The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-08-20
EMPEROR TURNED DOWN
Williams Pet Canal Bill Meets
With Strong Opposition.
MERCER IS DISCREDITED
Germany Does Not Take the Frenchman's
Statements Ssriously-Plan to Pro-
mote Better Commercial Rela-
tons With United States.
Copyrighted 1899 by Associated Press.


Berlin, Aug. 19.-The result Of
Wednesdays and Thursdays sessions
of the diet. the unbroken opposition of
the conservatives, constituting almost
a majority of the house. came as
stunning surprise not alone to En-
peror William, but also to the whole
cabinet, DR.. Won Miguel, the Prussian
minister of finance, included. To one
of his intimates the emperor said, re-
ferring to the opposition to the canal
bill: ITO yield in this matter now be-
fore me would be tantamount to an
abdication.'
To the same gentleman his majesty
complained bitterly of the fact that the
cabinet often managed affairs of i'm
portance so badly as to force him
against his will to actively interfere.
The result of Thursdays vote in the
lower house, when, by vote OF 2l2 to
209, it rejected the second reading of
the bill relating to the Dortmund
Rhine canal and the completion of the
Dortmund Ems canal, and by a vote of
22S to 126 rejected the central canal
bill, came as surprise to the mouse
itself, nobody supposing that the oppo-
emperor's vigorous declarations. The
whole Polish faction voted against the
entire canal bill, whereas it was eX-
pected that il would at least vote for
the Dortmund Rhine canal section. The
centrists also acted contrary to eXpec-
tations. They split into tnree portions,
one voting for the canal bill and an
other against it, while the third re-
manned neutral and abstained from Vot-
ing. This, though meant as clever
trick rendered the center powerless
and helped the conservatives ruin.
The crushing defeat of the govern
ment, which was meant as the 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 battle from
the first. Neither Prince Hohenlohe, the
imperial chancellor, nor DR.. Won MIGUEL,
though both were present at the session
on Wednesday, said word in favor OF
the measure with which the emperor
has so publicly and strongly identified
himself Their inactivity excited gen
eral comment.
The Kreuze Zeitung said: I'VE 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 speak
ers, though those present comprised
nearly the whole cabinet. The only
government representative who spoke
decisively and well was Colonel Budde,
who declared that the canal was mill
tary necessity for Germany.
1t Is quite evident that an important
part of the cabinet does not share the
emperor's enthusiasm for the canal.
Putting things together, 1t is almost
certain that if the bill fails, as there
now seems small doubt 1t will, so far
as the vital part of the Midland canal
project is concerned the cabinet must
be reorganized 1t has been confident
ly asserted all along by persons In the
intimacy of his majesty that in the
event of the defeat of the bill the en-
peror will dissolve the diet and appeal
to the country. Even If this expert
ment be made, which is unlikely, the
outcome is quite doubtful.
The second trial by court martial OF
Captain Dreyfus at Rennes excited
much comment here this week. especial
ly the attempt on the life of NJ Labori
and General Mercier's so-called de-
nouncements. The latter are not taken
seriously. His statement that Ger
many was on the point of declaring
war with France in 1894 Is ridiculed.
The whole German press is united on
this point. The extreme step which
Germany would have taken then If
President Casimir-Perier had not put
a stop to the violent attacks on the
German embassy, would have been to
send Count Won Munster Ledenburs,
the German ambassador at Paris, on a
long leave of absence. In no case
would the relations of the two govern
ments have assumed threatening
aspect.
The Tageblatt calls General Mercier's
revelations preposterous, and the
Frankfort Zeitung says General Mer-
cier's talk about Germany meaning war
in January, 1895, has excited only nj
larity throughout Germany.
The Cologne Gazette. after calling
the present state of the French mind
a specie of dementia, says nobody In
Germany takes General Mercier seri-
ously.
While the energy of the French gov
ernment is generally commented upon
favorably.a doubts are expressed as to
whether it is strong enough to over
come the dis&ffection in the army.
Emperor William, on receiving the
news of the attempt on the life of NJ.
Labori during the ceremony of unVeil-
ing the monument to his grandfather
at Arolson, Monday. used strong lam
guage in denouncng the deed He said
the crime was evidently part of reg
ular plot. His majesty has kept him
self minutely informed of the incidents
of the trial at Rennes.
The correspondent here of the asso-
ciated press hears that a proposition,
first made in the English press and
also taken up by number of the pa
pers here. for the publica ton of some
documents in the hands of the German
government calculated to eXCulpate
Dreyfus beyond all doubt. was serious
ly broached to the emperor and length
lily discussed.
But he finally concluded that this
would not do and adheres to his sys-
n absolute Later
several of the uninspired papers ex-
pressed the same opinion.
An interesting feature of Germany's
foreign nolCV is the strong rappr0Che-
ment with The Netherlands and Bel
gium. The advance came from the
smaller states. This rapprochement
has made steady headway for some
time past. The minister of The Meth
erlands here recently submitted the
draft of regular treaty to the Ger
man minister of foreign affairs Count
Won Buelow. Definite action has not