The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1878-04-04

Ou the ZOtu OF december luSt Wc pun
lished q remarkable communication from
our Brussels correspondent regarding the
Intervention Of Germany in the affairs OF
Belgium. Rumors OF this character had
been circulating in the embassies for con-
siderable time previous, and the HERALD, in
view of their gravity, despatched q reliable
Journalist to the Belgian capital to investi-
gate and report upon the facts This he did
in letter which occupied eight columns Of
our journal, and which was almost judicial
in its character, SO thoroughly were all the
charges made against Major de Sommerfeld,
of the great German E:at-Major and now
military attache to the German Legation in
Belgium, investigated. Our correspondent.
we think, established beyond the POSSIBLE
ity Of doubt that the dominant power at
the Belgian War Office has been for con-
siderable time past this German military
agent. He is described as man OF ''sharp
intelligence and very elegant manners"
and to these serviceable diplomatic quail
ties he adds, Of course, a. thorough knowl-
edge of military administration acquired in
the best OF all schools-that OF which Gen
eral Moltkc has been the creator and dircc-
tor.
The influence which this officer is shown
to have acquired in the direction Of the
afflirs of the Belgian War Department would
be incredible were it not preceded by the
facts developed by the Franco-German war,
and which prove that the scien ce of diplo-
;~ta 10
fined nowadays to the civil service of the
Continental Powers. The war departments
OF Germany and Russia have superseded the
old machinery Of the chancelleries by sys-
TENS Of propagandism ana espionage in
finitely more effective and confessedly more
expeditions. Owing to the brief interval
which they leave between the affirmation OF
political pretensions and their execution
the future policy Of the governments Of the
world bids fair to be entirely controlled by
them. There can be no greater evidence OF
the correctness Of this assumption than the
ordinate military and diplomatic operations
of that twin sister of Germany in cold
blooded arbitrariness and crafty diplo-
macy-Russia.
1t is needless to say that the revelations
Of our Brussels correspondent in regard to
the designs of Germany upon Holland. and
the part which Belgium is destined to play
in them, as we'll as against France, have
excited good deal of attention and COM
ment throughout Europe. In Belgium, OF
course, the government organs are indignant
at the expose, for it is humiliating to have
it shown that their statesmen are deficient
either in patriotism or sagacity. In France
it is regarded with satisfaction, for under
its republican regime everything of the kind
must benefit it. as showing the broad dis
tinction which exists between policies
based on principles OF rectitude and greed.
The tendency upon the part of some of the
Powers to disregard the obligations of
solemn treaties and to substitute their own
interests and will for the prescriptions OF
international law will speedily range the
European governments into two distinct
camps and determine the question Of
alliances by natural laws.
As an evidence of the correctness of these
conclusions we publish in another column
a number of extracts from the French and
German journals in reference to the state
ments of our Brussels correspondent. AL
though. as was to be expected, the former
endeavor to parry their effect, it will be
seen from the tone of their articles that they
are annoyed at these premature develop
ments and would be glad to explain them
away, which, it will be observed, they
utterly fail to do.