The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1898-03-09
E z% s'Ss1- Dreyf11s
(By H. W. Wilson, in the Pail Mall Ga

(By II. w. Wilson, in the Pail Mall Ga
zette.)
If Russia Is actually the foreign power
implicated in the Dreyfus case we have a
curious parallel under the Third Republic
to certain incidents which happened in
1Sll-12. during the closing years of the first
empire. 1t Is true that at this latter date
the alliance between France and Russia
was an alliance only in name. and that.
both sides were preparing secretly for war.
there was a motive for espionage which in
the Dreyfus case seems wanting. 1t may
perhaps be supplied ii we suppose that the
Russian government was anxious. by veri-
flying the assurances of French ministers
and testing them, TO avoid the errors which
Austria made in 1870. when, the memoirs
of General Lebrun show. the Archduke AL
bert and the Austrian general staff actually
swallowed the story that the French could
mobilize their army in fifteen days.
Among the aides decamp of the Tsar
Alexander l, officer named Ger
mitchell. who was invariably selected to
carry messages of Importance to Paris.
In short space Of time he came and went
ten or dozen times The fact that he was
always selected aroused certain amount
of suspicion at Paris, and Napoleon's ON
niscient police turned its attention to him.
He studied mathmetlcS. or pretended to do
so. but he chose his teachers badly A
police-agent was planted upon him in the
guise of professor. 1t was not long be-
fore the agent was asked whether he had
not any friends at the French office,
and whether. through their aid, he could
not obtain information of the actual
strength of the French army. The sup
posed professor was furnished by the police
with concocted documents. which served at
and the same time to satisfy his Rus
sian pupil and to prove TO the French po-
lice Minister. Savary. that this foreign
aide-de-camp was Il very dangerous per-
son.
Napoleon was informed. but anxious above
all things to gain time, and wishing avoid
. an open breach with the Car, did not
show any ill humor. He packed Czerntchef
off with message to the Car had private
ly instructed his ambassador in Russia to
prevent his return. Greatly to the annoy
ance of the French police. however. Germ
itchef without moments delay hurried
eek from St. Petersburg to
Paris. The police then proceeded
to drop hints that too much cur
iosity was inconvenient and even published
in The Journul de TEmpire scarcely veilei
attack on the aide-decamp, insinuating that
h carried backwards and forwards some
thing more important than mere letters.
and comparing him to a position. AS this
was done without Napoleons orders, early
in 1911, before his preparations for war
were completed. and at a time when Rus
sa could without difficulty have seized
Warsaw, his rage can be imagined. He sent
for Savary and a scene took place. The
police minister was ordered to leave Czern-
itchef absolutely alone, free to go and come
to see and hear" 1t is possible that Ma
poleon did not in his heart suspect a man
who was the personal representative Of a
sovereign. and as such treated with delicacy
and Difference, of STOPPING to the spy's ig
noble office. 1t cannot be denied that the
Corsican adventurer showed more sense of
honor than the descendants of the Roman
offs, who cannot have been ignorant Of his
representatives actions
AS a matter of fact, Czernitchef had gone
much further than even Savary suspected.
But the police minister. in spite of his
orders, watched him closely, and soon dis
covered that he everywhere at work.
He tempered with General Jomini a Swiss
officer high in position on Napoleon's staff; ;
offered f16,0OO to general of division if
he would be supplied with Information
which he wanted and endeavored to cor
rupt one of Berther's chief secretaries
His overtures in these directions in
dignantly repulSed Napoleon was inform
ed of these proceedings. but ordered Saw
airy to leave Czernitchef alone and permit
the police of the French Foreign Ministry
TO manage the affair Savary again dis
obeyed. He introduced spy as tenant
in the house where Czernitchef lodged and
placed at his disposal a craftsman skilled
in discovering the combinations of the locks
then much in fashion in Paris which
opened on forming d certain word with a
combination of letters. Czernitchef had a
large safe in his room the contents of this
was speedily ransacked by the police spies
and all the papers found there We're copied.
Among them was general state of the
French army, givings its organization in
. army corps it's strength. its distribution
and all the most important details. and
instructions purporting to have been issued
by Napoleon the day before. Uncertain
whether this might not conceal some trap
laid by or for the astute Russian Savary
took 1t to Napoleon. The emperor con-
fessed that it a verbal copy of the
orders he had issued. His annoyance may
be conceived. inasmuch as he was deter
mined to complete his preparations for war
in stealth and silence, and then to deal with
Russia one of his thunder-strokes. But
here Russia in the secret
The first thing was to get rid of the in
discreetly curious a:de-de-camp. the second
to discover and punish the traitor Ger
mitchell was summoned to an Interview in
which the emperor showed consummate
tact and sef-restraint. There were no
reproaches or invectves. but only adroit
hints You are only here to obtain infor-
nation military Matters Napoleon
told him quietly. He avowed his arma-
ments, but suggested possible arrange
nent, which was, of course to be submit
ted to the Tsar. Thus Czernitchef, as en-
trusted with this arrangement, would
have to leave Paris and return to St.
Petersburg. Savary, on his part ordered
his agents to force their way into Ger
nitchef's rooms. the moment he had gone
and examine all papers that might be
found there. At the same time the French
foreign minister, quite Independently gave
similar instructions to the project of police.
The latter was nominally under Sayary's
ORDERS but enthusiastically omitted to in
form his master.
Czernitchef left Paris on February S
l0l2. and the police at once searched his
rooms. He lived. 1t should be said. not in
the Russian embassy, but in a fiat In q
= private house. Alarmed by Napoleon's
hints ne had taken the precaution to de-
stroy all his papers The fireplace was full
of burnt paper; the floor strewn with torn
up letters, but these when collected and