Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1891-11-08
What's the Old Fellow Driving At.

Prince Bismarck's challenge to the
Strasburg Post to publish the minutes of
the German cabinet meeting of March IL,
which resulted in the famous order of the
cabinet Gismissing a chancellor unwilling
to go, or the text of Prince Blsmarcli's let
ter of the 18th conveying his resignation,
attracts much attention, and if the en-
peror does not allow the publication of
these papers, the attitude OF Prince Bis
marck will continue to be ear
nestly discussed by politicians, not
only in Germany, bat throughout
the continent. Herr Richter, German Lib
eral leader, in speaking on the subject to-
day, said: 1T is evident that Prince Bis
marck's controversy is with German affairs
at a time when his experience was of pc
culiar value; that since that time the new
director that is, the emperor) has for
saken the right path, and that the conse-
quences are fraught with danger"
This is a bold criticism, but the eX-chan-
cellor goes further. He is a member of the
reichstag, and there he intends to have the
matter out. 1t is very difficult to guess
what purpose Bismarck intends to serve by
this startling course. 1t may be that he
merely wishes to justify himself and exact
IA PREPARATION" for the injury which he
thinks was done him. This single explana-
ton seems to satisfy most observers, but
there are others who can't help thinking it
possible that there is more behind it and
that the real purpose is to turn the policy
of Germany back to its old course and
thus avert the danger that Prince Bismarck
forebodes. a review of the German policy
and its recent changes will show what this
danger is. Generations of Prussian kings
have been on intimate terms with the cor
responding generations of cars. Bis
marck never faltered in his policy of alli-
ance with Russia. The treaty with Austria
was makeShift adopted when
the Russian alliance became doubtful after
the Berlin congress of 1873. For time
there was triple alliance of the three en-
perors, but by degrees Russia dropped out,
marck seems all along to have preferred
the Russian alliance. He was ready to be
as Russian as possible to gain or to keep
it. In 1885 he balanced himself
adroitly between Austria and Russia,
moderating the zeal of both and succeeding
eventually in averting the danger of col
lision between them. On q famous occa-
by proving that certain dispatches
which had annoyed that potentate
were forgeries. When the Emperor
William II. came to the throne
the question of the relations with Russia
must have been the first and most impor-
tant OF all, for the new monarch's first visit
was to st. Petersburg. At that time the
VI OS pISSuUlcu " nave UtGu lUl-
lowing Prince Bismarck's advice, but |
after the change of chancellors
the first important act of policy was the re-
newal of the triple alliance with Austria
and Italy. This was another step away |
from Russia The temptation is strong to |
suppose that Bismarck would have pre-
ferred the restoration of intimate relations |
with the car, and that the change that he |
ieplores was widening instead of a |
filling up of the breach with Rus |
sia. The evidence which would most |
iecislvely confirm this conjecture would, of !
course, be that of the emperor The I
Saiser can hardly be expected to |
reply to Bismarck, yet he makes many |
speeches, some of which hardly |
AIRY upon their face sufficient e1- |
Dlanation of their tenor. Thus, the |
emperor frequently asserts that /
he alliance with Austria is unshakable
Only few days ago he caused German |
military attache at Vienna to declare on
lis behalf at ceremonial dinner, that the 4
:illa2ee was permanent. The hearers
so(Utat loss TO understand why |
{ was thought necessary to |
'eiterate this statement since mo |
me has ventured to deny the solidity |