Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1900-01-07
CHANGE Of TUNE
N GERMANY.
PAPERS now DIsCOUNTENANCE
EFFORTS TO FIND SERIOUS
FAULT WITH ENGLAND, AS
LATTER HAS BACKED DOWN.
THE RELEASE OF THE SHIP GEN.
ERALLY SATISFACTORY.
II A Predicted that the Bill for the
Increase of the German Fieet VIII
Go Through With a Hrsh-ihe
Comments of the Press ON the
General Sftuation-Red Cross Ala.

General SituatfOn--heu Truss Az.
Copyright, 1900, the Associated Press)
BERLIN, January 6.-The excite
ment occasioned by the seizure OF Ger
man mail steamers by British cruisers
inreases and overtops everything else.
Even the opening of the Prussian Diet
on the coming Tuesday, is dwarfed
thereby. In spite of the strongest
current of popular anti-British senti-
ment, the German government still
honestly tries to continue its course of
loyal neutrality, but anxiously awaits
favorable British action regarding tie
seizures. which the government and
nation both regard as unJustifled.
The government has ascertained with
out a shadow of a doubt that the Bun
desrath was seized on strictly neutral
territory, within a radius belonging
by international law to the Portuguese
colony. Thereby the action OF the
British cruiser Magicienne was clearly
wrong, as here contended. The news
that Great Britain has released the
steamer General, seized at Alden, is
here construed as Great Britain's back
ing down.
In official circles to-day the hope
was expressed to a representative OF
the Associated Press that Great Brit
ain will admit she is wrong after de-
tailed and comprehensive proofs are
submitted at London. Part OF these
proofs are the bills of lading of the
Bundesrath, the General and the Her
zog, showing that the East African
line was most particular to exclude all
chances of their vessels containing con-
traband. The Bundesrath is shown to
have on board forty-two passengers
for Delagoa Bay, comprising twelve
Portuguese, of which several were gov
eminent officials; two former Austrian
and one former German officer. The
rest were civilians. This line is SUBJ
sidized by Germany to the amount of
SOC, 900 marks annually.
The action of the colonial society in
further inflaming public opinion is
condemned by a large part of the press.
The Freisinnige Zeitung says:
THE president of the colonial socie-
ty. is the Regent of Mecklenberg-
Schwerin. Does he deem it compati-
BILE with his position to use such lam
-rxo o1 toxyoDd- n friond1u nOunpr0 e
The Hamburg correspondent doubts
whether this is the right time for for
eign indignation meetings.
The Madgeburg Zeitung says:
"He who advocates forcible measures
does not know that Germany, in such
a conflict with England would be iso-
Hated, since in France everybody waits
the moment impatiently when a serious
quarrel between those two powers will
enable her to act"
The Vossische Zeitung says:
"All the political parties in Germany
will support the government in vigor-
ously protecting III interests. The at
titude of the whole German press
shows that. But it would be foolish
to join the protest meetings at this
stage"
The Cologne Gazette says:
"'It is regretable that an English
cruiser dared to seize the Bundesrath,
but German sober opinion disavows
purely agitatory measures"
A fact interesting to note is that
Chapline Frye, of the English church
in Berlin, British Ambassador Sir
Frank C. Lascelles. and a committee
now call for subscriptions for the sick
and wounded in South Africa. A con-
cert Is TO be given January 9th, the
proceeds to go toward the fund.
The German Red Cross Society at the
beginning of the war offered aid to the
British wounded. but the proffered as
sistanee was rejected.
The correspondent here of the Asso-
ciated Press interviewed Herr Barth,
the F~reisinnige leader, who said:
'The Bundesrath incident will cause
the feet bill to pass with a rush. 1t
will break the Centrist opposition. No
party, not even the Socialists, would
risk going before the country now in
opposition to the fleet bin, as it would
be swept away.
"The government is expected to hur-
ny forward the bill, so as to take ad-
vantage Of the monetary situation.
With the r~econvening of the Diet the
can bill fight will be renewed. The
governments chances of passing the
new bill have somewhat improved in
the meanwhile. The Conservatives re-
main obdurate in spite Of conciliatory
measures and u~tterances recently by
Prince Hohenlohd and DIR. Won MIGUEL.
Strong reorganization has been pre-
pared by the opponents of the bill, in
Guiding the fact that the newly opened
Dortmund-Ems canal must be closed
for three months for extensive repairs,
showing the 1l%nreliability Of canals as
vehicles of Communication. The En-
peror Is said to be determined, this
time, to Dissolve the Diet if the bill is
again rejected"