The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1899-10-31
EMPEROR WILLIAM BENT ON A POW
ERFUL ARMAMENT.
NEUTRALITY AS TO TRANSVAAL
Germany Most Anxious Just Now Not
to Offend England or Her Close Friend.
of Her Desire to Conciliate the Latter
Nation-Anxious for Territory In the
SAMOAN Islands Popular Hostility TO
England.

Berlin, October 2S.-Emperor William
is looking for another cabinet but has |
not yet found the material for il. In !
place of DR.. Won Miguel, the minister |
of france, his majesty wanted Herr |
Siemens, of the Deutsche- -Reichsbank,
and in place of Herr Thielen, the min
lister Of public works, he wanted Herr
Jencke, the Krupps' general manager;
but they both declined on Sunday, the
reason being that their present jobs are
more lucrative, SO the emperor is still
seeking other suitable men
One of the potent reasons why he de-
sires new men is that he wishes the
navy greatly increased and faster than
at the present rate, and he deems the
existing cabinet too yielding TO ef-
ficienly push the wishes before the
reichstag. The emperor's Hamburg
toast is generally interpreted as urging
the necessity of a much larger navy,
while an inspired article in The Nord
Deutsche Allgemeine Zietung, appar-
entity contradicting the idea, is regard
ed as intended to smooth matters.
Admiral Won Tripitz, secretary of the
navy, has received his majesty's sane
tion TO project an enormous increase of
the navy, giving it fifty-seven battle
ships, fifteen large and thirty-siX small
cruisers, and making it equal in size
and efficiency to any other navy, Great
Britain's excepted. This would involve
an expenditure of 1,700,000,000 marks
and make the naval budget 212, 500, 900
marks annually.
The emperor has been of the opinion
- ~
plan was adopted, that the political
situation of the world has changed so
enormously since the Spanish-AI-eIt-
can war; the seizure of Kiao Chou, the
looming up of the whole Chinese ques-
tion and the development of Japan as
a big maritime power, that it would be
suicidal policy for Germany to stick to
that plan; that it would be tantamOunt
to her addiction as a big power, and
he trusts there is enough patriotism
in the reichstag ito ensure the increased
| navy which Germany needs to fully
play the role he believes is her due.
The correspondent of the Associated
| Press recently had a conversation with
an employee of the foreign office, who
| fully enjoys the emperor's confidence,
and he took special pains to assure the
correspondent that the projected in
| crease must in no sense be construed
| as a menace ito any power or group Of
| powers. He added: For a colonial
power like Germany it has become a
| matter of necessity to get a bigger
| navy. Recent events show how neces-
| sary it is
1t is interesting to note how public
| opinion has taken this idea of the en-
peror. Its reception has been most va
| rled. The whole agrarian press seiZes
| the opportunity to assure the emperor
| that the agrarians are quite willing to
| vote for a bigger navy if he will drop
| his canal project. The Kreuz Zeitung
says there is not enough money to pay
| for both. The centre organs declare
! that the absolute necessity for the in
| crease must be shown before the dele
| gates to the reichStag vote for ii, and
! the national liberal Reichspantei, pan
German, anti-Semite, and a number of
nom partisan papers notice the plan
| rather favorably. On the other hand,
| the whole radical and socialist press
| decries the need of the increase. These
papers claim that the masses have
about reached the limit of taxation and
| ought not ITO be further burdened under
| any circumstances.
The war news arrives here in contra
| dictory shape and is often unintelligi-
| BILE. The comments of most of the pa
pers, irrespective of party, is anti-Bri-
| tish and often couched in a saItirical
and taunting tone. The belief is gener-
al that Great Britain thus far, has got
| the worst of the fight, but that the
news is suppressed by the cabinet GEN.
! SOrShip, the result of which, it is ar
gued, demonstrates that it is necessary
| that Germany should construct and
| operate cables, for, in the present state
Of things, with Great Britain owning
| all the cables, Germany, in the event of
| war, Will be entirely in the power of
Great Britain as regards news. Hence
| many papers advocate the laying of a
number of German cables There have
been many complaints this week OF the
| non-delivery of cables TO and from
South Africa and it is charged that the
| British authorities have been Suppress
ing them
ENGLAND HAS AMERICAS
FRIENDSHIP.
| It has been learned by the correspond
| ent of the Associated Press from a re-
| liable source that the anti British cru
| sade IS greatly against the wishes Of
| the emperor and the government as a
| whole. A high official of the foreign
office said to the correspondent: This
violent anti-British campaign in
part OF the press, NOTABLY
| the pan-German organs even going to
the length of threatening a counter
| demonstration in case the emperor
| goes TO England, may have the oppo-
! site effect in official attitude from the
| one intended Germany cannot act
! with less consideration toward Great
/ Britain than France and Russia show.
1t is grave mistake on the part of our
rabid a1ti-British statesmen to say
that Great Britain is isolated. She has
| the UnTted States as a. close friend, as
| has been again demonstrated, recently,
| when the Venezuela decision was rem
dered and the American press found no
| fault with the verdict, though the mat
| ter, not so long ago, was made almost
a casus belli by the United States.
Great Britain has japan as another
| friend, and may even count on Russia {