Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1898-02-17

OuCl q COuL Sc.
BERN, Feb. 13.-The proceedings
III the .eichslag and Qiet last week
were Unusually in. e. estIng. There
we've d humber OF sIgnlncanL decIara-
tons rom ministers and members OF
the relchstag. The maiden speech OF
Baron Won BuelOw, minister OF for
eign affairs, has been approved by
almost the entire press and the impress
sion prevails in parliamentary circles
that a vigorous foreign policy, pat
termed after Bismarck's, Will mark
Won BuelOW's regime, particularly as
the emperor expressed entire appoYal
Of MS methods. While Won BueloW's
references to Kiau-ChOu were enthu-
siastlcally received by even the left
lists, the passage referring to Crete was
the most important. He practically
announced that Germany would not
support Russia in any future compul-
sorry measure in Turkey. The utter
ances of Count PosadoWsky, minister
OF the interior, establish that the gov
eminent is fully determined
to support the agI arian demands much
more strongly than heretofore. Count
Van Kanitz, the extremist leader Of
the agrarians, proclaimed this fact
amid the plaudits of the agrarians
and rightists. Herr Richter, the
radical leader, in an intensely aggres-
siye speech, said that this frankness
was an advantage as it enabled the
people to plainly see the extent and
holiness of the agrarian schemes.
Herr Bebel and other socialists severe
ly scored the government for promis-
ing it's powerful aid in systematically
raising the price of cereals in order to
enrich a small number of big land
owners. The Vorwaerts, in a scath-
ing article headed Broad Usury, takes
the government and emperor to task
for now splitting upon the same COM
mercial treaties that they thought the
height of wisdom a few years ago. ,"
The emperor's statement in 1895 that
he could not help make the poor mans
bread dearer, as it would be equivalent
to the worst kind of usury, is quoted
and contrasted with his present att1-
tude. Count Won Kanitz also declared
in the reichstag that there is not the
slightest chance of Germany agreeing
to a treaty with the United States on
a basis of the prevailing Dingley tar
iff measure and its ridiculous reel
procity clauses.
The emperor on Thursday was present
at the parade of the regiment guards
at Spandau before their new colonel,
the Russian grand duke, Constantine,
and his majesty created senation by
walking up to his guests with drawn
sabre and saluting, while saying: AL
ways friends with our dear neighbOr
and co-laborer Russia, | hope" At
luncheon afterwards, at the officers
mess, the emperor drank to the health
of the grand duke, saying: "To future
cCmradeship in the army Grand
Duke Constantine did not respond and
hardly touched his glass with his lips.
Throughout the week there have
been great snowfalls and foundations
in parts of the Sudetine mountains,
which suffered severely from flood last
81 MINER. Water rose six feet in three
hours at Schreibershau, devastating
the whole neighborhOod. At other
mountain towns the people were forced
to fee for their lives. If the present
weather continues, another big catas-
:Iophe is expected
The importation of Chinese coolies
was touched upon in the reichstag. It
is affirmed and denied that the impor-
tation Of collies on a large scale has
been inaugurated by the land owners
of east Germany. 1t is learned that
several large syndicates have already
been formed for wholesale importation.
One syndicate, composed of land own
ers of east Prussia, contracted for 1900
collies to be delivered to the estates to
compete with German farm labor be-
fore June 6. Several similar contracts
have been signed
Letters received from Kiao-Chou
show that things are not so peaceful as
the government processes. The Ger
mans sent several expeditions into the
interior to punish natives for outrages
upon sentinels of outlying points, and
there have been several encounters In
one case two Chinese officers and a
number of their followers were killed
and village was destroyed and a
camp broken up. The Germans sleep
on their arms and fear a sudden attack.
Minnie Cass, an American actress
who has been playing at the Central
theater, has suddenly disappeared and
her whereabouts are a mystery. The
police have been appealed to but have
been unable thus far to trace her.