We are gradually drawing nearer to the public hearing of. the arguments: in the Dreyfus case before the Court of Cassation, but they are hardly likely to come on at the date originally fixed, the 29th' of May, yor completed "his herculean, labours, there porter M. Ballot-Beaupré not having
is no easy matter to make a good digest. of two thousand printed pages.of.contradictory testimony. "M.- Ballot-Beaupré, too, must be quite aware that his report will have very little or no influence on the result, as it is impossible. that any of the judges should not have made up their minds on the case, As for the public, the revelations which have been made during the last few weeks have convinced everybody who was not too far committed on the "patriotic" side. General Mercier's refusal to answer any questions as tothe secret communication of documents. to the members of the Dreyfus court-martial has had considerable effect on the opinions even of those who were most inclined to resent attacks on the army. If the story is untrue, it is argued, General Mercier would not hesitate to deny it. General de Polignac, a veteran officer who commanded division in the Franco-German war, writes, for instance, declaring that he should think himself for ever dishonoured if he had convicted a prisoner on secret testimony. Meanwhile Col. Picquart is still in prison, Col. clu Paty de Clam is still at liberty, Esterhazy sends an occasional column of characteristic "'chaff" from the other side of the Channel,. and M. Zola has begun the serial publication of a novel in which he urges the duty of bringing'as many children as possible into the world.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.