THE GERMAN EMPEROR IN ALSACE.

Globe, Volume XXI, Issue 1793, 19 November 1879, Page 2

THE GERMAN EMPEROR IN ALSACE.

The German Emperor has visited Strashurg to inspect the 15th Army Corps, which garrisons his new province. The ringing of the city bells and the booming of cannon intimated to the inhabitants the arrival of the Emperor, though but for the infallible appeal to their ears many of them would hare rei mained unconscious of the precise time of the event. All over the town many shops were 1 shut, which might be taken to indicate a holiday, though this conjecture found but little support in the fact that, on the other hand, the blinds in a multitude of dwellings were all down or the shutters closed—appearances not altogether consistent with general rejoicing. The streets, it is true, were what might bo called crowded, but the patriotic enthusiasm which burnt in the faces of the populace of Konigsburg, Bantam, and Stettin did not even, beam in the countenances of the dwellers in. Strashurg. All the official buildings weroprofusely enough decked with bunting j private houses, however, but very sparsely,, and it seemed as if there were very little of Aura popular is to make the hags and streamers flutter. The Emperor’s reception here, indeed, may be said to have been purely official, though beyond the closing of shutters aud drawing down of blinds, all of a negative nature, there was no other sign of political demonstration. After being received at the station by the'military and civil authorities, his Majesty, accompanied by the Empress, slowly drove by the nearest route to the Prefecture, and any gaps in the lines of spectators were filled hy the garrison who thronged the streets. German was the language one chiefly heard spoken, though the French speaking element in Strashurg is still very strong. At one part of the route His Majesty's carriage was stopped by a long and heavy shower of bouquets ; but they were showered from the hands of a double row of very young school girls, acting in well-trained obedience to their superiors. At another street corner a particularly long and loud hurrah greeted the passing Sovereign, hut the cheers proceeded from the ranbed-up members of a “ Kriegsverein,” or Warrior Union, North German settlers in the province, and mostly wearing Prussian medals. While waiting for the arrival of this Emperor, the corporate and semi-mili-tary body of civilians struck up the “ Watch am Eheiu” to beguile the passing minutes, but it bad by no means that contagious effect on the bystanders which it certainly would have produced in Pomerania or in Ehenish Prussia. Here and there, however, along the line of route there was an outburst of something like real enthusiasm., proceeding from what element In cue population it were very difficult to say, and the Emperor smiled with evident satisfaction as, in acknowledging the plaudits of the populace, his eye wandered from the c.oaely-packed, though, rather silent, streets to balconies and windows white with waving handkerchiefs. A telegram from Metz, dated September 23rd says:—About 8 o'clock this evening a Eoyal salute announced the arrival here of the German Emperor, who, having spent the earlier part of the day in witnessing the field manomvres of the 15th Army Corps near Strashurg, gave a farewell entertainment to all his foreign guests, and forthwith journeyed on here with the Princes of his house only and the military chiefs in final fulfilment of the programme of his autumnal tour of inspection. His Majesty’s reception here was not much different in reality from that accorded him at Strashurg, though the splendours derived from torches and Chinese lanterns in the capital of Lorraine contributed to create an appearance of loyalty to which the rays of the sun were rather unfavourable in the chief city of Alsace. Nsthing certainly could exceed the brilliancy of the illuminations here this evening ; and when so 1 manj Prussian helmet s are glancing in the immediate glare of the artificial light it wore, perhaps, invidious to seek to point out the expression on certain sad and subdued faces peering out from the darkness beyond. His Majesty, as at Strashurg, was received at the station by the civil and military authorities, and, accompanied by the Crown Prince, drove to the Prefecture, where he will reside till Thursday, the day of hie departure. Above the ponderous gateway in the wells by which he entered the city, the Emperor was greeted by the sight of an artistic war trophy, while the line of his route was lined with torch and lantern bearers, consisting of members of various Prussian gymnastic societies, employes in Government offices and workshops, &e. The streets were densely crowned, though the majority almost of the spectators were soldiers belonging to the 16th Division serving here as a garrison in place of the 31st Division, forming part of the Isth Army Corps now in Strashurg. The customary musical promenade by the united bands of the garrison, was held about nine o’clock, after which the streets soon became darkened and deserted. To-morrow the Emperor will review the garrison, and the next day he will visit some of the battlefields around the ci ,y.