CERMAN SCANDAL. THE COURT " CAMARILLA."

Evening Post, Volume LXXIV, Issue 138, 7 December 1907, Page 12

CERMAN SCANDAL. THE COURT " CAMARILLA."

"'.COUNT MOLTKE'S LIBEL 'ACTION The Berlin correspondent of the Lon- ' 'don Tribune gives some interesting particulars of the Moltke-Harden libel case. • recently tried^ ' and which ended in the acquittal of -defendant. The proceedings which led up to the trial may be briefly summarised ns fol- _ i ows : — Twelve months ago Maximilian Harden commenced to publish a. series - of articles concerning the position and ' influence 'of' certain persons in high cir- ■ cles whom he belioved to exercise an - undesirable. . influence over, the counsels 'of Ihe Emperar. It" will bo remembered that- just at that time Germany was ,vevy much startled by certain revelations ' regardiug the secrets., of tho Court contained in the Memoirs of Prince Hohen—Johe,--' "the- former Chancellor. . These memoirs served to prove that at the beginning of the pre.sent century the Camarilla which had existed in Bismarck's '. time was by no means defunct. Har- " 'den sought to show that tlio Camarilla ,was still existing at the close of last year, and that its influence was not only mischievous on Us own account, but de- - .trimental owing to the psychologic peculiarities and perverse inclinations of the Eersons concerned. He hinted that its cad was Prince Philip zu Eulenhurg, the - friend .of the Emperor, at whose Castle of Liebenberg tlie latter was a frequent guest. Harden suggested that the proceedings at Liebenberg partook of a mystic nature, uecromacy, spirit- ' ism, table-turning, etc., being amongst the amusements of the "Round Table," - cs-the circle- at Liebenberg came to be called. * One member of the Round Table is said to havo remarked, "We -liave welded such a ring about the .Throne as no one can break through." "THE EMPEROR'S ROUND •; - > TABLE.". * " Harden continued to make obscure hints in his articles from October, 1906, to .April, 1907. One may suffice. It is from Ihe Zukunft, 17th • November, 1906 :— He (Prince Eulenburg) has looked to "the interests of all his friends.- One Moltke is chief of the general staff, another who stands even nearer to him -is commandant of Berlin. Herr yon Tschirschky is Foreign Secretary ; and -for another lit is" hoped that even a -vrarmer corner 'may, be found. Excellent good fellows, musical, poetical, spiritistic . . .-so pious that they hope more cure from prayer-healing t than from the wisest doctor; in their conver--eationi (Verkehr), epistolary and oral, ..of the most touching friendliness. All that would be their private business if - they did not belong to the most intimate Eoand-tablo Society of the, Emperor, and , if they, did not spin, from visible or in- ... visible positions, threadlets which - threaten to choke the German Empire. -KAISER AND EULENBURG CIRCLE " 'Some time- in April there took place - b series of resignations, in one form or "another,' of young and promising offi- ~ cefs. Further,' Prince Frederic Henry .declined the election as Grand Master -of the- Order of St. John, and left hast-'-ily for Egypt. Theso matters formed the 'subject of keen discussion amongst ■ the officers of the Ist Regiment of the Guard stationed at Potsdam, who also canvassed the articles in the Zukunfl. "On "one joccasion, at tha commencement of the discussion, the Crown Prince hap- ■ poned to bo in barracks, and some por—tion'ofHhe conversation reached his ears. -The Prince 1 had the articles of the Zuktinft brought to him, and then request«d • Count- yon Huelsen-llacseler, the --head of the "Imperial "Military Cabinet, to report on the matter to the Emperor. f As -a consequence of . these reports, or » at.l any- .rate subsequent' to them, tho ;. Piountl "Table 1 was broken up, Prince zu Eulenburg fell, into disfavour,., and several members .of the circle resigned their __ positions. Amongst these was Count "' Kuno yon Moltke, commandant of Ber- . lin_ Prince JEulenburg demanded an enquiry, into his own action beforo the . Court, of Justice at Prenzlau. £ ....Long ..before- -10 ji.m., the hour at "which the trial was to begin, the small, draughty cpurt-room.of the Berlin Cen4ho Assize Court was crowded by "a brilliant gathering, , which awaited the JnosVscandalons private t^ia' . in the history of the- Empire-- There was an at- j tendance of counts, barons, officers of , ,all ranks and uniforms, such as never before gathered in the- ' dusky room ', where the picture of Frederic William iy. looks down od the meagre desks of the tribunal. 