Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-05-20
POLITICS IN FRANCE
Real Reason for the Retirement of
Freycinet,
MATTERS OF INTEREST IN LONDON
Sunday Newspapers Have Given
Rise to Lots of Talk.
AMERICAN VICE QUEENS
AM ERICAN VICE QUEENS


den retirement may not be altogether in
accurate but the real reason is patent.
Any government that has the misfortune
to be called upon to act on the decision
of the court of cessation in the Dreyfus
affair must be prepared for degree of
public opprObrium that will forever dam
age the reputation of many statesmen, and
| the minister of war will be the first per-
| son attacked by INSCRIPTIONS defenders of
| the general staff
1t requires great moral courage on the
| part of any man to adopt a course which,
| though he knows it to be right cannot
| command the approval Of bitter and for
midable faction in the state. MANY French
| statesmen have sought to wriggIe out of
the Responsibility of dealing with the Drey-
fus case, and they have in turn bequeathed
to their successors the uncOngenial task
of melting out justice to the real offend
erS. In process of time 1t may be possible
to so scatter responsibility that an honest
and cOura geOuS man may be in a position
to do justice all round, without being him
self disgraced a punishment for his
temerity.
official Diily-DaIIying.
The process has already begun One
| cabinet referred the affair to the criminal
chamber of the court of cessation. the next
| declared that this had nothing to do with
placed the matter in the hands of the whole
court. Succeeding ministers of war have
contended that they must not be cOnsid-
cred responsible for what their predeces-
sOrs have done. and that so far as they
are concerned they cannot be accused of
acting one way or the other in the Drey-
fus affair But the time is approaching
when the court of cessation will deliver its
judgment, and NJ. De Freycinet, once more
displaying the characteristics which earn
ed for him the nickname of the white
mouse has taken refuge in flight just be-
fore the verdict of the court is received.
1t would have been his duty to punish or
dismiss those officers whom the court of
appeal may find guilty. NJ de Freycnet
will have nothing to do with the liquida-
ton of the "afaire.' H. will not risk mis-
popularity with the army. At the same
time he always considered himself the
heir presumptive to NJ. DUpUy. He might
have found it rather difficult to form the
next cabinet had ha fallen with the present
one. BY retiring before the storm has ac-
tually set in he safeguards his prestige
and increases his chances. The ship may
founder, now he is safe. 1t is prepostar-
Gus to assert, some of his apologists do,
that he resigned because he was insulting
~ and persistently interrupted in the cham
Der the other day. NJ de Freycinet may
not be endowed with courage, energy or
resolution, but he is too old a parliament
tary hand to be moved by rude speeches in
the French chamber. He is in his seventy
first year and has been prominent poll
Iira having heId Enc in n" feunr nv
thirteen cabinets. The loudly expressed
dlsapIFoVal OF sectlon or the chamber at
~ Sti , go ~ ~ ,tt ny, d lec1uief Ht
de Erevcinat tho cbance he baG ~ Gool-
ing for to resign. and he seized it with
characteristic adrOitneSs
Proud of His Ignorance.
NJ. KrantZ, the new minister of war is
probably the only man IN France who ut
terly ignores the latest developments of
the "affaire" He must have been very
husv of late since he has found no +i,,a 70
y IN l''' 1'U'1u nv 'iiie ~
'ehN Niie ls''" 'e'c'a'iohS VI dnS Ihlhs
concerning the Dreytus case The thing
seems Incredible, but NJ. krantz himself is
responsible for the statement. In fact, he
seems rather proud OF his ignorance, and
thinks that after such an admission nobody
Will think OF suSpectinS his impartiality.
He IS known to be a very Intimate 4iend
ana disciple or NJ Mel1ne. He was an anti
dav AZ for S1onnstior VIVA" , ne Is 10
senator whom NJ. Dupuy has chosen to sue
coed NJ. kra IT. as minister Of public works,
nc t\Iuenliy accepted on me pIlnclple that
tenure ar ali He must not exnect re bo, NO
a very long reign NJ. Dupuv's choice is
intended to conciliate the senate, the hos
lillty OF Which ne greatly breads. The SEN
cannon forsnt ana Vii nnt Fo.a;,ie 'u' II
"S i"pers III Lohdon.
learn from a well-informed source that
neither of the two new Sunday newsna,ers
tho TaIaor,,h ara NJ, -, - -
- ' e pN"'i1''loil
seven uaS8 d WEEK mas caused such stir
mere, Is paying, and that both proprietors
would be glad to reiinauish their under
taking. Mr.. Harmsvortb tho ou,na, Of H.
DatIv Man hnwevar IN rnahi,o az, S. s. nc &c
Sir Edward lawson 70 raaSa 5,,biisbi,'dr 80 -
the Telegram wn,}5 do thn sa,na 60
worded his letter as to ,oaLa a. ,f ~
impossible of accentance He said ~ ~
Sunday edition was only et,rtnd 49,, , n,,e
the Telegraph had annotIpcad &C. ;trtTs
of doing So and If was IN nr9ar ~ ~ t t
pl1ard he nrcnartv Which bad 49, 80.
IN in the nast three vears N ''ei '"ii'
To accant tho offor 10 s,o ,, ,
haen octnou,iaIonaa,, ~ ~ "ouiu nave