New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-04-11
BISMARCK'S RETIREMENT.
DISCUSSED BY AN EX-NnNISTER TO GER
MANY
THE HON. ANDREW ID. WHITE TALKS OF THE
CHARACTER OF THE GREAT CHANCELLOR
THE YOUNG EMPEROR, AND THE Pc.
LrTICAL SITUATION IN EUROPE

~. L.,
nent people who occasionally honor syracuse oy .nen
presence is Mr. Andrew ID. White ex president OF Cor
nell University Not only is this the home OF MS chd-
hood but he has business interests In SYRACUSE
and best of ALL lie finds In the nome OF Ills son he'o
reproduction of the family circle that some years ago
used TO gather in the presidents house al cornell
II was on one OF these visits a few days ago thas
The Tribune representative met Mr. Whte'
The eX president was on HIS way !"
Ithaca from the University OF Pennsylvania "here no
had been during the winter. Mr. WHITE Is III goou
health AID expects to do considerable work yet be-
fore he rests from his labOrs His lectures on frehc"
and German history, as well as art and architecture
would ill a dozen good sized volumes; ana these ITO
horcs to revise for publication within the next IL"
wears. But the browning work OF his lie VIII 10
The Warfare of Science which passed through hrss
edition some eight ten years ago. All MS spare
Moments are devoted to collecting for elabora-
ton and extension OF this book, and he has seveFai
expert assistants in Europe and IN TINS country hdu
at work hunting for facts and figures to illustrate tc
warfare that science has waged on "relglon'' III
all ages of the world. Every now and theh new
chapter Of the book mas us Way i"'' ~ f
Science Monthly,
Regarding the downfall OF FRINGE bisHdi'"' A'o'
dent White had this to say
The new Emperor evidently declines 10 hoin ,hd
same position which his predecessors dd, especiay
his grandfather, William l. According 10 'he iorc's"
accounts the break had come on the young Emperors
course i'm relation to the labor question: one thlng
especially to say nothing OF the many Others appears
To proye that Bismarck had nothing 10 90 WIN uio
course decided upon by the Emperor IN this matter al"
especialy the invitation of foreign powers to JON IN
the Naval Conference and that Is, that the foreign
Powers were not sounded beforehand as to whether
tbcv vould ioin the conference not. THIS Is en-
tircy unlike Bismarck and appears to SHOW 's' tero
is some prentice hand in the matter ilal 'io f'n.
peror's adviser, whoever he was, whether HIS WV
tuor or some one else, not accustomed |" the
q.
adopted in the dealings between Germany ana iore'si
c.,tec ON international questions. II looks very nuch
as IL Bismarck felt that this was blow 70 Ills po,oon
which he could not tolerate. rs Chancellor vi u'
Fmnire he no doubt thought himself entitled 20 DECIDE
all such questions, or at any rae' l" '"N' wv
controlling hand in them.
The greatness of Bismarck one can dispute.
To compare the work Of Mcternich with MS is simply
absurd Metternich counter 10 the nam iue''s Vi
the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries "Nho Dis
marck went with them and was, as IL were, inc i'i'
carnaton Of them. IL is curious fact that men
hoo rolitical theories are entirely at variance on
rost any noin with those Of Bismarck and VINO hated
him as the representative Of the idea OF strong s"'
dcspotc Government as compared 10 the 'ol9'"'''"'
ve,r become his most ardent admirers ana s"pp'r'cS'
They saw that he first of all for the ui.y oi "er'
many, which was a condition prc'e"c"' !" N''' "
any political greatness OF GERMANY
Nor IL he 10 be compared 10 stein; each was great
- lis way In his own way stein was greater ma'
than Bismarck, since he had an insight mo "o ~
necessary to pursue for developing the resumes
Germany which Bismarck never has sho"i' D
m,rck has been rather a great born leader OK men,
al times almost a desperado riskng almost 100 h"'h'
but he has always shown an amazing INTUITION vi ~,
n,ton a. regards the true to be pursued WIN
foreign nations. ..,..
