The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-03-19
WILLIAMS PLANS AVRY
Gernany'S Ruler Has Troubles of
His Own.
AN UNRULY REICHSTAG
COMPELLED WILLIAM TO COME
TO TERMS.
Modification of the Army Bill Fills
the Emperor With Disgust and His
Ministers Will Be Punished-Pre-
dicted That the Chancellor Will
Be Shelved.


Berlin, March 18.-The unexpected
reichstag crisis, which has overshad
owed everything this week, wa.
brought about by the fact that the
reichstag, judging from the words anG
manner of the minister of war, Gen
eral Won Gossler, was led to believe
that the emperor and bundesrath were
satisfied with the military bill as fixed
by the budget committees report
granting everything demanded in the
shape of reorganization of the artil-
lery and cavalry, and an increase OF
the army peace footing, except that
only 1000 men were granted out of the
$4,000 asked for. This, however, is
really not the case, so far as the en-
peror is concerned, and it was only af-
ter the minister of war suddenly an
nounced that the report was .consid-
cred insufficient, that it was discovered
his majesty insisted upon the passage
of the bill in its original shape, or
else the reichstag would be dissolved
and new elections ordered on this
issue.
Those who are close to the emperor
have repeated his sayings on the sub
| ject, which leave no room to doubt his
J majeSty'S attitude. But he is virtually
| alone in the stand taken, since a ma
| jority Of the bundesrath made it clear
to the imperial chancellor, Prince Won
Hohenlohe, on Wednesday, that their
| governments were satisfied with the
bill in the shape reported. They fur
| Their declared that a dissolution of the
reichstag on such trifling matter
seemed undesirable and injudicious
The bundesrath, being constitutionally
the final arbitrator in the matter, the
emperor rlSked being diScredited if he
carried out his intention of dissolving
the reichstag, and it also seemed clear
that the result of an election would
not be more favorable to the emperor S
wishes. The popular votes represented
by the majority rejecting the increase
in the peace footing of the army on
Tuesday, the vote standing 209 to al,
outnumbered the votes rejecting other
proposals by almost two to one
HEAVY MILITARY DEMANDS.
The statements of the leaders of the
reichstag carried much weight, DR.. Lie
Der, spokesman of the Centre party,
showing that within a few years, be-
sides the regular military appropria-
tons, the reichStag has voted 733, 000 600
marks, but the peace strength of the
army is much stronger than appears
from the bill, being really considerably
over 100000 men.
This effective arraignment of the in
satiable military demands and the
statements of the other opposition
leaders made a considerable impress
sion. Herr Richter, the German Rad
zeal leader, said: IF the reichstag
was now dissolved it would not be be-
cause of this trifiing reduction in the
military bill, but because another
reichstag is wanted, one which will
pass a reactionary anti-strike bill and
mo In al lon
will be, 'Autocratic, absolute govern
ment, and destruction of the reich
stays independence
This sally, and similar remarks made
by another speaker, were heartily ap-
plauded by the whole Right, and it
was openly declared that the members
of the party were not eager to enter
into new fight at the polls.
EMPEROR YIELDED.
Nevertheless, it was very hard to
change the emperor's mind, and it was
only at the last moment before he
started for FREDERICKSBURG to attend
the entombment of the remains of
Prince and Princess Bismarck, two
hours before the decision of the reich
stag, that he told the imperial chan
cellor and Count Won Posadowsky-
Wehner, secretary of state for the in
terror, that he would content himself
with the reduction, and this was only
after it was shown to him that by the
additional resolution the government
would be assured a few years hence
of what it contended for.
Still, the emperor felt that the reich
stag was a personal defeat, and his
modification was CORRESPONDENCE
great, for the influence of the court
party for weeks has been
strongly eXerted in the direction of not
yielding in this matter. The triumphal
shoutings of the opposition on Tuesday,
when it became evident that the gov
eminent and the emperor would yield,
and utteranceS of a like nature in the
opposition press, have helped to inten-
sify his majesty's modification. 1t is
said that he feels dissatisfied with
Prince Hohenlohe, General Won .Goss-
Ter and Count Won PosadoWsky- Wehner
for what he considers to be the I'M
skillful manner in which the matter |
was manipulated in the reichstag and |
the lack of support of the government |
in the press.
Before the decision of the reichstag |
was arrived at the correspondent here |
Of the Associated Press heard a gentle
man Of the emDeror's surroundings |
say:
This has been old Hohenlohe's
Dyrrhus victory. The emperor is tired |
IF him, and he viii have to go at the
first opportunity"
1t is said that his majesty is fur
her irritated by the fact that the I'LL
though only one third of
he minority upon this occasion, tri-
IMPLIED in Protestant Germany over
he Protestant emperor. This also
seemed to be most CALLING reflection
n government circles, especially as the
leader, DR.. Lieber, spoke
IN Tuesday and Thursday in a defiant,
tone, and with the manner
# a master of the situation.
CONFUSING STATISTICS.
The newspapers are discussing the
hances OF effecting a commercial
realty with the United States, taking
s a basis the arguments for and
gainst the figures quoted by Count
on PosadowskyW ehner in the reich
tag, purporting to give the statistics
f the imports and exports of Germany
nd the United States. These are SER
ously incorrect, and do not tally with
he figures furnished to Mr.. Robert p.
'orter since he has been here by Mr..
scar P. Austin, chief of the bureau of
tatisticS of the United States treasury
apartment. The latter has collected
ficial figures dealing with both fiscal
alendars for the year 1898, and they
9th show an enormous discrepancy {
ompared with the figures of Count Won
osadowsky- Wehner. The latter set
nth that the excess of imports of
merican goods, compared with the ex- Z