The times., 1898-02-22
ECHOES FROM ABROAD.

| cOAOG6 GAVW h01tV0Os
Ordinarily the gayest week of the
year. the carnival week of 1898. which
has just come to a close in Paris, will
remain on record as the most dismal
within the memory of the present gem
Grafton. 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 zola
trial was in progress, the travesty be-
ing not that of the customary fatted OK,
but of Dame Justice.
military dictatorship had been prac-
tically established, the judiciary and
the public having demonstrated their
| conviction that the necessity of satisfy
ing the chiefs of the army and yielding to
| their wishes in every particular is the
most important of all considerations, be-
ing superior to law and right OF course,
this conviction is based on the dread of a
foreign invasion and the knowledge that
Gen. De Boisdeffre and the other chiefs
Of the general staff alone possess the
military secrets that are Indispensable
Tor the protection of a country against
the foe. 1t was a bold stroke of Gen De
Boisdeffre in court, and 1t succeeded be-
| yond all expectations. For now the atti-
different from what it had been in the
early days of the trial. There is an air
| of insolent superiority and arrogance
! which clearly shows that they have be-
come aware of their power. and their be-
( havior toward the friends of ZoIa and of
Dreyfus is indescrbably insulting.
| 1t is inconceivabe that the govern
ment should have been so weak as to
faf fsfsNiY 81
/ which the republics statesmen have
stood in greater dread than any other
during the past twenty-eght years,
namely military dictatorship For a
long time they would not have even a
chief of the general staff for fear that he
might develop into a military Dictator
and IL is for the same reason that they
/ have refused ali along to have perma-
nent Commander-in-chef of the army.
/ Gen Jamonts patent as generalissimo
only coming into force on the actual dec
I laration of war Ii was the honesty and
/ loyalty of old Gen. Saussier the former
! military governor of Paris, as well as the
cowardice and imbecility of Boulanger
! himself that prevented the latter from
! becoming the dictator ten years ago To-
Z day SauSsier is no longer there and the
/ role OF Bdulanger is being played by
! Gen De Boisdeffre, far ADLER more en-
J
/ be relied upon to make the most of the
/ power which he won by one bold speech
/ namely. when he declared In court that
unless the trial was decided against the
greatest living author of France he
/ himself and all the chiefs of the army
would resign. leaving the country at the
mercy of any foreign invader.
Whatever sentence is imposed Ilpon
! lola II is TO be, feared that the chances
of the liberation OF poor Dreyfus, of
whose innocence all sensible and unprei-
udiced people have become more than
ever convinced by the revelations at the
trial. are doomed forever. since no one
will care to renew the forlorn hone so
bravely fought by ,Zola. or to expose
himself TO the rude persecution and con-
tumely to which he has just been sub
Jected in consequence of his chivaIry.
All the foreign diplomats 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
that il was Russia which obtained
Frances military secrets prior to the
conclusion of her alliance with France
several French officers being concerned
IN the affair, Gen. De Boiseffre among
them. Had not the anti-Jewish press got
hold of the fact that secrets We're being
sold TO a foreign power through the indis-
cretion OF some of The people of the war
department, and at once taken It for
granted that Dreyfus, the only Jew In |
the department, was the guilty party
nothing would ever have been heard of |
the affair, and there would have been no |
necessity OF furnishing an innocent scape- !
goat. The danger is that the military eIe- |
ment. controlling the situation as they do |
now, may force the hand of the govern |
ment into rupture with some foreign |
power, possibly with England in conuec- |
tion with the Niger difficulty the situa- !
tion between the two countries with re- |
gard 10 this West African controversy |
being very strained. In any case it is felt |
that grave events are imminent and this |
Impression is especially apparent among |
the trades people. and shopkeepers here !
as well as among hotel managers who de-
clare that their business is at a standstfil |
owing to moneyed foreigners being
frightened away from the banks OF the |
Seine.
The military element has carried the
day. The generals will not reveal any
thing further. will produce none of the
papers or documents which the public has
been lead to believe would be furnished.
and yet Zola will be convicted. and an
other bolt thereby added to the prison of
ex-Capt. Dreyfus The fact of the mat
ter is that Gen. Boisdeffre. when he de-
clined on the witness stand to produce
any of the documents either on which |
Dreyfus was convicted or which We're OBJ