The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-02-25
Surprise at Berlin Because Negotia-
tfOns at Washington for n CONNER
cial Treaty Have Been Delayed.
DEBATE IN THE REICHSTAG
DUELING IN THE ARMY DEFENDED
BY GEN. Won GOSSLER.
German Press Less AnglophObe Since
the British Successes in Cape
Colony and the Free State.
Copyright, 1900 by the Associated Press }

(Copyright l30O, Dy the Associated PreSS.)
BERLIN, Feb. 24.-The receipt of the
news from Washington intimating the ces-
sation of the commercial negotiations with
Germany has created a sensation here.
Andrew d. White, the United States am
bassador. said to the correspondent of the
Associated Press: 81 interpret the reported
Washington action as due to the most re-
cent shape of the meat inspection bill. If
the bill is adopted in its present shape it
will cause a bitter tariff war between the
United States and Germany, in which,
believe, the latter will get the worst of it.
The United States could cause the greatest
trouble by opening every bottle of German
wine and investigating every stocking, ETC.
OF course, 1t would be a mere pretext, but
it would be no worse than they have done
with our meat which the world recognizes
as excellent, The German government Of
ficials already express satisfaction with
the American inspection. and we have
| never objected to another stringent inspec-
ton here, if it is done for sanitary reasons
and not as hindrance to trade. / under
stand the German government is opposed
to the present form of the BILL
The correspondent understood from a
| member of the embassy that the Foreign
Office did not know the actual status of the
| negotiations in Washington, and asked the
embassy few days since for information
on the subject. A responsible Foreign Office
official said to the correspondent to-day: 'I
| have no information regarding a hitch in
the proceedings in Washington, but do not
attach much Importance to the latest news.
| The negotiations will proceed in concili-
atory spirit as heretofore. Germany recog-
| nizes that some of the United States agri-
| cultural products are necessary for Ger
| many, like cotton and others. The Ameri-
| can government at the commencement of
| the negotiations was in favor of secrecy till
| definite results were reached. That was the
only reason for preserving silence here
|
| The Reichstag this week was engrossed
| with army affairs, Herr Bebel, the Social
| ist leader, and a few others uncovering a
| number of abuses which had hitherto re-
mained in the dark. The war minister,
| General Won Gosser, replied lengthily, and
succeeded in explaining satisfactorily most
| of the cases, though few of the worst re-
main. General Won Gossler even had the
| courage to defend them, though not
| single party in the Reichstag sided with
him. Won Gossler rather defended the army
| duel as an institution hallowed by tradi-
| ton, and with all its shortcomings, the
| best system to extend and preserve the
| esprit de corps and the high standard of
| personal honor in the army. He showed
| that the number of duels was steadily di-
| minishing. and that the same Is the case
| in the number of soldiers committing sui
eide because of cruel treatment.
| A number of the Center speakers strong
| ly pronounced themselves against dueling,
| Herr Dasbach putting a large part of the
blame upon the Emperor. because the lat
| ter usually pardons duelists who are SEN
fenced to a short term in a fortress for
killing an adversary, often under peculiarly
| atrocious circumstances, to several of
| which Herr Dasbach referred While this
debate will succeed in showing reduction
in the percentage of such abuses, the gen.
eral impression, nevertheless. was that the
| army, as a whole, is in an enviable condi-
ton, the officers being animated by the
best spirit. Nobody even hinted at cor
ruption and nobody showed any evidence
of favoritism.
The German press is now convinced that
the British have really defeated General
Cronje and that the latter's position is
desperate Sympathies here remain on the
| Roer side Even Herr Eugene Richter, the
Radical leader in an editorial, speaks ad-
rairingly of General Cronje's gallant re-
sistance against four-fold force. The
Neueste Nachrichten and many other pa
pers scold the British generals for the lack
of chivalry shown to the enemy. 1t is
quite plain, however, that the current of
German feeling is gradually but steadily
changing in favor of Great Britain. The
semi-oficial press is exerting itself TO that
end and even the Kreuz Zetung the army
and court organ, which until recently was
anglophobe, now strongly points out that
it's TO Germanys interest TO remain friend
" with Great Britain. The paper enumer-
ates the reasons why it's impossible for
Germans to love the British as a nation,
especially after their inimical neutrality in
1864. 1866 and 1870, and the consistent en-
nifty the British have shown Germany S
| colonial policy and the rising German COM
merce. The paper then says: 'Notwith-
standing this, England's downfall would
mean a distinct disadvantage to Germany
in every part of the globe. Therefore, it is
no part of German patriotism 10 uphold
the cause of England's enemies"
DR.. Leyds. the diplomatic agent OF the
Transvaal. writes from Brussels that he
will be unable to come TO Berlin in the
middle OF March. as he promised. because
the present turn of war engrosses him.
The United States consul at Cologne. Mr.
John A. Barnes. and Mrs. Barnes dined 9
number Of other consuls in Cologne. Wash.