The record-union., 1899-03-19
The Emperor Was Not Satisfied
With the Measure Reported,
Notwithstanding The Rsichstag Was Led TO
Believe Such Was the Case.
Was Only at the Last Moment That
His Majesty Consented to a Re-
duction in the Number of Adj
ditional Troops He Had Con-
tended for, and Still Feels That
the Reichstag's Action Was a
Personal Defeat.

the Reichstag's Action Was a
Personal Defeat.
BERLIN, March 1S-The unexpected
Reichstag crisis, which has overshad-
owed everything this week, was brought
about by the fact that the Reichstag,
judging from the words and manner of
the Minister Of War, General Won Goss-
Ter, was led to believe that the Emperor
and Bundesrath We're satisfied with the
military bill as fixed by the budget
commissions report, granting every
thing demanded in the shape of re-
organization of the artillery and cav
airy and an increase of the army peace
footing, except that only 1900 men
were granted out of the 23,OO0 asked
for. This, however, is really not the
case, so far as the Emperor is con-
cerned, and it was only after the Min
lister of War suddenly announced that
the report was considered insufficient
that it was discovered his majesty in
sisted upon the passage Of the bill in
it's original shape, or else the Reichstag G
would be dissolved and new elections
ordered on this issue.
Those who are close to the Emperor
have repeated his sayings on the SUBJ
ject, which leave no room to doubt his
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 further
declared that dissolution of the
Reichstag on such a trifiing matter
seemed undesirable and injudicious, the
Bundesrath being constitutionally the
final arbitrator in the matter. The En-
peror risked being discredited if he car
ried 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 Ernperor's wishes.
The popular votes represented by the
majority re5estsng nc increase in the
peace footing of the army on Tuesday,
the vote standing 209 to al, out-num-
bered the votes rejecting ether pro-
posals by almost two to one.
The statements of the leaders of the
Reichstag carried much weight, DR..
Lieber, spokesman of the Center party,
sides the regular military appropria-
tions, the Reichstag has voted 1873, 000,-
coo marks; but the peace strength of
the army is much stronger than ap-
pears from the BILL being really consid-
erably over 6o0OG0 men.
This effective arraignment of the in
satiable military demands, and the
statements Of the other opposition lead
ers made a considerable impression.
Herr Richter, the German Radical
leader, said: IF the Reichstag was
now dissolved it would not be because
of this trifing reduction in the military
bill, but because another Reichstag is
wanted one which will pass a reac-
tionary anti-strike bill, and modify the
election law, and its motto will be, .sau-
tocracy, absolute government and de-
struction of the Reichstag's independ-
ence.' :"
This sally and similar remarks made
by another speaker We're heartily ap-
plauded by the while right, and it was
openly declared that the members of
the party were not eager to enter into
a new fight at the polls.
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 Chancel-
lor and Count Won Posadows ky Wehner,
Secretary of State for the Interior, that
he would content himself with the re-
duction, 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,s action was a personal defeat and
his modification was correspondingly
great for the influence of the court mill
tary PARTY for weeks has been strongly
exerted in the decision of not yielding
in this matter. The triumphal shout
ings and shoutings of the opposition on
Tuesday, when it became evident the
Government and 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 Gosslsr
ana Count tUu 1'OSdQONSkY-W W6lnGr
for what he considers to be the unskill-
full manner in which the bill was ma
nipulated 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
CT the Associated Press heard a gentle
man of the Emperor's surroundings
say: This has been old Hohenloae's s
pyrrhus victory. The Emperor is tired
of him, and he will have to go at the
first fitting opportunity
1t is said that his majesty is further
irritated by the fact that the ultra
montanes, though only one-third of the
minority, upon this occasion triumphed
in Protestant Germany over the Prot
estant Emperor. This also seemed to
be most CALLING reflection in Govern
ment circles, especially as the ultra
montane leader, DR.. Lieber, spoke on
Tuesday and Thursday in a defiant.
challenging tone, and with the manner
of a master of the situation.
The newspapers are discussing the
chances of effecting a commercial treaty
with the United States, taking as q
basis the arguments for and against the
figures quoted by Count Won Posa