7 ,_THe crier called twice loudly, "Moltke „ ,y.\Harchjn," and there entered from the opposite sides the two parties with their ."witnesses 1 ." .Hcrr" Harden looked bad . from. recent sickness, in striking contrast to his advocate, -'' Justizrat Bernstein, whose vuddy coim- .% tenan.ee" bespoko late tramps in thesouthern hills. ■ On the other side came Lieutehant-General Count Kuno yon ''jMoTtlceVtall, sharp-featured, wits a sus- ~ picion of a smile 6n his lips. At the commencement Harden was called upon to give an account of him._Bclf.'. 110 replied .that he- Was born in 1861, that he had been twice sentenced 'to' six months' imprisonment for lese "inajeste; . and frequently sentenced to . fines for libel. Then came tho reading of the articles from Die Zukunft, followed by a question from the President of the Court, which let loose a storm of invective, denial, and satire. At the commencement of the evidence 'Harden declared that he had never desivetl in any way to injure the claimant. He had, however, in the last five years come into possession of evidence which rendered it his plain duty to take stops to prevent" men with such dispositions as those, which prevailed at Liebenberg 'from exercising influence in that intimate circle round^ the throne. uustizrat Gordon, Count Moltke's advocate, asked :, "Do you, or do you not, intend Vo charge my client with such - aberrations, as would biing aim within reach of the criminal law?" Harden replied. "I am sick and tired of making statements. I have made hundreds. I will prove that Count Kuno Moltke is abnormal, and I will make no more statements as tp my intentions. So long as I was merely a politician, I could hold out my hand for an amicable arrangement. Now. as defendant, thai is impossible. I have pever suggested that Count Moltke has brought himself within reach of tho ciiminal law. But I could havo dono so, and perhaps I am the only person ,iflio could." 1 Hardens advocate. Bernstein, now stated, on behalf of his client, that he had never attacked Count Moltke personally, but only referred to him as a member of the clique, including M. Locomte, Count Hohenan, Prince Philip Eulenourg, and others." "THiiiiE EXISTS NO CAMARILLA." Justizrat Gordon (loudly) : "My brief recognises ao such clique. There was only a perfectly innocent friendship between Count Moltke and Prince Eulenbiirg. (Louder.) Thero exists no group. ■There exists no circle. There exists no camarilla." Harden (loudly): "All that has just been stated is untrue." The President: "Will tho claimant make a statement on this point?" Count Moltke: "l can only repeat that no such circi© exists, no/ can it exist, for it is, I imagine, in the inuncdiato UJrcle of His Majesy."'There followed a dispute between.

Count Moltke and Herr Harden a"s to whether tho former, as adjutant of tho Kaiser, was aware- of certain tendencies in Count Hohcnau. Moltko said that ho had only heard rumours, which of late wero current really about everyone, j The President then said : "Claimant, tho accused declares that you aro a misogynist Is that the case?" Justizrat Gordon: "Claimant's mar- i riago was dissolvod on his own plea, I and it was proved that ho was not tho ! offending party. 1 ' Horr Bernstein : "It is true that tho marriage was dissolved, uecauso tho j claimant declared that his wife- had made monstrous and libellous statements about him. I will show, how much truth thero was in this." ■". Harden ; "I declare that ] I have received no information fronjj the claimant's former wife, now Frau yon Elbe. I am prepared to namo one of tho highest persons in the land who expressed herself in tho crassest words about tho affairs which como into question here." (Great excitement in court.) "I have known for five- years things /which, had I printed them, would have, compelled Count 'Moltke to strip off Ills uniform at once.'* ; [The case is to be re-tried 'at an early date.]