The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1900-01-09
OF THE GERMAN PUBLIC CONTROLLED
BY THE GOVERNMENT.
THE EXCITEMENT INCREASES
Over the Seizure Of Steamships-The
Bundesrath seized in Strictly Neutral
Waters - British Release OF the
Steamer General Considered Back
Down-Passage of the Naval Bill a
Surity Now The American Meat
CCopyrighped by Associated Press.)


Berlin, January 6.-The excitement
occasioned by the seizures of German
mail steamers by British cruisers in
creases and overtops everything else.
Even the opening of the Prussian diet
on the coming Tuesday is dwarfed
thereby. In spite of the strongest cur
rent Of popular anti-British sentiment,
the German government still honestly
tries to continue its cop Sc of loyal
neutrality, but anxiously awaits favor
able British action refarding the seiz-
ures, which the government and nation
both regard as unjustified. The gov
ernment has ascertained without a
shadow of doubt that the Bundesrath
was seized on strictly neutral territory
within a radius belonging, by interna-
tional law, to the Portuguese colony.
Thereby, the action of the British cruis-
er Magicienne was clearly wrong, as
here contended.
A BRITISH BACK-DOWN.
The news that Great Britain has re-
leased the steamer General, seized at
Alden is here construed as Great Brit
aims backing down. In official circles
today, the hope was expressed to q rep
resentative of the Associated Press that
Great Britain will admit she is wrong
after detailed and comparative proofs
are submitted at London. Part of
these proofs are the bills of lading Of
the Bundesrath, the General and Her.
zog. showing that the German East
African Line was most particular TO
exclude all chances of their vessels
containing cOntTaband. The Bundles
rath is shown to have on board twenty
four passengers for Deiagoa bay, COM
prising twelve Portuguese, of whom
several were government officials, two
former Austrian and one former Ge~-
man army officer. The rest were civil
ians. This line is subsidized by Ger
many Ito the amount of 100000 marks
annually.
The action of the colonial society in
further inf1aming public opinion is con-
demned by large part of the press.
A fact interesting to note is that Chap
B hahn Fry, of the English church in Ber-
lin; British Ambassador Sir Frank G.
Lascelles and a committee now call for
subscriptions for the sick and wounded
in South Africa. A concert is to be
given January 9th, the proceeds to be
towards the fund.
The German Red Cross Society at
the beginning of the war offered to aid
the British wounded, but the preferred
aSSiS tance was rejected.
PASSAGE OF NAVY BILL ASSURED
The correspondent here of the Asso-
ciated Press fterviewed Herr Barth, the
freisinnige leader, who said: 1.-The
Bundesrath incident will cause the
fleet bin to pass with a rush. 1t Will
break the centrist opposition. No par
ty, not even the socialists, would risk
going before the country now in oppo-
sition to the fleet bill, as it would be
swept away"
The government is expected to hurry
forward the bill, so as to take advant-
age of the momentary situation.
With the reconvening diet, the canal
bin fight will be renewed The govern
ment's chances of passing the new bin
have somewhat improved in the mean
while. But the conservatives remain
obdurate The Emperor is said to be
determined, this time, to dissolve the
diet if the bill is again rejected.
AMERICAN MEATS.
The richstag, after reconvening,
will soon consider number of import
ant measures, including the meat in
spection bill. Therefore, the agrarian
press re-opens the fight on American
meat. The Deutsc1ne TageS Zeitung
severely abuses the Hamburg chamber
of commences annual report, IN winch
the hope is expressed that the anti
meat measures would be stopped and
that economic harmony with the Unit
ed States would be re-established.
The American Presbyterian mission
at Batanga, Camaroons, has sent the
German government a letter OF thanks
for the efficient protection which the
German colonial authorities afforded
the mission in 1899.
Plans for the American church in
Berlin, which Mr. Lafarge, of New
York, draw up after several modifi-
cations, do not find approval upon the
part of the Berlin building authorities,
who insist that, to render the building
safer, a German architect will have to
cha tho accordingly