Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1888-10-09
"a WARLlKE CENTURY,
Bismarck's Prophecy N Expressed In
His Report upon sh0 Emperor Fred.
erick,s Diary.

From the London Times.
FRIEDRrcHsRuH, Sept. %. 1888
In obedience to your majesIys commands (be
this noted) have the honor 10 make the following
report with reference to the alleged diary Of the
late emperor FredericK>, as published In the
Deutsche Rundschau:
consider the diary In its present form not to be
genuine. 1t is true that his majesty, the then
crown prince, in 1870 stood outside the sphere Of
political negotiations and was therefore liable o be
incoI0pietely or inaccurately informed about
many Incidents. Possessed not the permission
OF the king to talk with his royal highneSs on
tSe en aue %ss 81 our policy as nis majesty On
which might thus be made TO the English court,
that was full OF French sympathies, and, on the
other, was apprehensive lest detrtment might
thus accrue to our relations with our German al
lies by reason OF the far-reaching aims and the
violence OF the means which were recommended
10 his royal highnes5 by political councillors VI
doubtful ability. Thus the crown prince stood
without the sphere VI all business negotiations
Nevertneiess IL Is scarcely possible that, II the
daily, 50 many mistakes OF facts and especially OF
time could have crept into his diary. IL seems
rather as II the daily notes themselves least
later additions 10 them, had originated with some
Que In the encourage OF the crown prince. At the
very Deinnlng Of the diary IL is said that July
therefore wanted TO return TO varzin, while as a
matter OF fact-which can be proved by document
airy evldence-his royal highness already knew
tnen that regarded war as necessary, and was
resolved only 10 go 10 Varzin after retiring from
ONCE II II were avoided; aud his royal highness
was at one with me about this, as appears from
the alleged enlry OF July Is, where II is said that
the crown prince completely agreed with me that
peace anu ~ concession were already impossible.
not mucn objection to the mobilization. His
majesty continued TO believe, as the crown
| ami spare the nation uhe Calamity 90 war
His majesty was In Brandenbur2, and during
| the wno.e CT the railway journey from there 70
Berlin wIthStood my advocacy or mobilization
| But after hearing Mr.. Ollivier's speech, which
was read 10 him al the Berlin station, and COM
| handing II TO be read " him q second time, he
considered 1t as tanIamOunt 10 a French declare.
lion OF war, and the king himself, without more
ado. and Proprso motu, decided TO MOBILIZE. 1t
the day before agreed with me 70 the necessity
OF q complete mobilization, put an end TO all
further wavering by announcing the royal deci-
sion TO the puDic-I e., 10 the Oft1cers present
with the words "krieg, mobil."
Further, judging from conversations which l
then had With the crown prince II Is not possible
for his royal hgnness to nave foreseen alter TINS
war pause In the era or battles and bloodshed las
recorded under date Of the Isl Of August), seeing
that his roy highnesS shared the general con-
victiOn. and expressed II, too, that whatever might
be the issue or this war 1t would tnaugurate Sc
| ries or WATT, and that warliks century was In
evltaole.
The assertion of the diary that his royal high.
ness could have thought Of employing force
against our allies, and OF thus breaking the trea-
| ties which had been faithfully kept BY them and
sealed with their very blood, Is a calumniaIiOn OF
the deceased prince Such IDEAS, which are equally
feeling and from that Of policy. may have found
advocates among the Encourage or the crown
prince, but they were too d1shonorable 70 md an
ecno In ms heart and TOO clumsy 70 appeal 70 his
And Just As little consonant with the facts is
what Is said In the diary with reference 10 my
OF infaluoiity, an upper mousse, and imperial mln-
istnes The crown prince never entertained the
idea that empire (kaiserthum) would have been
possible or profitable In lSed, knowing that 9
North German kaiser might have passed fof an en-
peror but would never have been An historic rep
resentauve and instrument OF The national regen-
Idea was disposed or by At Doncherry on the ID
| OF september. the crown prince being convinced
That the German kings and sovereigns would
never DC got 70 lend themselves 70 anything IKE
the Prussian house OF lords (herrennauS)
As ior iniallibllity, that Is a question TO which
| was always Indifferent l rega. ded IL as q false
roy al hignness 10 let this question alone during
the war, at least. But An impression that
meant 10 take II up after the war eau never have
In diary that WAS written up daily.
In one place (under date september u it II stated
that his majesty the king dictated 70 Count HAITI
leon. he crown prince Was standing By wnen the
| king ordered me 70 draft the answer, and this
rough draft was read out TO the king for his ma
| yssys approval Here, therefore, also, IL Ii not
| credible that such q mistake could have occurred
| II the entries In the diary had been made oaily.
In view OF AL this, hold the DIARY, In the form
In which IL u published In the Russdschot, 70 be
| spurouA II IL were genuine, IL would In my
opinion, come under article "a, OF the penal code
"wnoever willIully makes public state ,ecrets
Or inteilgence whereof the secret keeping IL e.
| senual 10 the welfare OF the German expire &C.
arespsetIaLy pray your majesty gracioosly Il
your maJesty's commands 70 direct the public
prosecutor TO take criminal action against ths
o. and The a yas 81 The
To his Majesty me Emperor-King.