THE ULTRA-SECRET DOSSIER."

Press, Volume LVI, Issue 10263, 4 February 1899, Page 7

THE ULTRA-SECRET DOSSIER."

few people, wo imagine, are able to follow all tho convolutions of the intricate •'Dreyfus ' affair. Just now, the fight seems to be as to. whether the future investigation of the case should be left to the entire Court of Cassation, or restricted to tue Criminal Side. Towards the end of last month it was as to what information should bo laid before the Court. It transpired that there was not one "dossier, but three "dossiers." There was lir.t of all tho oordcreati, on which Drey,?'-!* was convicted, and the papers connecti (1 with it, tho experts' reports, the evidence, conviction and transportation, and everything connected therewith: This was laid before tho Court without demur. So also was the so-called "secret dossier,'' which prolably contained the documents' communicated by Gor.»ral Mercier to the Court-martial", and which determined their judgment. But it appear- there was a third, an "ultra-secret dossier," known only to the six Ministers of War, to the Prime .Ministers Dupuy and Melius, and perhaps Hrisson, and to Presidents Casimir-Perior and Faure. There was tho greatest reluctance to produce this, and the reason .surmised is that if the contents leaked out it would Utterly destroy the Russian "entente" with France. Apropos, the Paris and St. Petersburg correspondents of "Tho Times" tell a curious story. Russia, it „ said, some years ago was promised 600,000 or 600,000 Lebel rifles, to be manufactured at Chatellerault under the partial supervision of Russian military experts; but after a number of these rifles had been furnished, Russia in her own factories converted her old rifles 'into weapons, not identical with, but closely resembling Lebels. When, later on, France adopted her latest type of quickfiring cannon, Russia asked for the drawings and plans, but this was not accorded. Russia was asked to wait for three years, and to • bind herself to order in France all the guns necessary for the re-arming of her whole artillery. This, according to the French estimate, meant an outlay of 225 million francs. Russia replied that her finances did not allow of this outlay, and that; having excellent gun factories of her own, she would not expend abroad so enormous a sum. Of course, she was naturally anxious to get the plans of. those quick-firing guns, and here, according to the rumours afloat, lies the danger of the "ultra-secret dossier" being revealed. Briefly, it is rumoured Russia made the most determined attempts to procure those plans through her secret agents, who sought to form relations with the French General Staff. The ultra-secret "dossier" is said to contain proofs of those attempts, and, if it came out, where would the FrancoRussian alliance be? Some people are already asking, where is it now'? The .Czar's disarmament proposals, and Russian indifference over the Fashoda incident opened the eyes of the French people to a very large extent. If it should now appear that Russia has had her spies in France, endeavouring to bribe French officers to betray military secrets, what would be the effect on such an impulsive people as tho French? No wonder M. Meline said, "No Government would allow 'the secret dossier' to be published," and M. de Freycinet, in equally emphatic terms, declared that he would not communicate the so-called "diplomatic dossier," which "might compromise the security of the State." Even the publication of these rumours as to its contents must have a very perturbing effect. It would seem that the Franco-Russian alliance, of which so much was expected, is now a good deal in the air.