Officers Acquitted

Waikato Argus, Volume XXXV, Issue 5507, 13 January 1914, Page 3

Officers Acquitted

THE ZABERN INCIDENT. Received 5.5 p.m., 11th. Berlin, January 10. The colonel was acquitted on the ground that he was justified in protecting his officers' honour, the police having failed in their duty, and the colonel having cause to fear disorder? and bloodshed. The court-martial further quashed the sentence onLieutenant von Foerstner on the ground that he had cause to fear Blank, the lame shoemaker, was about to attack him/ with a knife. Received 9.30 a.m., 12th. Berlin, January 11. Herr Mandel, Under Secretary of State for the Interior, replying to a question in the Alsace and Lorraine Diet, admitted that whlie the courtmartial was sitting a squadron of Hussars was in readiness to act if the civil authorities requested it, but the Government hoped that the sound common sense of the population would render it unnecessary. Received 9.30 a.m., 12th. Berlin, January 11. In the Prussian Diet, Herr Hollweg declared that great satisfaction had been caused him by the way in which the Prussians took it to heart when the honour of the army was touched. He had received many letters of approval from all classes upon the course he had adopted. LIBERAL AND RADICAL PROTEST. London, January 12. The Observer's correspondent States that Berlin is Prussian and North German to the core. The bulk of public opinion approves the army's triumph, and many regard AlsaceLorraine as an enemy to Germany, Liberal and Radical newspapers vigorously protest against the acquittal. Some quote the Kaiser's threat to "smash Alsace-Lorraine to atoms," and declare that the courtmartial has now saved him the trouble. The newspapers add, however, that the Zabern affair is not ended yet.