Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-07-03

defnitively set in, the ladies left Us. and I
changed my seat for one near the head OF the
table, next to that of His Highness. I
casually observed that his retirement had
been unexpected in English political cir
cles, and had taken the general British
public quite by surprise. He replied, IT
dare say 1t seemed rather sudden TO you.
Even my friends here in Germany scarcely
expected it. 1t would be somewhat difficult
for me, don't you think SO, after 40 years
incessant occupation and absorption In
political study-after such tremendous
spell of activity and responsibility play
a part the two inviolable conditions OF
which are speechlessness and immoDIlity?
That is what they want me TO do. But l
am not so easily silenced and paralyzed. I
can continue, in retirement, to serve my
country, and mean to do SO to the last. In
some respects 1 have freer hand than
had when was in Office. Abroad-for in
stance, in France and Russia, the only
countries possibly bearing US grudge-I
can in many ways promote the propaganda
of peace, my main object and aim for 20
years past, now that am uniettered by any
official restraints.
"What is the actual state Of Germany's
relations with France? you ask. Excel
wish it to be. The attitude of the French
Government is exemplary; the French
people are sincerely pacific, alike in views
and hoDes. 1 need not tell you how
peaceably disposed the Germans are; no
one is more earnest for peace than His
Majesty the Emperor, whose attention is
eagerly bent upon home affairs. upon ma
tional consolidation, internal Improvements,
and the establishment OF cordial under
standing between class and class. We
Germans want nothing from our neighbors
but fair dealing and civil treatment. We
fought two terrible wars to achieve our
unity; we have got it, and mean to keep it;
we ask no more. All our armament is
purely defensive and precautionary; not a
BIZ OF it is intended for attack. No idea OF
aggression or of further frontier extension
finds lodging in the head of any lntelli-
gent German" / asked him il, in his
opinion, there was no possibility of finally
extinguishing the French grievance against
the Fatherland by some voluntary and
spontaneous concession on the part OF Ger
many-some rectIfcation Of frontier involy-
ing the retrocession to France of the French
speaking populations now unwillingly sub
mitting to German rule-some arrange
ments, in short, that would satisfy France
without imperilling the security of Ger
many. 'There is none," he answered, quite
decisIvely. "We can yield no territory to
them, excert after a lost battle.
ENGLAND, GERMANY AND AFRICA.
GAS for England and Germany, regard
it as an impossib bility that these two coun-
tries should ever be at war, and as singu-
larly unlikely that they should even quar-
rel seriously. Were that to happen, how
ever, it might lead to a continental conflict,
even il England should abstain rom taking
any active part against us by sea or by land.
But this contingency is as wildly improbable
as that we should draw the sword against
England. Differences, Of course, may oc-
cur, as in this African colonial matter, still
awaiting equitable settlement Every such
difference between yourselves and us, how
ever, can only be of altogether inconsider-
able moment compared to the consequences
of an appeal to arms. If we growl little
at one another, that is nothing to be alarmed
at. Looking this African affair straight in
the face, what does it amount to? In your
British Company, believe, about hal a
million sterling is embarked; in our Ger
man company, something less. Put the
two amounts together, and the sum total at
stake does not equal one days expenditure
in mere preparation for great war.
COST OF A GREAT WAR.
"For every man drawn into the ranks BY
the mobilization process we must reckon, on
the average, loss OF shillings a day, his |
earnings. and an outlay of3 shiIlings day |
for his food, clothing, pay and transport. A |
general European war means the mobiliza- |
tion of at least A. 900, 900 OF reserve troops, so
there you have your waste of 1000, 900 per |
diem for two or three weeks, perhaps, before |
a shot is fired. After hostilities commence,
we may take that waste as doubled in daily
amount. All this is without counting the
cost OF commercial standstills, panics, de-
probation of securities, which are more
ruinous than war expenses. In the case of
England aud Germany's colonial rivalry,
the object to be attained on either part or
both parts-if their double success could be
estimated-can never, appraise it as high as
you will, be anything like equivalent to the
certain calamity that would re-
suit from serious Anglo
German encounter with hot lead and
cold steel, all about the PARTITION of regions,
the worth Of which is altogether problemat-
ical. For few trustworthy Europeans know
an nything about these mysterious territories
scarcely even their names. No fear that
England and Germany will ever come to
blows about them. For my part, I feel sure
that Lord Salisbury 5 temperate and states
manlike utterances are more to the English
taste than Mr.. Stanley's hot exhortations
and bitter denunciatlons. Between Germans
and Englishmen it is always easy to come to
a righteous and amicable understanding.
We are both fair-dealing peoples; we know
Dne another we'll, and respect one another
sincerely. There has been so much arrant
nonsense talked and written about this pal
try affair that few plain words, dictated by
common reason, can do no harm"