The times., 1899-08-21
MONDAY. AUGUST p. 1893.
A Last Chance for Dreyfus.

The crisis IN the affsire Dreyfus is plain
Iy approaching. and it cannot be long
postponed. 1t is not of a kind that the
French staff conspirators can regard with
out grave apprehension Unless they can
precipitate it the ground may be cut from
under their feet in a most sensational and
destructive manner. In short. what we
have been hoping for during the past week
seems about to happen. Notwithstanding
repeated declarations from the embassies
OF foreign powers. that the documents re-
lied on 10 connect Captain Dreylas with
their military attaches are forgeries. the
carefully coached witnessos for the pos
ecution have gone on insisting upon their
genuineness day after day, until the bare
faced imDudence and vilialny OF the pro-
ceeding has become too much for the Cab
inets at Berlin and Rome TO tolerate, and
it is announced that doeur2ent-ry evidence
Of . character 20 assist the cozrt-Illa, tiai
in Its. conclusions VIII now be FURNISHED
In this there appears TO be. and We trust
IS. threat The innocence Of the prison
er is beyond any question. and it Is equally
beyond doubt that there was traitor
Who he may be il would be quite easy for
Prince Hohenlohe or Captain Schneider
OF Colonel Fanazzardi 10 sly and TO prove.
Whether any cne of them vii so 20 that
length il Is impossible TO guess. but there
is a chance. and it is an evil one for some
conspicuous figure in the French army
and nation.
Ths opinion gains strength every hour
tkat the staff generals identified with the
persecution are united, organized, and 6es-
pzrataly fighting wi-h the sole ain Of saw
ing ore OF their number who IS the real
traitor, from exposure, infaEy, and perhaps
death Dreyfns counts in thes- calculations
only as an individual OF Indifferent value
whose disgrace CT murder might KEEP
Nemesis from tie guilty, psrjured head OF
the actual maielactor. 1t is openly stated
in Reanes that Mercier. Roget. Boisdsare
and their associated eonspirators have been
carefully drilled in their testimony by a
leading Partisan criminal lawyer. who has
concocted for them regular plan OF cam
paign which they are following with more
Fr less success. except when they entangle
themselves in The meshss Of cross-exanins-
lion. stumble. equiEOcate, lie, and gensraily
Erow ridiculous and contemplate
The end Of their side plot and OF The
trial itself could be predicted with safety
il we knew today how FAR the German and
italian Governments VIII disclose the secrets
Of their embassies. II they or either Of
them should think il permissible 10 biurt
out the whole truth OF their relations with
for selling the military secrets OF France
upon the guilty person or persons. il would
be impossible for the court-martial TO avoid
the exoneration OF Captain Dreyfus and We
are confident that the instant the truth
came oul We should hear OF the aight ol
Boisdehre and Roget certainly, and MERCER
probably. 10 escape consequences Of which it
is more than hinted the lot OF them are il
mortal terror.
Short OF a distinct and conclusive ex-
posure OF the treason for which the IN
fortunate but innocent Jewish officer has
been UNANIMOUSLY made TO suffer, there is
no sufficient reason for doubling al least
the partial triumph OF the forgers ard
perjurers Indeed. barring the accident in
Folred in the foreign complication it is
generally believed among the press CORE
svondents and other competent observers
at Rennes that the verdict Of the court
has been TO all intents and purposes agreed
upoa- Fully determined not to rehabili-
tate the accused. and, at the same time,
afraid to again convict him upon testimony
universally admitted 10 be false, he will be
acquitted on the charge Of treason, hut
found guilty OF disciplinary indiseretion. -
which would subject him to Imprisonment
for five years. As be has already suf-
fered loss OF liberty for that period. the
eject Of the sentence viii be To return him
10 the army as a supernnmerary officer.
without active employment or the hope OF
ever getting it. and with a stain on his
charzcter
There is hardly any chance for doubt
that this criminal scheme to defeat JUS
tce and shield treason IN high places
has been agreed upon between the per-
5ured generals and their creatures, the
members Of the court-martiaI. Whether
it viii work or not may depend entirely
upon the Emperor OF Germany. He holds
the fate OF Dreyfas and of the msscreants
who are bounding him 10 death for their
Own security IN his imperial hands. We
shall soon see what use he viii make of
his power.
The TrnnsranI Crisis Acute
II