Present Status of the Dreyfus Case.
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tice above referred to has rendered a report idea of justice allowed the conclusion that favorable to revision and the Minister of this despatch helped to prove that Dreyfus Justice (or Chancellor) has passed favorably was a traitor. A slightly more enlightened upon it so that revision proceedings in the French justice now proposes to give a new •Court of Cassation are assured. This does trial on the ground that the forgery is a not involve any judicial decision whatso new fact unknown at the time of the first ever in favor of Dreyfus. It is merely a de trial. cision by the Minister of Justice to file a suit As I understand the French law a final de for revision. cree in favor of Dreyfus will not only vin As I have pointed out in my little book dicate him, but will also operate as a matter only one of the four grounds for revision of law (without giving the Minister of War known to the French law can now prove use any discretion) to reinstate him in the army, ful to Dreyfus. This is the fourth in num and give him the rank and pay to which he ber and is expressed in the revision law as—would have risen if he had remained in the "the existence of the new fact, or new docu service, together with all back pay and al ments, unknown at the time of the first trial, lowances. tending to establish the innocence of the con The writer in the Indépendance Belge, from demned person." But this is obviously whom I quote above, expresses a cynical but broad enough to cover almost any claim justifiable doubt whether a court martial, that better justice is possible in the light of even at this date could be trusted to do jus subsequent experience. If it were subject tice. It would be a board of soldiers to to no restriction almost any case could be whom the prejudice of the earlier agitation retried at any time. Accordingly in this and the prospect of having to take one of the fourth case there is a vital qualification. Jewish race back into the army after such a Only the Minister of Justice can file a suit career as Dreyfus has had would mean a for revision on this ground. Obviously, then, great deal that would be offensive. And the this result is important and favorable to fact that his pardon frees him from any risk Dreyfus. But there has as yet been no trial of imprisonment or punishment would allow of the real issue. It has only been framed the court to feel that there was no military for trial. necessity for an acquittal. As I understand it, the serious new fact I have some diffidence in making these is this. Among the documents in the secret statements from the meagre information dossier was a despatch from one attache of a which has as yet reached this country, but I foreign legation or military spy (Schwartzbelieve that the main points of the story are koppen) to another gentleman in the same correctly given. A certain amount of ob business (Pannizardi). In it he said that he livion has been good for the case. It has expected to have secret information about changed it from a matter of national concern a certain department at a certain time. into a simple question of undoing an injus Colonel Henry of the secret service office tice. And the French nation can perhaps cut off the date and wrote a false one in blue soon have some just pride in the fitness of pencil. The false date corresponded with its laws upon the sub'ject. They make it the time when Dreyfus was having a tem easier than our own laws for justice to tri porary detail to that department to familiar- ¡ ize him with its work. A peculiar French i umph in spite of every obstacle.
