The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1891-03-09
rnE CRISIS In oERMANx.

The events which are now Transporting In
the capitaI of Germany indicate the far
seripc sagacfty of the statesmen OF France.
When the German indemnity had been paid
and few wears experience had shown that
Germany had nc idea Of surrendering Al
SAGE and Lorraine two alternatives were
offered to the French. One was to renew
the war at the first convenient opportunity.
The other was to wear Germany out by
oompellipg her to maintain an army and
navy Oh such footing that sooner or later
she was bound to give way under the strain.
After due reflection the latter alternative
was adopted as the safer.
twas predicated on a sound basis. France
is a rich nation. Germany is not so rich.
France can stand a strain under which Ger
many would break down. The German soil
IS not to be compared in fruitfulness with
that of the French, and though the Germans.
when eXpatIiated, are generally successful
in life they do not, in their country, display
the ingenuity or the enterprise or the money
making capacity which marks the French.
Outside of the Jewish population OF the EN-
nfre rich men are scarce. The people jog
along from generation to generation in the
tracks Of their forefathers, earning modest
livelihood and as a rule seeking nothing
more Among the working class torpor
largely prevails. A German operative often
works fourteen hours day, but his heart is
so little in his work and he requires so many
rests in the course of the day that he pro-
duces smaller results in his fourteen hours
than his son, who came here in boyhood,
will accomplish in eight These peculari-
ties of the German country and the German
people render excessive taxation peculiarly
oppressive. The calculation Of the French
was that by keeping up their armament they
would compel Germany to keep up hers,
and that sooner or later the German people
would rebel against the cost. When that
came about the price OF a general disarma-
ment would be the restoration Of AlSace and
Lorraine.
1t will be interesting to watch the unfold
ing OF the scheme. Just at this moment it is
the Naval Appropriation Bill which has
split the Reichstag, and might have over
thrown Caprivi but for The personal ap-
peals of the young Emperor. We are told
that the Catholic party, which holds the
balance of power in the Reichstag, and
which Bismarck was SO constantly obliged
10 concliate, took the lead in opposing the
Government. OF course religion has nothing
TO do with naval development. The Cath
olics acted not as Catholics but as Germans,
mindful of the perilouS temper of the work
ing classes. The leader of the Catholic
party, Herr Windthorst, is one of the ablest
men in Germany. He saw the Vulnerable
spot in the Government programme and
struck at that. The blow was not fatal, but
a succession of such blows might be fatal
Bismareks way of dealing with the diff
Guilty, which he clearly discerned, was the
ptar,f hr-
repressive laws, which he called anti
Socialist laws, and by using the army which
was enlisted against the French to keep
down the Germans. The young Emperor,
with the righteousness of his age, leaned
toward more liberal policy. He coauetted
with the workingmen and tried to win them
with kindness instead OF holding them down
by fear. But he seems already to have dis
cerned that, if he follows the example of
Louis XVI, he may encounter the like fate.
Concessions in words and future promises
will not reconcile the Germans to a continu-
ance of taxation at "a head for military
and naval purposes. 1t is said that the
Socialist agitation, as it is misealled is more
active than ever, and that the Emperor is
seriously considering the eXpediency OF new
measures of repression.
1t will be vast gain for civilization if the
upshot Of the silent war between Germany
and France should demonstrate that the
age OF territorial expansion by conquest has
passed. Not the least terror which war
has carried in its train is that the van
pushed may lose their nationality aud be-
come subjects of an alien Power which they
detest. If. after an occupation of over
twenty years, the Germans should permit
the people of Alsace and Lorraine 10 decide
by their vote to which nation they would
belong, and their action should be rendered
decisive by disarmament of the German
and French armies, the world would have
good reason TO congratulate itself on the
march of progress,