The evening times., 1898-12-21
The Drevfus Dossier,

Assuming that the public in America
still maintains an interest in the endless
case Of Captain Dreyfus that has caused
SO much excitement in France and threat
ems the existence of The alleged republic.
the dispatches continue TO recite the facts
and rumors that agitate Paris This
mornings news is that the secret dossier.
which is supposed TO have causeI the con
viction of the unhappy young officer, has
been shown TO the court that is now en-
gagged in the rehearing. 1t is expected by
the enemies Of Captain Dreyfus that il
VIII have the same effect now that ii had
then, particularly as the document is not
to be shown to the counsel for the de-
fense who cannot, therefore, attack either
its allegations or its authenticity. 1t may
be based on forgery or its statements
OF fact may be false. but in the first trial
il was accepted as genuine. So for that
matter, was the document forged by Col
onel Henry.
No recent specific explanation of the
reason for keeping the dossier secret has
been offered. il is simply said that ii
would toe against the interests of the
gone lllltlll 10 Ills1hf IL Clidl Il
Of public knowledge. Some months ago
the Paris correspondent Of London jour
nal gave what he called the true reason
for the conviction Of Captain Dreyfus
and il has never been confirmed nor de-
MED. 1t is consistent with the course of
events from the accusation against the
officer down to this refusal TO allow any
body but the justices to see the evidence.
In effect, the story is that Russia, at the
very moment when France was in frantic
JOY over the alliance with the bear, had
gained possession Of some important mill
tary secrets of France, but refused 10 re-
ciprocate by laying before the French
ministry any of her own. Dreyfus. am
bilious for promotion, is said TO have con-
cocted a scheme which he was not a big
enough man TO carry out. He proposed
10 make an exchange of military informa-
tion with an agent of Russia, by which
France would have the larger end of the
bargain and show the bear that she was
not satisfied to be treated unfairly. Drey-
fus failed, but his document containing
the information for Russia fell into the
hands of superior staff officers, who pro-
posed TO punish Dreyfus, partly as a
means of indicating to Russia ;hat French
secrets would be kept from her in future
since she had not responded to French
overtures for exchange
The happiness of the French people is
said 10 depend very much on the alliance
with Russia, the frail nature of which is
not understood by the public The masses
have been encouraged in the deIusion
that that great power is bound by un-
breakabie ties to the fortunes of France
and that in event of an opportunity to
make war with Germany Russia will
bring into the field half million soldiers
10 Join with the sons of France. Now. to
make the dossier public would be to re-
veal the hoIlowness of this belief II was
with keen delight that the French peo-
ple leaped TO the conclusion that Dreyfus
sold French military secrets to their ira
ditiOnal enemy the robber German. The
government could not endure week aft
er il should be known that it was Rus
sia, not Germany that had spies in
France TO steal secrets. 1t will not do to
allow Dreyfus to be acquitted after all
that has happened and when the anti
Semitic League is SO active and extern
.siye. and il will not do to allow his coun-
sci TO see the document that shows Rus
sia to be the perfidious buyer of French
military information. Hence the use of
the dossier under such restrictions.
il is ali widely unrepublican, as Ameri-