The Birmingham age-herald., 1904-04-13
REICHSTAG GETS
 DOWN ID BUSINESS Chancellor Von BueloW An- SWerS Various Questions TALKSABOUT EASTERN WAR Says the Interest of the Powers Lies In Locallzine Possibilities So
 Others Will Not Become
 Involved.
TALKSABOUT EASTERN WAR

Berlin, April 12.-The reichstag resumed it's sittings today after the Easter holi- days with business badly behind, owing to the protracted general political debate during the budget discussion which Is still unfinished. Among the other meas ures remaining on the calendar are a bill indemnifying innocent persons arrested on false charges, a bill establishing mercan- tile courts of arbitration to settle differ ences between merchants and their en- ployes and finally supplementary mill tary pension bill
 A considerable part of tho budget re- mains undlsposed of. including the impor- tant colonial section which Is sure to cause protracted discussion since con- nected herewith will be additional credits for suppressing the Herero rebellion and votes for the colonial railroads. The house today took up the budget Chan cellor Von Buelow. answering various questions of Herr Satt1er said he could not discuss the Franco British colonial treaty at length since the British parlia- ment was discussing 1t this evening and the French chamber of deputies had not yet discussed it. The German government saw no hostile purpose in the entente to engage any other power. Germany had large trade interests in Morocco but she had no reasons to fear they were en- dangered by the agreement.
 Do Not Wish for Friction.
 From the standpoint of German inter- ests, said the chancellor, i've have no opJections to the entente for we do not pH T
 tween Great Britain and France, because that would mean danger to the worlds peace which we wish to maintain"
 Iaidng up the criticism of the German government for being surprised by the outbreak of the war in the far east, the chancellor replied that the surprise was equally great among the statesmen at St Petersburg London and Paris and that even Japan's representatives at Pa ris and St. Petersburg were apparently taken by surprise. Even non-Japanese statesmen, who believed that the super heated Japanese kettle would give off steam could not foresee that the Tokio government would choose precisely that moment for breaking off negotiations.
 Chancellor Von Buelow excused the op- timistic outgivings of the German govern ment previous to the war by saying that If Germany's statesmen had spoken moro pessimistically than other they would have created the impression at St. Peters burg that they were trying to promote war. On the other hand there was no occasion to attribute warlike purpose to Japan before she actually had declared war.
 Interest In Locallzing War.
 The chancellor next defended the gov ernment against Dr. Sattlers criticism that it took an interest in neutralzing China, alleging that the interests of the powers lie in the localizing of the war, so that no world war shall result. Fur thermore the declaration of Chinese neu- trality contributed to reassuring the Chi nese court which would have left Pekin, a step which would have increased the chances of China becoming involved.
 Replying to charges that the govern ment was never friendly to the Catholics. Count Won Buelow challenged his critics to mention any instance when the inter ests of the country had been sacrificed for the sake of consolidating the ultra mon- taines. He said that if these critics know how the business of the empire could be conducted constitutlonally, strongly em- phasizing the word "constitutionality," without reckoning with existing party arrangements, he would appreciate their advice on the subject.