
were high officers of the ministry of war.
who obtained proofs of his puilf througb