Thomas County cat. [volume] (Colby, Kan.) 1885-1891, 1888-12-06
FReoERicHs DIARY.

EREoERick.s DIARY.
! its Geeet s.A Fss-esaahias Importance
+ - Matssf q nsstory.
Ever silce the csrfsnt year opened,
the world attention has been samost
constantly turned to the three Princes.
who. In quick succession, have ruled
over the German Empire. Two recent
events have once more brought into
special notice both the present En-
peror, William the Second, and his
late father, the Emperor Frederick.
William has signalized the opening
OF his reign by making a series of long
tours, and visiting his brother poten-
tates in widely separated capitals.
His first journey was to St. Petersburg,
where he visited his second cousin, the
Gar, and where he witnessed some
line military displays. Thence he re-
paired to Copenhagen. where he was
the guest of the Danish King. Chris
tian. who is the father of an Empress.
King, future King and future
Queen. More recently William has
been received. with many ELUSIVE
greetings. by the Emperor Francis
Joseph at Vienna. and has repaired to
Rome. to be greeted there by King
Humbert, and also by Pope Leo.
Whether this series of visits has been
undertaken for political reasons, and
if SO, what will be their result on the
future of Europe. has not yet appeared.
The warlike and ambitious young
Kaiser may have some scheme for the
interests of Germany; and if he has, it
is to be hoped that, despite his mill
tary tastes. his efforts may result in
the long continuance of European
peace.
Meanwhile, all the world has been
interested, and Germany has been
startled, by the appearance. in Ger
man periodical, of what purports to
be part of the diary of the late
Emperor Frederick. 1t is said that
this diary was intrusted. in copies. to
twelve persons. with the injunction
that it should not be revealed to the
world until fifty years after the
Emperor Frederick's death; but this
injunction has been disobeyed by one
of these persons, who has given it out
for publication. The diary, If it is
genuine, is of great Importance as a
matter of history. The part taken by
Frederick. as Crown Prince, in the
wars of 1866 and 1870. and in the con-
struction of the new Empire. renders
ali that he has to say of those events
very valuable. and the diary. as pub
lished. covers that period. Its main
revelations are that while Frederick
was from the first an ardent advocate
of establishing the empire. both his
father, the old Emperor William. and
Bismarck, long hesitated as to its en-
pediency or possibility. Bismarck
has always hitherto been looked
upon as resolutely aiming to
achieve German unity and the
Empire. from the time that. in 1862,
he rose to the head of Prussian affairs.
The diary. however. represents the
Crown Prince as the chief champion
of those causes.
Again, the diary asserts that the
Crown Prince favored and that Bis
marck opposed the compelling of the
South German Kingdoms to submit TO
the empire by force in case they
would not accept it of their own ac-
cord. 1t also asserts that just before
the outbreak of tie war with Franco
Bismarck believed that peace with
France could be maintained. while the
Crown Prince was sure that war could
NOT be avoided.
Generally speaking. the diary re-
veals the fact that all through the
events which eliminated in the erec-
ton of the empire, the Crown Prince
and Bismarck were antagonistic; and
it also seems to coafirm the idea that
the Crown Prince and his English wife
had long been hostile to the grim old
Chancellor. Bismarck has declared
that he doubts the authenticity of the
diary. has caused the numbers of the
periodical in which it appeared to be
suppressed. and the agent of its pub
LEGATION, if found. to be prosecuted.
If the diary proves. after all. to be
genuine. its effects on German politics
are likely to be far-reaching. YOUTHS
Companion.
1