Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1899-07-15
kAISER'S LATEST MOVE
DEEMED SIGNIFICANT
His Visit to the French Warship
Iphigenie Causes Talk Of
an Alliance.
CHANGE OF SENTIMENT IN FRANCE
The Masses Appear Ready to ln'
dorse any Action OF tho Cow
That will
Insure Peace.

eh'f o'i1 1is ~ iuS ~
pened for Il long time more conducive
to the peace of the world than the visit
of the German emperor aboard the
French school cruiser Iphigenie at
Bergen. 1t required courage IN both
sides TO carry out this interchange of
courtesies. It was u stroke of genius
that devised the conditions under
which the visit took place.
On the one hand the kaiser ran the
risk Of some hare-brained demonstra-
ton that might have given trouble to
the diplomatic agents OF both coun-
tries; on the other hand by welcoming
the emperor on board n French war
ship the government laid itself open to
attack and insult upon the part of
the irreconcilable press.
AS far as the emperor was concerned
all fears were groundless. His majesty
was received with a perfectly correct
ceremonial, if not cordially. Every
thing passed off without a hitch.
More than one paper asks what this
visit of the kaiser means, and almost
all refuse to believe it is n merely iso-
lated incident, without significance or
importance. The fact is that the ma
ton, taken as u whole, longs for n def
mite deliverance from the of
war. Now as always the French-that
is the citizens, w~orkingmen and peas
ants-are on the side Of the govern
ment if that government has only the
courage to show itself strong enough
to merit confidence.
Conditions at present bear n strong
similarity to those obtaining upon the
eve of the coup d'etat Of 1851. Now,
as il was then, ii is an i~nvertebrate
faction opposed to firm rule, but with
this significant exception that the
whole nation is ready to fall into step
with the ruler of that regime that Will
hold the reins of government with q
steady hand, for while the Anglo-SaX-
ons pride themselves upon being self
governed, the French seem always to
ask to be governed by others.
In 1851 the country welcomed Louis
Napoleon because he showed strength
of will and energy enough to carry
out the nations wish for peace. To
day, as il did then, the nation is ready
to back up, heart and soul, any gov
eminent with definite aims, deter
mined to carry out those aims and
willing to work for the peace, pros
perity and renown of France.
Significant proof Of this is found in
the fact that the only papers of the
Paris press hat find anything dis
agreeable to say about the emperor's
visit aboard the Iphigenie are the
Gaulois (royalist), La Patrie and lie
; Soir. both rabid supporters OF De
roulede, whose real object in his
demonstrations are regarded with
doubt and suspicion by the republic,
ans, and Rochefort, who is bound to
use any weapon against the govern
ment.
because Of It's attitude with regard
TO the Dreyfus affair, lie Gaulois has
not even frankness enough to come
out boldly in opposition to this visit OF
the kaiser, for it knows the govern
mcnt has the country at its back. lie
Gaulois therefore prints an interview
with an anonymous diplomatist.
OI every SIut, liz SuNH, HN"''
a rumor that a campaign is about to
begin against the Franco-Russian al
lians. We must he informed upon thu
point. The present cabinets duty is
to provide the country with a com,
mentary upon the reply that the CHIEF
of our government has sent to the EN-
pcror and tell the nation in clear
terms what Interpretation is to be
placed upon it,"
L'Intransigeant, Rochefort's paper
heads its comments upon the incident
at the Feet Of Germany" It's tone
may be Judged from one paragraph
where after stating that by President
Loubet's orders, the sailors of tho
Iphigcnie saluted the kaiser, the pa
per SAYS: "One must have drunk
deeply of every form of shame to i'm
pose such a humiliating spectacle up
on the country"