THE EXPULSIONS FROM PRUSSIA.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXVI, Issue 10968, 24 January 1899, Page 5

THE EXPULSIONS FROM PRUSSIA.

RESULT OF AN AGITATION AGAINST GERMANY.

By Telegraph-Press Association-Copyright

Berlin, January 22. In the Prussian Diet, Dr. von Miguel, the vice-President, referring; to the expulsion of Danes from Schlcswig, said Prussia had interfered only when the agitation against Germany had steadily grown in strength and boldness.

The Polish organ, the Cm, stated on December 14 that at the same time as the Prussian Government expelled Danish and Austrian subjects tlicv had also begun to expel Russians. The Russian Government, however, informed the Berlin Foreign Office that in case this were to be continued, all German subjects would bo turned out of Russia. As it was well known in Berlin that in such cases public opinion in Russia always approves of v. hit is done by the Government, the sharp representations made from St. Petersburg received a smooth answer, and the expulsion of Russians was suspended. To this the correspondent of the Czas adds the following:— defenceless Denmark ruthless brutality was shown. Towards Austria, where approval was found in the Opposition press— more becoming attitude was observed—that is to say, many claims were taken into consideration, and it was only tho newspapers that attacked the Austrian Government. Russia's warning was accepted humbly and in silence. It occurred to nobodv in Berlin to contend that the Russian threat of reprisals could affect the RussoGerman friendship; but, of course. Count 'Hum's speech undermined the Triple Alliance. It would appear that in Berlin political friendship is estimated according to the power and degree of energy of the other side." The Sviet, the paper of M. Komaroil, who recently represented Russian journalism at the Palacky celebration at Prague, and who is a member of the Slavonic Committee, makes the following comment upon the articles of certain Slavonic journals of Austria which have threatened the Germans with action on the part of Russia in connection with the German expulsion of Austrian subjects:—"For the present we will not go to the same length as the Czech newspapers. We consider that the Czechs are quite strong enough to cope with such instigators as Schonerer and Wolf, and that the Austrian Government will know, if it so wishes, how to pay off the Germans in their own coin for the'expulsion of Austrian Poles and Czechs. In this matter we cannot but sympathise with Austria and Denmark. Russian subjects are also expelled from Prussia, whither they go to look for work, while in Russia we have a mass of Prussian subjects who are not wanted here, who are, in fact, dangerous. We do not refer to those Germans who give us the benefit of their knowledge and abilities, for Russia has ever been hospitable, and never drives anyone away without serious cause; but. as the Moscow' Gazette pointed out the other day, there are a large number of Germans who wander about the western provinces of Russia with packs upon their hacks, under the pretence of being peddling tradel's. Thev are generally met with in the neighbourhood of fortresses and important military posts, and their real business is to collect all kinds of information as to the roads, the populated localities, the troops, and the fortifications. If it ever came to a question of expulsion after the Prussian fashion, this kind of German subject would find a place in the first convoy sent across the frontier."

In contradiction to the persistent contention of German newspapers that the expulsions from North Schleswig since February lust did not exceed a total of 117, the paper Hejndal, of Aabenrnu, published on December 12 statistics showing that since February 1 at least 185 persons had been been expelled from North Sckleswig, namely, 95 men, 52 women, and 38 children— had previously received orders of expulsion, while at least 55 persons— men, 18 women, and three children—had left for Denmark after being summoned before the police authorities, but without having been served with expulsion warrants. Finally, six women and 25 -children, without being formally ordered to leave the province, bad to follow their expelled husbands and fathers. Thus, as a matter of fact, at least 271 persons had been expelled, and of these 250 since October 1. It was, however, added that the actual figures must be higher, inasmuch as the reports from between 12 and 15 communes were still outstanding.