Connecticut western news., 1899-08-31
\ REVOLT PREDICTED.
Sensational Story From a
 Rennes Correspondent.
THE ARMY EXPECTED TO RISE.
Generals Inslst That the Whole Force wnl Take Up Arms If the Government Seeks to Punish Anti Dreyfusards.


 Force wul Take Up Arms if ths Government Seek. to Punish Anti Dreyfusards.
 New York. Aug. 30.-Dumay, the Rennes correspondent of The World says this morning:
 The extremely important ipforma ton that follows was obtained from two men high in the councils of the anti Dreyfusards. Late last night I was discussing with them the probable consequences of Drey- fus' acquittal. 1 said;
 "'Of course you know that. your ad- versaries intend to demand the immedi- ate arrest of Mercier, Boisdeffre and Gonse and their arraignment before the high court of justice for the criminal abuse of the offices of the state.
 Indeed, the fact is. and you know it, the government has decided to arrest Mercier at the conclusion of the proceed ings whether the verdict be accquittal or condemnation and has postponed his ar rest only to avoid a political convulsiop before the end of the trial. What do you think would be the decision of the high court as to the fate of the generals inn plicatedr
 Both answered simultaneously.
 "'The generals would undoubtedly be sentenced to deportation.
 But the high court will never have to pronounce itself on the generals.
 They will not submit to this indig- nity.'
 Do you mean to say,' asked. vast iy surprised, that they will resist the constituted civil authoritiesT
 "'Yes,' they answered. The army is for the generals. and so is more than half the population of France
 Then there will be a coup d'etatT '''Call it what you will. To strike Mer- cier, Boisdeffre and Gonse would be to ruin all the prestige of the chiefs of the army and all discipline. It would amount to the destruction of the army, which will defend itself
 ''I said:
 "'Your plan takes it for granted that a large body of the subordinate officers of the army would follow the high stan rather than obey the orders of the regu- lar government. This is improbabl They were silent. Seeing that opposi- ton irritated them, I kept harping on my assertion that the generals were powerless to lead the army into any such enterprise.
 At last my affected skepticism brought forth the following remarkable admission w.ich was delivered with intense impa- tience:
 Do you think we are examining the alternative of acquittal for the first time?
 Dreyfu. or the staa.
 Or that Mercier failed to realize -he T h,, .l.sr fus or ourselves. This is the whole ques- tiong' "'Are the chiefs of the army to permit a gang of politicians to destroy all the institutions without which France can not live?
 'Mercier, Gonse, Roget. all back of them are fighters.
 They have iong known that the min istry and parliament are after their scalps. But their attitude is admirably described by Mercier's exclamation, day before yesterday, when he learned the cabinet was discussing the expediency of arresting him:
 .Tn be hanged if I'll allow that lot of hack politicians and that bought rene gade Galliffet to touch me."'
 My excited informants continued:
 
 he could afford to do SO.
 The army was eanvassed recently. It was then overwhelmingly with us. and it is now so even more thoroughly. Our returns prove that, from the colonels down. all the regiments await only a sign from their generals to upset the government and to rid the country of the last of the Dreyfusards.'
 After the excitement had ceased which brought forth the astonishing ad- mission that a canvass of the army had been made. and that military coup is in contemplation in the immediate future, my informants adjured me not to pub fish what they had said.
 Il refused to promise that so far SIS America was concerned. but I did pledge myself not to give their names
 II affirm, however, that no statement ever came from a better informed or more reliable source"