.Whle bismarck is to considered as representins
the main idea Of German statesmanshlp that Is, .ns
MITIGATION of Germany this in accordance with ing
tlpra is
the boldness with which he has resisted doctrnares
and theorists even whep the latter were abstTicuS
nearer right than he The great point IS that NJ
has practically that il unity was To be secureh ~
must be done by very strong and stern mecnods ahe
that the ordinary constitutional government must ~
least be held in allegiance, If not permanently mouno"'
As to the present condition Of things, all that can
he said i, that it is one of complete uncertainty AZ
long as Bismarck held control France and Russia wers
likely to remain quiet and Austria ana ltaly couiu "
relied on to hold firmly the alliance system whlch ma
created OF course there is no such certainty ho"'
for there Is no telling what may be IN the nina Oh the
Young Emperor and his advisers. There Is cons
siderable marty in. Germany who feel that Bismarck
was all wrong in his alliance with Austria and that the
natural alliance of Germany is with Russia ana IL may
be that the people of this of thinking may be noe
recognized than they have been. If 50, We may LOOK
for decided change IN Eastern affairs WITHIN the neA'
five or ten years
the mind of the present Emperor is Frederick tho
Great His father and grandfather came to the thioho
at an age and under circumstances when WOULD Hat
ually temper any enthusiasm Oh this SORT 'e'S
greatly But the present Emperor, BENG youh.
man. NAV very naturally he oaptvatcd by the eIeas
career of Frederick. There is similarity IN their
places in two important respects Each came 20 'hs
throne with his military and satcsmanke reputation
o make and. secondly, each on coming To the throne
found himself in possession of strong army unra
similarity might added IN the fact that cach iOund
ready to his hand the germs of European war stll.
the forces that make for peace IN Europe are very
SEEN upon the surface those which seem hHely To
provoke but they not the less powerful war
IN, become terrible, expensive. and IT. Issues 20
uncertain and commercial Interests which are rh.u Dv
widespread ana KNIT INTO an .e rva,1UnS
of life that statesmen while they talk OF war VIII 10
sort to almost every thing rather than allow war to %
have not been for many years a believer in
the imminencc of war a. 30 many havo
6ecn en had years ,Ge most a immediate a nc to tho
chancellor and who knew the sources OF puDna
o oy he DELAYED few months 1t has been DELAYED
all these years by real siaesInansip ana nope lhas
may to be delayed until some great man or
by mutual concessions and partial DISARMAMENT.
have great confidence in the courage, devotion and
power Of the German people Under any haa.rs,1p
he subjected To great trials but such nations are never
destroyed 10y outside force long a. thclr interos
constitution and spirit Is as sound ana strong as tat
Of Germany to-day. Germany Is patriotic TO tina
core: /, brave and relieious in the highest sense
and thoroughly organized both from military ana
civil point OF view. This being the case, believe
that in any struggle which takes place VIII coma
out substantially stronger; at the worst II VIII only
he Obliged To make slight compromises, though tid
PROBABILITY i, that in such compromises ii would
rather gain than lose
\, to the permanency of the 'hanccliors retire.
ment Mr.. White said " bismarck was seyenty ,, ny
is naturally exceedingly robust. his health has be-
much IMPAIRED and If peace continues four or ~,
years lonser he j. most likely To die in rctlroD,ss
The wonder is that he has lasted so long. Nhe' nas
| saw him | did not at all expect II: but ~ -
shown great recuperatve power, and should va, ,iPs
really imminent II is not at all unlikely tirn p ut;u
sentiment; may force the absolute hr"'''A'
iow do Won think the Papacy will beaieSCten py
the retirement of the old Chancellorl' INC iiio~ns
representative asked go ronried Mr.
As 10 the dealings with the Papac, iePnen ',rt
White don't believe that there VII Dc any nc nc
parture from the policy which has Fn P',,, au ~ ~
bismarck because II Is one perfectly , S nS
concession Of what J"st anu re"s
and compatible with the independence on "ern.S,
but nothing Ii is gcner lN u,uo,ss ..p tlao
-. I...... In Ii