The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1907-10-10

connection with the naval program
which will be laid before the Rechtag
this fall will be a proposal Tor reducing
the age limit for battleships from 25 to
20 years.
This measure" it is added, will, OF
course, increase the rate OF construction
OF few ships" For the rest, the navy
law will not be altered. II only because
Admiral Won Tirpitz, the secretary OF
state for the imperial marine is pledged
to the principle that one battleship and
two cruisers ought to be laid down every
year. The navy estimates will have TO
be materially increased in order to cover
additional expenditures for guns and
torpedoes. and, above all. in consequence
OF the increased displacement OF the
new large ships OF the navy. Naval
works and fortifcations at the mouth
OF the Elbc and along the cost OF the
North Sea will also have to be provided
for. But the financial difficulties of the
empire admittedly hamper the realiza'
tion OF these schemes. According to
official returns. published by the I'M
peral Gazette, ordinary recurring ex'
penditure for the navy during the
financial year 1908 exceeded the esti'
mates by nearly S3,70o,0oo, and non
recruiting expenditures showed similar
excess OF $4,000.
Ii last winter in Germany was one
OF dear meat there is only too much
reason to fear that the coming season
will prove one OF dear bread The
prices of wheat in the open market have
risen 80 per cent as compared with last
September, and % per cent as compared
with April. Similarly, rye, which is well
known. is the staple bread'ilour among
the middle and poorer classes, has
risen 80 per cent as compared with the
prices ruling II month. ago and 20 per
cent as compared with April. The corn
yield by last years harvest was exported
from Germany in large quantities and
supplies from that source are now ex'
tremely short. This export was followed
by a very severe winter and late har'
vest, and the wretched weather OF this
summer and early autumn has turtner
spoiled the crops. The outlook is in
deed, unpromising. Finally, there exists
great fear that the potato crop will be
short.
Emperor Williams complaint in his
speech at Munster that during the
course of his reign many people had
Willingly and unwittingly caused him
bitter pain has created feeling OF un-
easness in various quarters. When a
parsonage in his ma jesty's exalted posi-
tion publicly laments the fact that he
has been misunderstood, those who have
followed his lead are apt to wonder
where they are. 1t is even suggested
that as the emperor went thus far, he
might have become more explicit. That
his majesty should ardently desire the
confidence of his people is held to be in
the highest degree natural, but it is
pointed out that acts not motives de-
termine public sentiment and popular
judgments. 1t is an inseparable acci-
dent OF the form of constitutional gov
ernment which prevails in Germany that
personal MISUNDERSTANDING and misun.
derstandings should play part in af-
fairs of state. 1t is recalled to the en-
perors credit that his majesty has not
attempted to solve the social question
"by the sword" but, on the other hand,
he has so closely identified himself with
the policy of the government against,
for example, the social democracy, that
some misunderstanding as to the i'm
perial motives in the first instance was
bound to arise.
The Frankfurter Zeitung boldly in
quires: "Has the emperor himself not
often given occasion for active criti-
cisms?' In his public utterances/ he
has placed the military upon plane
higher than that of the civilian element,
he has hidden the discontented spirits
shake the dust of Germany from off
their feet, he has deprecated serious
works of art, he has spoken lightly OF
the Reichstag, and has branded the so.
cial democracy as band of traitors and
enemies of their country, which, accord
Ting to him, they disown. Journalists
his majesty described as "the failures of
public schools" The Frankfurt journal,