The Zabern Trouble

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVI, Issue 161, 7 January 1914, Page 5

The Zabern Trouble

IRREPRESSIBLE GROWN, PRINCE. A CONSERVATIVE REVOLT. CHANCELLOR IN HOT WATER. By Cable —Press Association —Copyright Berlin, January 3. The Frankfurter Zeitung says that the Crown Prince's entourage report that the Prince expressed to Colonel von Router his approval of his attitude at Zabern. The punishment of Lieutenant von Focrstner has brought Heir von Beth-mann-Uollwcg, the. Imperial Chancellor, jnto conlli'.t with the Conservatives, who i complain of his surrender to anti-mili-tarists and Francophiles. The Conservative press arc belauding Herr von Jagow, chief of police, as the champion of Prussian ideals m the Reichstag. The Conservative revolt is greatly weakening Herr von BethmannHollweg.

Colonel von Renter's court-martial has begun at Strasburg. The charges are of usurping executive power at Zabern and infringing the liberty of the subject.

[ SOME ASTONISHING EVIDENCE. A LIEUTENANT'S IDEA OF INSULTS. GUIDED BY PRESUMPTION. Received (J, 10.40 p.m. Berlin, January 0. In the court-martial of Colonel von :Reuter, officer commanding the Zabern garrison, Colonel von Renter stated that he accepted full responsibility for his junior officers' acts. He gave instances of brawls between soldiers and civilians, in which the former were punished, but the authorities had not proceeded against the civilians. Witness said he instructed his ollicers to use their weapons in such a way as to facilitate the identification of civilian brawlers, as the ' police failed to protect the army from insult. He ordered Lieutenant Schadt to enforce respect. Witness admitted that he told the civil administrator that it was a good thing, jmder certain circumstances, to let blood flow, for he was defending the prestige and honor | of the whole arjny. I

Lieutenant Sehadt testified that he arrested everyone who was suspected of insulting the army. Pressed whether be would say that a hank clerk whom he arrested was laughing, witness replied: ''No, but I suspected him of laughing. The people were too cowardly to insult us to, our faces. Therefore we had to he guided by presumption."

lien- Wahii, .iislr'iel administrator, slated that from the. Jirst there was no co-operation between Colonel von Renter and tin; civk: authorities.

Lieutenant von Koerslner gave evidence that besides many offensive expressions being shouted at him, he received abusive letters and postcards.

The llitlng Zcitung says that • the Crown Prince should be practically stripped of his military, authority for congratulating Colonel von Renter.