The Newtown bee., 1897-05-07
IFRoM THE LONDON CHRoNIcLE.l

horizon. Every one Is watching hlE movements, waiting his word, wonder. ing what bis intentions may be. To his pretensions there seems to be no human limit. The other day he made speech, In which he divided his people into two classes, nobIes and serfs-"unfrei." Is he mad? you ask. Not at all. He is the emperor. He means to stand we'll with Russia, and Russia will be pleased with the "unfrei'' speech, and so will the kaiserbund-Abdul Hamid, Nicholas and Francis Joseph. His own "unfrei' understand this, though they do not like it, and they are beginning to won der how soon their emperor will be the only institution left to them, and how much longer they are to have Reich stag of their own.
 The free press is almost extinguished. Three members of the staff of a single paper-not a social-democratic paper either-are at this moment in prison for lese-majeste. Even the historian writes with the fear of the turkey before his eyes. No scandal about Queen Eliza beth forsooth! Why, man was con- demned last year for lese-maieste be- cause he wrote something veracious about an old elector of the 18th century the bear of Brandenburg. We are all "unfre," before the emperor of Europe. Lord Salisbury dances, M. Hanotaux dances, the Marquis di Rudini dances, while the emperor and his three com rades of the vier kaiserbund call the tune.
 It occurred to me that English folks might like to know how the controller of the British fleet and conductor of the concert manages his own peculiar dar- ling-the army of the fatherland. Lieut. Rhein, who bas been good enough to discuss the subject with me, is the vic tim of a court of honor, so that his opinions do not pretend to be entirely judicial He had to leave the service in 1892 for throwing a civilian who insulted him into the corner of the restaurant instead of running him through with his sword. Sentence was passed by the court of honor, consisting of his brother officers, and indorsed by the emperor, and with it came the end of Lieut. Rheims military career. Last year his friends, Baron von Ehrhardt and Herr von Kamptz, were haled before 8 similar court for refusing to accept the chal- lenge of civilian who had broken his word of honor. Lieut. Rhein, who is from the Rhenish provinces, and gifted with certain independence of eharac- ter, resented the sentence of dismissal and deprivation of rank passed upon his colleagu ues, and after prolonged corres- pondence he challenged the members the public prosecutor at him, and MT Rhein came to England in October, having 5 distaste for the idea of prison life in the fatherland.
 "Does the emperor encourage such judgements as these?" I asked.
 "Unquestiona Every decision goes before him for ratification. The old emperor pardoned almost invariably if the case was one of some external breach of the code of honor. The present emperor never. The idea of real honor was dear to the old empspor, but to-day it has ali become matter of externals, and that just suits the temper of the grandson. He is using these courts to maintain false standards of right and wrong and the most ridiculous notions of honor, to say nothing of the en- couragement of dueling. And in the Landwehr and the reserves the courts are even more dangerous. There you find them used as instruments against progress and political liberty. They mark off every man who has been an officer into class apart with a special code of honor and every special dis abilities. The officer has gone back into civil life, but he Is entitled to wear the uniform, and the emperor keeps his grip upon him through the court o1 honor."
 "What was the charge against Won Ehrhardt?" I asked.
 "There were two charges-that he asked a mans word of honor on a trivial matter and that he would not fight a duel with the same man when chal lenged. Baron von Ehrhardt was pres ident of Spiritualist society at Dussel dorf, of which was member. Int lawyer with whom the trouble arose was asked by the president at a seanct to give his word of honor that every. thing should be above board. He gave it, and then we found him producing so-called manifestations himself, and VI turned him out. He challenged Voi Ehrhardt and Von Kamptz. They wen to the court of honor. and asked, w are challenged by this man. He ha broken his word of honor, go we can fight The court first answered, 'Firs fight and then we will inquire.' That always the way. It was so in the due where the officer of the emperor's yach killed an innocent officer in the army The dead mans character was vindi cated after death by the court, and th emperor's friend was pronounced to b
 in the wrong. So interested was th
 emperor in thls duel that he ordered
 telegram to be sent to him of the result
 1t was the same with my friends. The
 said No; If we must fight, we will figf
 you, as you champion the honor of
 dishonorable man. Von Kamptz ha
 the right of wearing his uniform take
 VT v.Sr.- -x- -rA-
 of uniform and commission. That
 the heaviest punishment they can giy
 to the most dishonorable or traitorot