New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-01-08
ELIMINATION IN THE DREYFUS CASE.

It was reported the other day that General
MERCER, who was Minister Of War when Drey-
fus was condemned. had testified TO the Court
of Cessation that Dreyfus was convicted merely
as the result Of process Of elimination. That
Is to saw no one else could be proved guilty,
and so 1t was assumed that he must be guilty.
The story would be incredible in any other
case. In this one nothing is incredible. The
story may or may not be true. We shall wait
for official confirmation before fully Grediting
so monstrous n tale. But at any rate 1t sug-
gests not only a startling possibility in the
process Of prosecution, but also a train OF in
uuiry which we imagine the military authorities
would find it embarrassing to answer. Beyond
doubt the interest in the case is now centred
upon the secret dOssier, which must not be
shown even to the highest judicial officers Of
France except under pledge of secrecy. because
II ia said the publication Of its contents would
endanger the safety OF the republic Suppose
this same process of elimination were applied
TO the determination Of the contents Of that for
midable packet Of which general Of the
French army once said, you will find little in
It," What then?
Well. the danger to the republic must be
either external or internal. IF external it may
proceed from Germany. But the German EN-
peror himself has declared that there Is moth
ING IN the dosser-that there can be nothing
! in lt-that concerns him or his empire. No one
| can doubt that he speaks the truth If so, that
cannot be the secret Of the dossier. And even
| IL he did not speak the truth, his declaration
would put him hopelessly out Of court In case
the dossier were found to involve him. More
! over 1t IL simply impossible that Germany
should take the initiative IN attacking France
on any such ground with Frances great North
ern ally hanging upon her flank So Germany
| Is eliminated from the problem. Is 1t, then.
that there would be danger Of breach with
| and an attack from Russia? There have been
suspicious that Russia, IL any, was the foreign
Power that has been buying French secrets.
| But II she has done so. as any European Power
will do whenever it has a profitable chance,
would she therefore declare war against France
| as sequence of the disclosure Of the fact? 1t
| is inconceivabe. Or break off the French ALL
ance? That Is scarcely less absurd. especially
| since the alleged act must have been committed
before that alliance was formed. Or has Russia
BETRAYED French secrets to Germany? In the
| fist place. she certainly would not do so If she
could: and in the second place, If she did, it is
lnconcevable that Dreyfus could have been
| from the problem. And there is no other for
egn Power possibly involved In It to such an
| extent as to endanger the republic. There re-
mains tie supposition that the dreadful secret
would II revealed, so enrage the French people
| against some foreign POwer-Germany or Rus
sia: no other is admisslble-that France would
| be forced into an aggressive war Of revenge.
| But that Is untenable on the face Of 1t. Be-
cause II any such hideous wrong has been done
TO France, the army officers must be cognzant
OF It; and what sort Of plight does 1t put them
into to say that they have known II and either
connived at it or condoned II?
With all possible foreign dangers thus ellml-
mated. there remain domestic dangers, or, ather
the domestic danger, since only one is concelv-
able That is, that the army officers have, for
some reason resolved that II the contents OF
the dossier are made public they will rise
against the republic In self-defence and In the
fury Of desperation, and overthrow 1t. That
would imply. Of course that the dossier was
seriously compromising to them, or some OF
them. and that Dreyfus was condemned as q
scapeeoat for them. We do not say such Is the
case. But II any such process Of elimination
were applied to the dossler as General Marcer
| ia reported to have applied to the original case
| that is the conclusion that would Inevitably be