CONDENSED CABLEGRAMS.

Manawatu Herald, 17 August 1899, Page 2

CONDENSED CABLEGRAMS.

France. The Ift tier referred to by M. Casimir-P^rier in the course of his evidence has now been produced. It was written by Dreyfus, and sat d that President Oa«imir Perier had promised, through Dreyfus's counsel, to ask that the pro ceedings of the original court martial should ha open to the public, trusting '.o Drnyfus'a word that he would not divulge any evidence given in camera. The evidence of General Merceir ai< the Dreyfus court-martial at Rennes consisted mainly of mere statements of a presumptive character. He described the widespread system of espionage instituted by Colonel Schwarzkoppen, military ittache of the German Embassy, >md some intercepted letters, were produced. At the close of General Mercier's evidence M. Casimir-Perier announced his intention to rebut th 3 testimony given by the witness. As General M^roier left the Court he was hooted by the public. His evidence is regarded as a fiasco. General Mercier next day connnued bis evidence, testified that General Jament informed M. dt? Freycinet, a former Minister of War that England and Germany had contributed one million four hundred 'housand francs in subsidising Dreyfusism. This statement caused derisive ianqhter in Court. By his evidence General Mercier ig greatly discredited, and his testimony is regarded as a confession of the illegality of the whole proceeding. Dreyfusites are confident that the court-martial will result in the acquittal of the prisoner. The Paris correspondent, of fch -• "Timed" hints at tte impending arrest of General Mercier.

A sensation his been caused by the receipt of a R^uter'd message skating that M. Libori, coun3Pl fo> D eyfu j , hcia b?pn sh)fc in the middl' j of the back at RenniH. Tbe wound 13 n it b lit-vd to b* a seriotn om*. Ex-Pivpiddnt Ccuiin r-Perier wa>confronted at the Rt»nn°s courtiniriial wrh G neril ivl^rciei', i" >rdtfr to throw further light upot> th^ sta'nm 'Q r ' of th • latt°r m to tb i nmioe'ice "f w«r with Germany iD h^ spring ■ f 1895 j lie «tu«-(J 'h;n ufcer tha con versa j fcion in which he assured Count (now Prince Munsfcer, German Ambassador, that neither he nor the Government; of the day considered the German Embassy implicated in the discovery of the bordereau, he was left under tho impression that the incident with Germany was completely closed. Here General Mercier interjected that General Da Boi3defier ; could corroborate his statement that in expectation that Count Munster would ask for bis passports orders were given by him (General Mercier) for the mobilisation of the army. M. Casimir-Perier replied, " I refuse to reply to General Mercier's j in iauations "