The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1899-08-29


must now say in what nave been in
correct"
SoIonel G9gdisr-Ta s5 ne everything ;,,ys 81 S. I.
exact. Let Us take the case OF LeMercier-
Picard. y
Continuing. General Roget entered into
1 a lengthy explanation, uenouneing Lee
nercier5IacArd as an impostor and swind-
| ler, apparently with the object OF show
/ ing that Cordiers allegation that Lee
nercier-Picard was employed by the GEN
eral Staff was unIounded.
| Roget also referred to a letter to Math-
leu Dreylus, attributed to Cordier, where
upon the latter again arose and protested
against General Roget's insinuationss. He
declared that when it became known that
! he was going to testify he was covered
| with mud and treated as drunkard in
| order to@ninimise the value of his evi-
dence. He also emphatically protested
against a statement of the Libre Parole
that he Offered his services to Mathieu
! I0reyfus and said the Minister of War had
/ authorized Elm, the witness, to prosecute
The newspaper.
! In regard to the forged letter to Mathieu
| I0reyfus, continued Cordier, investigation
| had showed that Lemercier-Pcard un-
/ coubtedly forged it.
General Roget having pointed out that
| the Letter in question was returned to the
Headquarters Staff through the post, Col
onei Cordier expressed surprise az the
fact that the letter was not delivered to
| the addressee whose residence, he ex-
| planned was well known.
| Major Laurh again asked permission 70
/ the incident was not c0nencted with the
Dreyfus case and that the discussion must
| be terminated.
! General Roget-ssyery well. I win wait
until Colonel Corier states exactly where
| my disposition is false before 1 reply.
/ Continuing, General Roget proceeded to
make the same attempt as General Mer-
! saying that the leakages in regard 70
| the Robin shell were only reported in 1875
1898. which, he said, necessarily Y inyaA, s,aas
| Ieakages formed the subject of part of the
secret dosier in 1884
| Captain Freystaetter, however, merely
mentioned a SHELF and not the Robin
| shell.
| The General then denied that the Leak
ages In the Minister of Wars office cons
tirued after the conviction of Dreyfus
and said the information given to GER
| tain foreign power before Dreyfus was
convicted was quite correct Mhiles ne
ward was incorrect. Colonel Picquart,s
testimony in this connection Roget assert
ed, was untrue. All the leakages subse-
quent to 1894 related to documents am
terror to the arrest of Dreyfus.
When asked If he had anything to say,
Dreyfus promptly rose and said
ton Of Plan 13, to which General Roget
alluded. This plan was executed in 1894.
had merely to superintend the printing
Of five or six copies of it.
general Roget also spoke of a letter
from Captain Romus. / would be very
glad to see that letter. | know nothing
OF 1t.
Colonel Fleur appeared In the witness
box to refute Colonel Cordier's testimony;
He declared that August 23 1898, Colonel
Cnrdier said to him.
"sDreyfus is guilty But there must be
two others. There are three Of them; !"
Colonel Cordier shrugged : his sholders
and admitted that on that date. just
week before the arrest of Henry, he said
forgery had been committed at the Head
quarters STAFF. But, the Colonel added,
he tod the same thing to others the day
Cavaignac. then Minister Of War, was
voted by the Chamber of Deputies.
Archivist Gribelin also advanced and
ment lie was followed by General Mer-
cier. VINO said 1t was necessary for Cor
dier to say what he knew about the ar
rangernent of the secret dossier by Colonel
General MERCER caused a sensation by
endorsing Colonel Cordierss statement
with reference to the, alleged attempt Of
herr The General said:
When Colonel Sandher reported inter-
view and asked his opinion of it, Sand
'.Ie gave me the impression of being an
honest man resolved to sacrifice every
thing for his brother
This statement cause cOmmotion i'll
court.
After a brief adjournment. the session
of the court was continued, the name OF
M de Freycinet was called, and amidst
suppressed excitement, the former Minis
ter Of War, former Minister of Foreign
Affairs, and former Premier, took the wit
ness stand.
Maifre Demange proceeded to question
the former Minister. Counsel recalled
General Merciers statement that M de
Freycinet told General lamont that thir-
ty-five million francs had been raised
abroad for the defense of Dreyfus.
angrisb ~ R'y which i he feit at at the Sight Of the
plunged and said his whole desire was 10
see peace and calm restored.
In regard to a conversation referred to
the witness Said-
General lamont made me visit of
courtesy on the occasion OF my quitting
office at the beginning Of May I receiv-
ed many similar visits. do not think
that / exaggerate when | say | received
a hundred such visits made no note
of the remarks exchanged by my different
visitors. In the case of General lamont
we, of course, talked about the case and
the campaign of speeches and press ut
teranees which had been proceeding In dif-
ferent parts of the world during the pre-
vious two years. In regard TO the Drey-
fus case l was led to say that our agents
abroad reported that efforts had been
made on the initiative ofp rivate indi-
viduals, in behalf of this campaign. A
very disinterested campaign in France, |
am sure, but, less so abroad l reported
people who protested tt be well acquaint-
ed with the question olSadvertisfng in re-
gard to the probable money value of the
whole campaign throughout the world
That, Monster le President. is a resume
as complete and faithful as my recollec-
ton permits of the conversation with
General Jamony What struck me most
was the identity of our anxiety in regard
to the army. We mutually expressed un-
easiness, for ii must not be concealed that
the present attacks have had a profound
echo which might eventually endanger
the cohesion of the army. You know we'll,
gentlemen that there il; a higher discip-
line than even the military code. As
said in the Chamber it is that more
rigorous discipline which comes from the
confidence of the soldier in his chiefs.
How can that confidence be maintained
if these chiefs be depicted daily in the
blacklist colors? Was 1t not to be feared
that at a given moment this confidence
would disappear and what would be the
result II we We're engaged N external dif-
ticu1ties; fSensatior-) adJure those of
nay countrymen,' continued IA. de Frey
ciilenf. earnestly who participate In
these attacks under the impulse of gener-
oils passion and with the object of serv-
ing noble elevated ideal have no
dount thev are led away--to take heed of
the dangers in which they may involve
the country. AS General lamont said to
me-
ut is high time to end it."
LET us scease throwing on one another's
faces accusations which dlScredit us IN 4
the eyes Of our rivals. Gentlemen let us
prepare--and would that my feeble voice
could be heard by ail-let us >prepare to
accept your Judgment with respect and
silence May the judgment OF this French
court towards which the whole world has
its ewes open up the era of reeoneilita-
ton which is so necessary. Immense ex-