The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1892-12-04
THE MAKTNG OF AGREATWAR
BTSM4RCK's FULL STORY OF THE
FATEFUL EMS DESPATCH


Received BefOre tho Party Broke Up.
| All the world knows to-day OF Prince Bis.
marck's recent assertion that he "doctorcd"
| the fatcful Ems despatch which prcciritated
! the Franco Prussian war OF 1901. The cir
cumstanccs OF this questionable lit OF states.
manshp the exact uso to which lie Put his
blue pcncil. and the degree OF support nc.
corded t. him by tho other great mon of prus.
sia. were. however. merely suggested Ivy his
quotation OF Moltkc's words that the despatch.
before nn order to retreat had been trars.
formed into m or Ter to change. IN Nov. -.
the Vienna N,up Eceie PrcSsc. which has been
semi. officially Bismarckian ever since tho
Prince gave tho editor an interview at tho
time Of tho Bismarck Hoyos wedding. printed
n full account Of tho editing Of tho Ems
despatch. its circum stances. and immediate
consequences as related years ago by the
Prince to friend. who now communicates 1t
for the first time to the world. Tho iricnrs
excuse for the apparent violation Of conn !cnrs
is the freeloni with Which Bismarck has talked
out tho most secret things Of German diplo-
macy.
"Some years ago." says tho writer. II In
company with several conspicuous members
OF the Reichstag passed an cNcnn: in the
hospitable palace Of the Imperial Chancellor.
Prince Bismarck was exceptionally good
natured AMI communicative lie suoke. how
ever in tho apparent confidence that he could
trust the good Judgment OF his guests TO main
tain strict secrecy. and. therefore,. dis
cussed without reserve the most dell.
cate personal and official questions. Hchwet
Mt length upon tho events preceding tho
Franco rrussian war. Immediately uron his
return home tho write" Ut these lines made
careful notes Of all that the Prince had said,
although III that time there was no thought
oil nuUlishin. them
IN" writer then quotes Bismarck's state.
mssnts; ,--,
"a wreath oflcgnnds is ALWAYS wound around
sycry great historical event, md generally tor
sr"yrd. When thenrroar hrok" ioosr in Part.
r,99ncernin; the can i!ncy of lrin q l..npod "t
wa, in Ems and was in Narain. Tho French
behaved AS re.klessy a. rn,s,i,nIe, worst Il
ior the latter was. not, riunl to tno
situation in any respect and haI absolutely -, NJ,
ana boasiing upon tho legislative body in
Paris. For US the situation wa, cxtrem.ly
and. a. the necessity Of a ilnal settlement Win
| France had long been APPARENT TO us all. the
TS%"rs S'f Tar@ "SH for ?S n s'rSH s %"
Ne H. imn"tttIint questions OF tho hour Win
III incc Anton OF lIohenzollern has. for the
s"n Leopold Ev"ryihns ~ now T ali MATT ii "'s
wa. fnmtonnnGi I ~ ,ns d, h,I"snn,.n and
otter THS SS as av" r I: aS Ar
,i,eh IN 'tr.in, told nolan4t To- t;ieSraih
n"mS ..t w%nd rH,urn j" '"rtH nais cont At
mnni"atrl to Ills MAJESTY M resignation as
Minister PRESIDENT ., and TsArral Chan.
IHs eject TINT i should Come, to
Ems the whole game will b. ur: at best. We
Will como I" a r,ttrn comrr"mise. and tho
impnssihlr must ito al in my power to bring
his MAJESTY to iieriin, where no can feel the
Ems: that leave Berlin at this time is not to
he thought Of
aons E and Hn frsn 'a a mo
tim" all possible to push matters to II crisis.
graph. asked my advice. ard ~w"rcd. with,
On the rvcnin. of July ii lad invited Moltks
aud Eoonto dine with me and ". discussed ut
We all hoped that Frances foolish behavior in
making the nnpr. .rtentei r"rnr>t Tor his
for tie alsnish throne, would not HS allowed
dcs.t'ch from Ems came. 1t began with tho
Alter the news. Of the decnation Of the
commandment officially by ,he, royal SPANISH
ment. ,Io French Envoy Ii'snedei,ii in Ems
made tho demand upon, his MAJESTY for
Majesty. the King pledges himself for all the
iutur" never again 10 Gir" his consent in case
Then came long explanation. Tho SUBJ
ton t" what he had already t"h icnchv,,L
,"umI lrm"detti accepted this answer thank
i Hs 7;",s1 mot he M T%A S" nrna
requested another meeting with his Majesty.
Whit G- MAJESTY had made to to h him on Tie
lromrn"dr' Then the dr,mt,ch proceeded:
r"ccV: the r~nh rSv"y asan AMI "yi h"G h e.
n'"r'n"d thron.h an adJu'"nt that his MnIes;
~ he" H read his I"1I E loon s " and
Nl"ltk" let iai knife and fork aud pushed back
n tl" ts '"Hi :py I[S " hal IL
f",llns that tho whole, affair would come to
""'""E r4 9y 5 "rHa %s% Of war rea,
81 carablc that We rnn Ib"gIh war with tho
FcT sF %as HIM as 81 rock in his condonc.
In the army, W" have never had II ! rtte' in;
sstrnm" n he said; than at ,ia moment.
he sSscnsss ii M"Itks is si.,eMss s confirmed
.I IT., go on n, With your dinn"r .rpl!cd
the dining table. read til. despatch carefully
through; ana then took my rcncil and sru,k
the head and tail. Now The despatch waa
rcn,i il I" Mot&. %rd loon Toth cried out;
.".,,;Srl'n.i.h! That mus, do tn" business.
Ia, once gave orders for I'll. trrsrn.,ninE OF
the despatch TO all newspapers and foreign
learned Of the effect which the dcsratr! had
ha'; in Paris Il had laden liz, bonn. While
III !i'l an Insulting bTbI o~il Hiu Decn mho
to our King, the DESPATCH worked upon the
French p"u.ie exactly as II their chief
rrurca' ntative had been rudcly repealed BY our
King. III" Who'll" boulevard gang was Of III"
opinion that this could not Ia cnuurcd. Tho
cry. On to Berlin WAS raised hy the yelling
mob. The proper temper WIS there
And in GERMANY tho effect was the same as
in France The King nt MY pressing request
terminated his visit in Ems. came 10 Iiurliu
dumi"urdnl rvcrywErr" hy u" great en-.
thuSaSm shown hvthn pourl". Tue IN "srrih-
nblo demonstration that il" receive! IN ler-
lin touched the old gentleman IT, ms hearts
core, His eyes were Wet with tears. lie
realized then that it WAS national war,
peoples war. which tho iculle dcsIlei. which
TN" people needed,
already. ir'or" lis arrival in Berlin We
ha received III" Kings cou."U. intho mOhil-
E.tion o! par. uf the nv. As the Crown
lrinCo stepped from the Val tram he spoke
purIo>"ly III u very loud tone q tn" approach
ing munii2ation and thon IN" rhcernE hroks
lOOs q AGAIN. BY he time ~" bad reached ths
NJ .LLll In In