The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1899-08-24
MAY ADOPT NEW TACTICS
THE FRENCH GENERAL STAFF
GROWING DESPERATE.

BILE Theory Tint Esterhazy and
Drey1us Were AccompIicos-Dreyf fus
Would Then be Looked Upon as Real
lance.
London Aug. 24.--The special corre-
spondents at Rennes agree that al
though yesterdays sitting of the court
martial was monotonous, it was alto
gether good day for Dreyfus, who, as
| the correspondent Of the Daily News
says, lis taking passionate and quite
impersonal interest in his own case
has. in fact become a Dreyfuste. The
proceedings, though much less exciting
than on the previous day, We're still
dominated by the strong personality of
Maltre Labor. People are beginning to
see likeness to the opening Of Gam
betta's career and are asking whether
Labori will go as far.
| The most important point in the pro-
ceedings, perhaps, was the disposal of
General Gonse, who practically had to
tcontess that the general staff had shield
ed Esterhazy. Thus MERCER and Gonse
are both practically shelved, and the
general staff is beginning to show signs
of wavering. Another good sign was
when q point of law arose on a certain
matter and Colonel Jouaust, the presi-
dent of the court martial, replied: II
am not UP in law. I will make inquiries
and if / find / have the right to do so l
will make the order" This was in re-
ply to Labori's request for certain in
formation concerning the character of
witness to be furnished by the public
prosecutor, and it seemed to indicate a
desire on the part of the judges to hon
estly seek the truth
The correspondent Of the Times says:
"llearn on good authority that the forces
of the prosecution, led by General Roget |
are very seriously discussing the advis- |
ability of adopting entirely new tactics |
According to my information they hope |
to be able to render plausible the fol- |
lowing theory: In the presence, as they |
are, of the undoubted facts Of treason |
as proved by the assistance of the Dor
dereau and quite unwilling to admit |
that Colonel Henry was capable of |
treason; convinced, moreover, that only |
a general staff officer could possibly
have obtained the information contained |
in the bordereau they ought to impose
as a solution the idea that Dreyfus and |
Esterhazy were accomplices, brought
together by Weyler of the Yacht, and
thus Esterhazy's admission that the
bordereau is in his handwriting, a fact !
accepted by the court of cessation,
would be accepted by the court martial
while Dreyfus would be looked upon as
the real traitor and purveyor of docu-
ments to the military attaches Of the
triple alliance.
II need not marshal against this hy-
pothesis the numerous proofs of it's i'm
probability and. even of it's impossibility
but | mention it here because the very
fact of its being under discussion
throws a brilliant light on the panic
| do not hesitate to use SO strong a
term-which has seized hold of the lit
tie band of conspirators against justice,
as they have beheld the Rennes jurists
during the last three days, slowly but
surely placed in possession of those
facts of which only French superior Of
ficers outside the war office still remain
in blssful ignorance.
IN Labori's vigor and tact have dis
armed the dstrust of the judges. He Is
succeeding like a skilful but kindly sur
geon who uses the scalpel at just the
right moment and carries the incision
lnly just so far as is necessary to reveal {
the true nature of the wound. They
feel that he does not probe merely for
the sake of probing, but in order to
diagnose and prepare the wound for
he proper sort of dressing. He takes
10 unnecessary advantage of them. I
They are beginning to look upon him,
1ot as a dilettante surgeon, ruthlessly
experimenting in order merely to dis
olay his professional talent, but as a
oval Frenchman like themselves, con-
,inced only that the interests of Francs
equire courageous determination to |
leal with the case resolutely. General /
ionses piteous explanation that 'Es-
was defendant, but a defend 7
mt in special conditions, is an historic
ltterance and was greeted with ~hilarity :
" the whole court"
The correspondent of the Daily Tele- :
,raph predicts an acquittal, if the pres :,
mt ministry is not overturned, and also ,,
efers to the intention of the general
taft to adopt new tactics on the ground Y
hat the only chance of condemning
)reyfus is by implication of Esterhazy
nd Henry.
EnbOrt to Prosecute Slanderers. II
Rennes, Aug. 23.-Maitre Labori has
ecided to prosecute La Croix, one of