GERMANY. 



397 



olate, raisins, etc. She has further promised 

 not to raise her duties on wine, with one ex- 

 ception, rye, and other articles. Spain defi- 

 nitely fixed her duties on several articles of 

 import, especially spirituous liquors and spirits, 

 iron and steel wire, and rails. 



Copyright Treaty. A copyright treaty between 

 France and Germany was concluded April 19th. 

 This convention replaces the former ones be- 

 tween France and single German states. An 

 author obtains under this treaty all the rights 

 of native authors, except as to the duration of 

 the copyright, which must not exceed that ac- 

 corded in his own country. Manuscripts, as 

 well as published works, are protected. Pub- 

 lishers can obtain copyrights. The rights ex- 

 tend to musical compositions, works of art, 

 etc., and can be secured by the heirs, assigns, 

 and legal representatives of the author. Copy- 

 righted literary productions can be drawn from 

 in the preparation of school-books or of works 

 of a scientific character. The restriction of the 

 reproduction of articles from newspapers and 

 periodicals to publications of the same class 

 and the obligation to cite the source of a re- 

 production are not 'continued in the new trea- 

 ty. According to French law, every use of a 

 melody without the permission of the com- 

 poser is illegal, but the German principle was 

 retained in the treaty, which requires only that 

 a composition should have distinguishing char- 

 acteristics, though an unauthorized arrange- 

 ment of an air is forbidden. Public presenta- 

 tions of musical or dramatic compositions with- 

 out authority are made actionable. An author 

 preserves the right of translation for ten years 

 if he has a translation published in either coun- 

 try within three years, otherwise he can not 

 restrain the publication of a translation in the 

 other country. Authors of musical and dra- 

 matic productions also retain exclusive rights 

 of translation for the same periods. No regis- 

 tration or other formality is required to secure 

 authors' rights. The convention is binding on 

 both governments for six years, and then re- 

 mains in force until one year after a notice of 

 repeal has been received from either party. 



Relations with France. The continuance of the 

 Austro-German alliance, which was said to be 

 in danger of breaking off, was confirmed by the 

 annual meeting of the Emperors at Ischl, and 

 by other convincing signs. The influence of 

 Prince Bismarck was seen to prevail in Europe 

 to an extent which excited the susceptibilities 

 of the French. Not only was Italy's under- 

 standing with the allied empires admitted by 

 the Italian Minister of the Exterior and the 

 Hungarian Premier in public announcements, 

 but the Spanish commercial treaty, the visit of 

 King Alfonso to the Emperor, and the return 

 visit of the Crown Prince, showed that Spain 

 also had gravitated toward the league of peace. 

 In September the German Chancellor, in the 

 "North-German Gazette," the official organ, 

 raised a warning cry against France as the 

 disturbing influence in Europe. Like similar 



notes of alarm on the same subject, one of 

 which was uttered earlier in the year, imme- 

 diately after Signer Mancini's announcement 

 of the triple alliance in the Italian Parliament, 

 the time was chosen when there seemed to be 

 the least occasion for it. It had the appear- 

 ance, therefore, of a menace, and did not fail 

 to give offense to the sensitive French people. 

 The appointment of King Alfonso to the honor- 

 ary colonelcy of the regiment garrisoned in 

 Strasburg excited the Parisians to the demon- 

 strations at the station which Alfonso was sub- 

 jected to on his return from Germany. The 

 German press called upon the Government to 

 take up the insult, but Prince Bismarck was 

 careful not to provoke the French popular 

 temper too far. The attendance of King Al- 

 fonso of Spain, and King Milan of Servia, be- 

 sides the King of Saxony, the Crown Prince 

 of Portugal, and the Prince of Wales, as the 

 guests of the Emperor at the autumn manoeu- 

 vres, which began September 14th, was among 

 the indications of the supreme influence of 

 Bismarck and his peace policy in Europe. 



Alsace-Lorraine* The imperial province was 

 agitated more than usual, in 1883, by the lan- 



fuage question. The deputies in the Reichstag 

 ept up their attitude of opposition. In Au- 

 gust, the lieutenant-general, Marshal Manteuf- 

 fel, called forth indignant protests by refusing 

 permission to one of them, M. Antoine, to 

 start a French journal in Metz. . The order 

 that discussions in municipal councils should 

 be conducted in German was followed a few 

 months after by an attempt to banish French 

 from the schools. The four hours a week 

 which were devoted to the teaching of French 

 were reduced to two. 



Inundations. In November and December, 

 1882, the Rhine and its tributaries, the Main 

 and the Moselle, rose above the highest flood- 

 mark recorded in the century. Between Co- 

 logne and Coblenz the plains were entirely 

 submerged, and many towns and villages inun- 

 dated, among them the city of Coblenz. Below 

 that place many houses crumbled down. The 

 waters subsided about the middle of Decem- 

 ber, but a week or two later heavy rains fell 

 and the waters rose to a higher point than be- 

 fore. The rise was so rapid as to cause a large 

 loss of life. Nearly all the towns and villages 

 on the lowlands of the Rhine valley were 

 under water. In seven villages alone 400 

 buildings fell in. Near Carlsruhe a bridge 

 fell, precipitating 20 persons into .the river, 

 and on the Baden state railroad a derailed 

 train plunged into the water, drowning several 

 passengers. A boat capsized and drowned 28 

 peasants who had just been rescued from their 

 houses. In Mayence, soldiers were employed 

 night and day in constructing protective em- 

 bankments, and bridges for the escape of the 

 citizens in case these gave way. A lake, five 

 miles broad, formed between Wesel and Em- 

 merich. In Frankenthal, 6,000 people were 

 driven from their homes. The distress was 



