Omaha daily bee., 1899-08-20
ULtR MAKES MEASURE PERSONAL MATTER
Emperor May Dissolve Diet and Appeal
Directly to the People.
SUPPORT OF THE MINISTRY is lUksWARM
Cabinet is Said to Have Carried on
the Fight in Clumsy, HaIf-Hearted
Manner-Comment on Drcy-
fus' Court-Nartial.
Copyright, 1899, by Ass ociated Press }

BERLIN, Aug. 19.-The result Of Wednes-
days and Thursdays sessions of the Diet, the
unbroken opposition of the conservatives,
constituting almost majority of the house,
came as a stunning surprise, not alone to
Emperor william, but also to the whole cab
met, DR.. Won Miguel, the Prussian minister
OF finance, included To one of his inti
mates the emperor said early this week,
referring to the opposition TO the canal
bill: ITO yield in this matter now before
me would be tantamount to an abdication.'
To the same confidant his majesty COM
planned bitterly of the fact that the cabinet
often managed affairs of Importance so badly
as to force him against his will to actively
interfere
The result of Thursdays vote in the lower
house whom by vote OF 219 to 209 1t re-
jected the second reading Of the bill re-
lating to the Dortmund Rhine canal and the
completion OF the Dortmund- Ems canal and
by vote of 22S to 126 rejected the Cen
trail canal bill, came as surprise to the
house itself, nobody supposing that the op-
position was so strong, especially after the
emperor's vigorous declarations The whole
Polish faction voted against the entire canal
bill, whereas 1t expected 1t would at
least vote for the Dortmund- Rhine canal.
The center also acted contrary to all ex-
pectation 1t split into three portions, one
voting for the canal bill and another against
1t, while the third remained neutral and
abstained from voting. This action, though
meant as a clever trick, rendered the center
powerless and helped in the conservatives
ruin.
Ministers Are Clumsy.
The crushing defeat Of Emperor William,
as king of Prussia, is generally admitted to
be due to the clumsy, half-hearted manner
in which the government fought the matter
from the very first. Neither Prince Hohen-
lohe, the imperial chancellor, nor DR.. Won
Miguel though both were present at the
session Wednesday, said a word for the
measure with which the emperor has been
SO strongly identified himself. Their mac
tivity caused general comment.
The Kreuz Zeitung said: 1--WE do not
know whether DR.. Won Miguel is really for
or against the bill"
The word dissolution" was not even used
by any Of the government speakers, though
those present comprised nearly the whole
cabinet. The only government representa-
tive who smoke decisivey and well was
Colonel Baudde. who said that the canal
was military necessity for Germany.
1t is quite evident that an important part
of the cabinet does not share the en-
peror's enthusiasm for the canal. Putting
things together 1t is almost certain that
IL the bill fails. as there now seems small
doubt 1t viii. so far as the vital part OF
the Midland canal project is concerned the
cabinet must be reorganized.
= 1t has been confidently asserted all along
by persons in the intimacy OF his majesty
that in the event of the defeat OF the bill
the emperor will dissolve the Diet and ap-
peal to the country. Even If this expert
ment be made, which is unlikely. the out
come Is quite doubtful.
Interest in Dreyfus Trial.
tain Dreyfus occasioned much comment here
this week. as did the attempt on the life
OF Afaltre Labori, and General Merciers So
called denouemeats. The latter are not
taken seriously. His statement that Ger
many was on the point of declaring war
with France in 1894 is ridculed. The whole
German press Is united on this point.
The extreme step which Germany would
have taken then II President Casimir-Perier
had not put stop to the violent attacks on
the German embassy would have been to
send Count Won Munster Ledenburg the
German ambassador at Paris, on long
leave OF absence In case would the
relations of the two governments have as
sumed threatening aspect,
While the energy of the French govern
ment is generally commented upon favorably
doubts are expressed as to whether 1t is
strong enough to overcome the disanection
in the army. Emperor William on receiv-
ing the news OF the attempt on the life OF
NJ Labori during the ceremony OF unveiling
the monument to his grandfather at Arol-
SEN Monday used strong language IN de-
nouncing the deed He said the crime was
evidently part of regular plot.
The correspondent here hears that prop
osition first made in the English press and
also taken up by number OF papers here,
for the publication Of some documents In
the hands OF the German government cal
curated to eXculpate Dreyfus beyond all
doubt was seriously broached to the en-
peror and lengthily discussed But he finally
concluded that this would not do and that
ae must adhere strictly to his system OF
absolute non-interference. Later several OF
the inspired papers expressed the same
opinion
Good Feeling Toward Small States.
An interesting feature OF Germanys for
eign policy is the strong rapprochement with
the Netherlands and Belgium. The advances
came from the smaller states. This rap
prochement has made steady headway for
some time past. The minister of the Neither
lands here recently submitted the draft Of a
regular treaty to the German minister OF
foreign affairs, Count Won Bulow. Definite
action has not yet been taken, but II is a
positive fact that negotiations to that end
are under way. Some Dutch newspapers, in
pointing out the need OF such treaty, ex-
press fears Of the United States seizng the
Dutch colonies in Asia and the West Indies
The German press talk favoraby OF the
project. except the Pan-German organs and
the rabdly lingo papers, which express the
belief that Holland and her colonies will
some day drop into Germany's jaws any
way.
The draft OF the new Samoan act pub
lished here is substantially as il appears in
America. The correspondent OF The Asso-
ciated Press learns that Germany will un-
questionably ratify the work of the COM
mission, although neither Emperor William