Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1899-09-17
INSULT TO GERMANY,
Result Of RenRes Trial Makes
Berlin Indignant
DID DREYFUSSPYFORRUSSIA?
Some Persons, ii Is Said, Believe This
Was the Situation.
THE KAIsER's ARMY MANOEUvREs.
They Are Regarded as Only n Medi-
THE KAIsER's ARMY MANOEUvREs.

Copyright, 1899. by the Associated Press)
BERLIN, September 16-Though the
government has taken pains TO preserve
its equilibrium, the result Of the Dreyfus
trial has tremendously shocked the Ger
man people, irrespective Of creed and
politics. The bitter insult implied by the
total disregard on the part Of the Rennes
court-martial of the official Reichsanzei-
ger declaration of Dreyfus's innocence is
deeply felt here.
owing to the peculiar relations with
France. these sentiments have not found
full vent i'm the press. and the govern
ment organs have even done their best
to smother them. but in conversation
the real feelings Of the people, indigna-
ton. and almost contempt, are Univer-
sally and freely expressed. \ small mi
nority, composed Of anu-Semites and
some Agrarians and Conservatives, more
or less approves the sentence.
The Hamburger Nachrichten, former
" the late Prince Blsmarcks organ.
made itself their mouthpiece, asserting
repeatedly that the evidence against
Dreyfus this time was no more than had
been previously made public, and that
Dreyfus had been convicted not for spy
ing for Germany. but for Russia, pub
fishing a mass OF proof of this assertion.
When these were disputed and denied by
The bulk Of the press, the paper said the
excluding all doubt of its authenticity
and correctness, and was corroborated
by several competent persons. This view
was shared by a number of prominent
papers. including the Deutsch Tage YET
tung. the Staatsburger Zeitung, and
others.
The correspondent here Of the Associ-
aied Press has interviewed a prominent
foreign official, who said:
GOVERNMENT NOT SURPRISED.
"The government WAS not surprised at
the conviction Of Dreyfus. The Rechsan-
zeiger publication was largely for th2
purpose of depriving the world Of the
chance Of saying Dreyfus had again been
sentenced because Germany kept silent
We postponed the publication until the
last moment, as We suspected II might
hurt, rather than benefit, the accused.
Regarding the assertions OF the Ham
burger Nachrichten, We think it quite
likely the paper is making the state
ments on good authority. Many weN-in-
formed persons bell eve Dreylus had Rus
STA and not Germany TO deal with.
concerning the talk Of boycotting the
Paris Exposition. it is not Germany's
part TO put herself in the foreground in
such a movement. The official relations
Of France and Germany have not sur
fered I'm the least through the sentence.
There is no intention on the part Of the
government 10 join I'm any directly UNI
friendly steps towards France. The best
proof that we do not mean to suspend
preparations for the exposition is the
fact that Chief-Commissione Herr Rich-
ter has just started for Paris"
The reported connection Of Dreyfus with
Russia is also common talk I'm diplo-
matte channels here, where it finds Gre
dence. 1t is also stated that evidence OF
this was produced at the secret session at
Rennes, and NJ. Decasse's hurried visit
to st. Petersburg. just before the court
martial, is cited In support OF this theory
BOYCOTT OF EXPOSITION.
On the question of joining in a boycott,
public opinion is very much divided. The
big majority favor active participation
i'm the exposition, while a number Of lead
ing and influential papers-like the Nos-
stche Zeitung Frankfurter Zeitung. ana
Northumberland abstention. II IS
reported that few important firms ana
several commercial associations nave de-
clared their determination 10 abstain, but
these, so far. are the exception and not
the rule. The bulk Of influential opinion
seems to await the action of Germanys
principal competitors In the commercial
race. especially Great Britain and the
United states. and will be guided thereby.
THE ARMY MANOEUVRES.
The army manoeuvres this year are re-
garded as a mediocre success. owing 10
various causes chiefly unfavorable wea-
ther. The manoeuyrcs ended earlier than
arranged, because Of the intended visit
of the Ger 10 Potsdam. on Thursday,
which was subsequently abandoned Thus
Emperor William had his preparations
for this important visit for nothing. Aside
from these untoWard circumstances,
other features aroused serious criticism
of the military value of these big
manOeuvresI I'm which three army corps,
numbering 5000 men, participated The
troops marched WELL the infantry cover
Ing. in spite Of the weather, the roads
being often knee-deep in mud, from 70
TO 40 kilometres about u y 10 about %
miles) daily. But some OF the command
ers made egregious blunders. General
Won Falkenhausen commanding the Thir-
teenth Corps got separated from the
Fourteenth. and the plan of campaign
had 10 be lifted into shape for the next
morning. The EmperOr's dashing charge
at the head OF two cavalry divisions on
Wednesday was a fine sight. But all the
experts agree that such charge IN ac-
tual war and under the same conditions
would have led 10 the complete annihlia-
ton of the whole cavalry.
There was, however, the remarkable
fact that the physical condition and mo-
rale OF the troops on both sides remain
ed fine. in spite Of the weather. Oniy
a few cases of serious Illness were re-
ported. Experts assert that the new held
artillery and automobiles were Doth
found 10 be easily transported.
AUTOMOBILES IN FUTURE.
Automobiles henceforth viii be regu-
larly used In army transportation. Some
automobiles made during the night, ana
over unknown and unfavOrable roads,
from fifty TO seventy-hve miles, without
breaking down. Perhaps the most inter-
estlng feature OF the manoeuyres was
that the Fifteenth Corps, mainly recruit
ed i'm Alsace, fraternized sincerely with
tho men OF the Thirteenth and Four
teenth corps, who are from other parts
OF the empire.
The Alsatian press this week dwelt