The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1899-09-15
THE CLIMAX AT HAND.


The dramatic situation Of the Drey-
fus case becomes intense when Labor,
the counsel for Dreyfus, appeals by
telegraph TO the Emperor of Germany
and the King of Italy, for permission
and authority to put the German and
Italian officers on the witness stand in
order to contradict the testimony for
the prosecution This appeal suddenly
creates extreme embarrassment. II
the German Emperor sends Col.
SchwartZkoppen to the witness stand at
Rennes, he places a Germany military
officer in an apparent opposition to the
general sentiment of the angry and sus-
picious French army. Even with the
most careful protection while in
France, an excited anti-Dreyfusard
officer, and the entire German army
would, spring to it's feet.
Besides. the German Colonel would
be naturally subject to cross-examina-
betrayal of secrets by Dreyfus. He
would be asked if he knew of any be-
trayal of secrets by any French Off
GERS. If he declined to answer, as he
would decline, a crisis would be pre-
cipated at once. His entire testimony
might be rejected. This would injure
the defense.
1t is an open secret in Europe, that
both Germany and France have been
carrying on for years fierce but
blOodless war. If open war was de-
clared, each commander would seek at
once to obtain information about the
position and strength of his enemy. AS
open war may break out at any mo-
ment, the military staff of one nation
is searching the domain of the other
nation for military facts, and for the
information money is freely paid 1t is
generally conceded in Europe, that the
German officers are incorruptible. On
the other hand, the military staff of the
French army has been, at all times,
involved in political intrigue, which,
of course, brings political and pecu-
MARY corruption. When Napoleon Ill,
on the declaration of war with Ger
many, called for the lists showing the
actual fighting strength of his army,
the figures showed 100000 effective
men, and vast accumulations of sup
plies. Within two weeks, he discov-
cred that the whole system was rotten
to the core. The army was reformed
after the war, but many of the officials
who lived in the corrupt atmosphere of
the Napoleonic days, are in the higher
military offices. There appeared, sew
era1 years since, an article in one Of
the English magazines the author of
which was Frenchman, in which the
corruption in the French navy was de-
tailed at length. In army reformation
at the headquarters in Paris, where
political intrigue controls the military
Offices, reformation has been slow. The
German military staff know the
standing and value" of every prom
inent French officer. Nearly all of
them, poorly paid as they are, are still
beyond purchase. But there has un-
questionably been a betrayal of secrets
in return for cash. The temptation of
German money has been too great.
Whether the secrets which have been
sold have real value is another mat
ter. All is fair in war, and the Ger
mans may have paid for considerable
rubbish.
Will any member of the German
staff, or any one connected with the
German legation in Paris, venture to
take the witness stand at Rennes and
permit himself to be cross-eXamined re-
garding the movements in the constant
but bloodless warfare now existing be-
tween the two countries?
The reply of the German Emperor
has no doubt been given to the request
of counsel What is it?