The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1899-10-10

| Regarding Affairs I'm south Africa
| German Interests to suffer I'm Case Of
British Victory-New Book setting
Out Conflicting Interests Of England
| and United States and Advocating
| Naval Alliance Between the Latter
and Germany Attracts Attention.
| Excitement Over Gambling Scandal.
| Copyright by Associated Press)
| Berlin, October Public attention
has been much more deeply engrossod
\ this week in following the proceedings
of the International geographical con-
gress and the sensational developments
of the trial of persons accused of gam
bling at the Club der Harmlosen than
with the lTransyaal situation, although
South African affairs are being followed
with keen solicitude by the government
and political men.
There 4 was considerable comment
among the delegates to the congress,
as well as on the part of the public,
during the sittings regarding the rela-'
lively unimportant share taken by the
United States. While the whole body
of delegates numbered some 1,300, those
from the United States were fewer
| than a dozen. of whom General Gree
ley, though representing the United
States government, did not present a
paper and took only an insignificant
part in the transactions. Major II. Z.
Allen, military attache of the United
States embassy, who was also an Of
fetal delegate, was too busy in making
his preparations to return home to de-
vote himself to the business of the con-
gress. Mr.. Arthur c. Jackson, the ex-
plorer, and Professor Boas, of New
| York, did not put in an appearance,
! while Mr.. Marcus Baker only appeared
at the last moment. Professor Davis,
of Howard university, was obliged to
leave in the very midst of the proceed
ings. With the exception of the paper
of Mrs. Zelia Nuttall, which was pre-
sented in the choicest German, and
that of Mr.. Poultney Bigelow on Co
| lonial Administration which contain
ed some startling assertions, there was
no striking American feature through
out the sitting.
| 1t is largely due to this that the next
congress will not meet in Washington,
as Professor Bryant, of Philadelphia,
proposed. His suggestion was not
| backed up with any vigor nor by the
| requisite number of delegates. The
| Americans, however, participated fully
in the social attentions shown the con-
gress.
Affairs in South Africa are still COM
mented upon in the press and elsewhere
| here in the same anti-BritiSh spirit.
Sympathy with the Beers is almost ev-
erywhere expressed. The Kruez Zeitung,
| which represents the opinions of the
| court, the army, and the conservatives
says:
! ''The Sympathies of the German pub
lie are altogether on the side of the
Beers. Nobody here doubts that they,
after yielding much to the lordly de-
mands Of Great Britain, will have moth
ing left them but to draw the sword.
AS is the opinion Of Germany, so is the
opinion of the world, at least in so far
as the world is still anti-British. The
| victory of Great Britain will induce
Russia and France to make headway
| in Asia against her. This is a neces-
sary outcome Of the situation. The
Beers have only themselves to rely on
| in a hard fight. The time has ire
| trievably gone when other countries
| would have interfered out of sympa-
thy
The influential Hanover Courier con-
siders that "Germany's chances will be
very poor, if England vanquishes the
Beers, as then German southwest At
rica viii be lost"
The sensational trial of the Club der
| Harmlosen has stirred fashionable and
sporting circles to the very depth. A
lpeculiar feature of the case is that some
of the witnesses belong to the immedi-
ate en- tourage of Emperor William.
Moreover, officers of garrisons all over
the empire and many who belong to the
| guard regiments are implicated, as
we'll as experts on the correct way of
playing baccarat, and men of the high
est fashion.
There was considerable difficulty in
getting the experts to appear. Many
important witnesses were absent. Some
excused themselves on the ground that
they had gone bear hunting in Norway
or were about starting for Africa for a
year, or had sudden illness. Others,
like Lieutenant Won Schrader, commit
ted suicide, or, like Count Won Stosch
and Baron Won Neimps, fled to the
United States.
Wolff, the founder of the club, has
that he had been convicted of theft
and had served a term in prison, al
though most of the witnesses asserted
that he was a man of excellent de-
meanor and perfect manners, whence
his nickname Gentleman Wolff
General Won Kroecher, father of one
Of the defendants, the commander of a
army corps and an intimate advisor of
Emperor William, has refused to ap-
pear. His son admitted that he had
been guilty of fleeing
| In well-informed army circles it is
| asserted that Emperor William in
| tends that the trial shall be followed
by an extensive wedding out Of gam
blers and otherwise undesirable Off
| GERS.
| Rear Admiral Valois recently pub
lished bood entitled "Seekraft Seegel-
tung Seeherrschaft," which is attract
ing great attention in political, military
| and naval circles. 1t contains a pow
erful argument that the United States
as a leading colonial and exporting
power, will necessarily become a keen
er competitor Of England, and that II
is to the interest of both the United
States and Germany to join hands In
curtailing Great Britain's sea and CO.
lonial power. The writer strongly ad.