The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1914-04-01
IS GERMANY ON
 VERGE OF WAR?

fVs0U0g 1TQOPS are ATJlFds dHS EoSLt- tleshfps Are All in Ports5or At Sea Kaiser Is Apparently Calm.
 With Composure Unruffledi the Emperor Eats Breakfast As Usual To- day
 Berlin. April 1.-When the sun came up out of the east this morning, after night in which thousands of Germans had not touched their beds, the European situation cleared visib- ly and took on brighter aspect Night passed and in it's place came day. While many hopeful ones look upon the rising of the sun as an omen of prophetic peace, and the people of Germany went about their various duties as usual this morning, the grim fact remains that the 870 .090 soldiers Iconstitutfng the regular army of the fatherIand are all armed. while the battleships, cruisers and other vessels. of the navy are all either in ports or at sea- their crews in readiness to rem der instant obedience to their officers. Tn addition to the peace strength of 870, ,0oo, the German army has A,430,-s 900 reserves. In the navy there is a reserve Of 10000 men, ready to aug ment the regular personnel of e7.O00 officers and sailors who man the Ger man. fleet.
 By 10 o'clock this morning the Will helmstrasse. the German Foreign Of. fee, presented a scene of quiet activ-s ity. Officials and underlings went about their tasks as if pothiing unus- ual was in the air There was noth- ing to indicate that Germany stands on the verge of war. Now and then, however. man would leave that. building of mystery and hasten away.
 The Kaiser. he of the fndomitab1e will and iron nerve, rose early this morning and, it is reported. ate his usual breakfast with unruffled com posture. Without a tremor without q sign of excitement. he took up the. accustomed routine of imperial life. It was sight to make the heart of any loyal German beat the fasterthe stern and silent Emperor sitting erect at the breakfast table eating his grape fruit and eggs. while all around { his beloved fatherland. north, south. Italy. Austria, France, Great Britain, Russia. Denmark, Sweden, Norway. Holland. Belgium, Switzerland and
 Monaco.
 A new element of alarm was inject led into the situation to-day when it was reported that an officer high in l the Swiss navy openly declared that in case of war between Germany and
 France the united navy of switzsrland would be placed at the dfsposaIsof the
 French. fAnother rumor. apparently not without basis of fact, is to the
 effect that the Prince of Monaco
 would side with the French in the Isevent of a clash with Germany. Color I is given to this report by the fact that
 the Princes second wife was a New l Orleans woman of French descent
 and by the additional fact that the T French are more liberal patrons of I Monte Carlo than the Germans.
 On the strength of these and other
 alarming rumors. the war party is demanding a new and immediate ap- proprfa ton of s450.0O0. 900. 900, 900 for
 the purchase of cannon and the con
 struction of more battleshfps.
 It is expected that there will be fur
 ther developments today, but they
 cannot be hinted at, except to state. or
 the authority of official said to be
 close to the Kaiser, that they will de. tve1op before midnight, if at all.
 l.