The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-02-21
MILITARIsM IN FRANCE.
Justice Made Subservient TO the Army
i'm the Trial of Nj. lola.

ST. LOUIS, Feb. 2O-The Paris CORE
spondent of the Globe-Democrat, under date
of Feb 10, sends the following exclusive
cablegram:
Ordinarily the gayest week of the year,
the carnival week. of 1898, which has just
come to q close, will remain on record as
the most dismal within the memory of the
present generation. Whatever carnival
there was has been on view, not as usual in
the principal streets of the metropolis, but
in the court of justice, where the lola trial
was in progressJ the travesty being not that
of the customary fatted OK, but of Dame
Justice. There is little to be added to the
dispatch which sent last night, and in
which / pointed out that military dicta-
torship had been practically established, the
judiciary and the public having demonstrate
ed their conviction that the necessity of sat-
iSfying the chiefs of the army and yielding
to their wishes in every particular is the
most important of all considerations being
superior to law and right. OF course, this
conviction is based eli the dread of a for
eign invasion, and the knowledge that Gen.
De Boisdeffre and the other chiefs of the
general staff alone possess the military
secrets that are Indispensable for the pro-
lection of "a country against the foe. 1t was
terday in court and il succeeded beyond all
expectations For to-day the attitude OF
the officers in court was entirely different
from what 1t had been in the early days Of
the trial. There was an air of insolent su-
pertority and arrogance which clearly
showed that they had become aware OF
friends of lola and of Dreyfus was indie
scrfbably insulting.
1t is iaconceivable that the government
should have been so weak as to permit the
creation of the one peril of which the re-
publics statesmen have stood in greater
dread than any other during the past twen-
ty-eight years, namely, military dictator
ship. For n long time they would not have
even a chief of the general staff for fear
that he might develop into a military die
tator, and it is for the same reason that
they have refused all along to have per-
manent commander-in-chief OF the army,
General Jamont'S patent as generalissimo
only coming into force on the actual decla-
ration of war. 1t was the honesty and 10y
atty of old General Saussier, the former
military governor OF Paris, as we'll as the
cowardice and imbecility of Boulanger HIM
self, that prevented the latter from becom-
saussier is no longer there and the role ole of
Boulanger is being played by General De
Boisdeffre, a far ADLER. more energetic and
courageous man, who may be relied upon to
make the most of the power which he won
by one bold speech yesterday, namely, when
he declared in court that unless the trial
was decided against the greatest living au-
thor of France he himself and all the chiefs
Of the army would resign, leaving the coun-
try at the mercy of any foreign invader.
Whatever sentence is imposed on lola,
IL is TO be feared that the chances of the
liberation OF poor DreyfuS. of whose inno-
cence all sensible and unprejudiced people
have become more than ever convinced by
the revelations at the trial, are doomed for
ever. since no one will care to renew the
Iorlofn nope SO bravery Iougnt by lola. or
to expose himself to the rude persecution
and contumely to which he has just been
subjected in consequence of his chvalry
Let add that all the foreign diplo-
mates here, except the Russians do not
hesitate TO express their firm conviction
which, in some cases. they declare TO be
based on positive knowledge, that Dreyfus
is innocent They one and all tell the same
story which ] have already cabled to the
Globe Democrat. namely. that IL was Russia
which obtained Frances military secrets
prior to the conclusion of her alliance with
France. several French officers being con-
cerned in the affair, General De Boisdeffrc