The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-02-28
AND HER DREYFUS
AMERICANS DON'T UNDERsTIND,
PROF. CONN SAYS.

A1Flebrew HimseTG. Ee ~ nppathire with the Au-
thorities-N1nitary Tribunal was All for Ace
quitting n yellow Omcer Untii the Evidence
Was Produced-Jnurcs. witness and Orator.
From the viewpoint OF tho French. American
ideas regarding the Dreyfus case and Zola's i'm
prisonment are much distorted. Frenchmcn,
say that America has heard but one side of tho
case, and fails to appreciate its true inward
ness. as well rs the attitude OF France toward
betrayers of tho nations secrets. A Sun re-
porter interviewed yesterday Prof. Adolphe
Cohn OF the department OF Romance, Lam
gunGes and Literature OF Columbia College on
the conditions in France and the effect OF tho
lola trial. Prof. Cohn has spent a year in
France since Dreyfus's convictions: he Is init
mately acquainted with many Of the foremost
men in French public affairs. and has made a
special study Of the Dreyfus case. Prof. Cohn
is himself q Frenchman and n Hebrew; but in
this matter his sympathies are strongly, not to
say violently, with his nation, which execrates
Dreyfus, as against his race, which, generally
speaking, defends the now famous prisoner.
I'm this country" said Prof. COIN, the peo-
pie do not realize the passions that are aroused
by this Dreyfus case. The whole Importance of
the affair lies in the fact that France considers
herself at war with Germany; that is. Germany
is the enemy Therefore. In this case of Drey-
fus. France considers that her very existence is
threatened by Germany. In the eyes OF my
nation 1t is much more important, whore tho
question Of national defence arises, that q guilty
man should not escape, than that an innocent
man should not suffer. The whole question is:
Is Dreyfus guilty ! and not: Has his trial been
conducted regularly
Here is o consideration to be regarded:
that trials OF the Dreyfus kind are in the hands
Of army officers. and we Frenchmen look for
blunders to be committed. because our officers
are proverbially bunglers in all but military
matters, and sometimes even in those. %unfortu-
nately. They had n good case against Dreyfus,
but bungled 1t. With the best and most honor
able intentions, they do the most irregular
things. Here is an instance. In tho Dreyfus
trial a document which was not submitted at
.the trial was sg6mitted to The Judges by order
Guided. From a legal point Of view this is mon
strous; but: knowing our Officers as we do. we
mitted that paper nor the officers thought that
there VAS anything strange or wrong in the
The esprit dc corps Of the army, is very
strong; SO strong that before q body of officers
would have to be, Themselves. ten times salts.
sSn Of q M fai S"il! Sos Ms sna sH diss%n. S cousin. f1sp By
the way, Of Mrs. Grover Cleveland, is ex.
France, and he told me that when the
court met before the trial they were
accused man. considering the whole agitation as
press affair against an officer. There is moth.
j jOS hist"s eIce %tt'i%ilE lawyer WeR In s spite 81 Il this s.
when they saw The evidence the court promptly
well as the three assistant Judges, one Of whom
isa + He ,herS' were convinced Of his S%Hiit.t, tho
army =" asked the reporter. '''"n 'H'
There was none at that time replied Prof.
Hebrews fRPPi in fSe French re- IN army T ? as esm R p With Gt
the size OF the Hebrew population. which is only
5 5ei3eS ibd an a fSet na FEan iS ,b fren Morl The 6 a1Hre oSs
profession is closed to ~them-that of diplomacy.
The army numbers among its valued and popu-
Hebrew l viii say that tho attitude regarding
Dreyfus Of the Jews, in and out of France. has
semiiism. Anti.semitic sentiment in France
Is made up Of two psrtsnhatred Of the money
Hebrews in France have German, names and
come from Germony. Nine. Dreyfus's family
Of those implicated were Jews with German
names, and the chief corruptionist, Arton, is
Cornelius Hertz and others. Thai matter did
much to make Hebrews unpopular"
A tho French Hebrews unanimous in their
by no means. They are much divided. A
due to race feeling. and there is q large minority
who openly express their belief in his guilt. The
largely in France. decided Immediately. without
waiting for the evidence, that Dreyfus was inno-
Whether he be innocent or guilty. certainly
the methods used in his favor have been most
ahead moderately, instead Of Which they pro.
ceeded in a naughty. imporious. insolen, spirit.
backed by foreign Influences. sach a,gitators
as Drumont and Rochefort made this a pretext
FIR s,lFrinT The up }nf Psniis Of SDi pabPic "s seb9ine all
made Itself felt in tho army. and I, Is strong
Col. Vol from being promoted to be Brigadier-
Ge"nS%ES!s" rorr v,ow. with ,oo.rs 20 r.t.r.
hays part in the matter T. asked the reporter.
Prof. Cohn shrugged his shoulders. "it is q
pity" he said. II seems much ofa scoundrel,"
/ than n "A n UfTnn IN G,h innt 1n .nnFinn M
THE present excitement will soon die out II
the Dreyfus people will stop their agitating for
proper course is to wait until the public mind is
callner. and then if they go about 1t sancly they
come up affecting tho nations wea! or wealth.
in which a Hebrew is implicated. the results
VIVA will be the result to lola of his convic.
tionr'
is n clever self!advertIser. As for his imprison.
ment. he Will not be q martyr: He goes to st.
oners convicted OF offences such as his, and in
that ward visitors arc admitted. meals may be
even take some OF his furniture and books with
him. There is Il matter about his trial regard
i lhst w !. ,hs the ss ssGlsa 9 Gep sGtsa fiyo b a f wi,De idss;
Much comment has been made in the press that
t tn m Mltef iong a i9t re 9 erosI Il b"s n wsr sa psrm mated
that the same privilege was permitted to the
w y,des tSnt f q w ths @sfs snsfi ar In f tsfI al III sd 5a knows orS,
about the case without nterruption-mark that
unless no wanders from the smbject. After
that the lawyers question him, This tatement
often takes the form OF, a regularly prepared I'D
dress. M. Jean Jaures, the Socialist orator,
made an address as witness for the defence that
TOOK up two columns in lie Temps. and without
interruption. 1t was II fine piece Of oratory.
Jaurts is the finest orator OF his day in France"
Prof. Cohn knows personally Jaures. who is
one of tho best known Socialist members OF tho
Chamber of Deputies. He describes the So.
oysrTsnnsd In hls manner or nPpsarsnee; Of z
nervous temperament and n slightly provincial
manner OF speech. He does not look what no
is. an eminent scholar. who was, graduated at
tho head Of the section of philosophy in tho
Ecole Normale Superieure, and was professor
OF philosophy In the University OF Toulouse.
He entered the Chamber of Deputies AS n Mod
crate Republican. but was soon converted to
Socialism.
"He is not the head of the Socialists" said
Prot. Cohn. but rather their mouthpiece.
Guesde Is his superior as Il reasoner and pHrliR-
mentarian ind Millerand as II controversialist,
but az an orator no has no equal, and II ID, a