New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-05-04
NEW PUBLICATIONS.
EMPEROR WILLIAM Ii


THE GERMAN EMPEROR AND Ills EASTERN
NEIGHBORS. BY ponltney BiGelow. 1Gmo. PIP
l70. Charles L. Webster & Co.
Mr.. Bigelow is personal friend OF the Emperor
william II. They were brought up together rs bows
eIner tie same tuition. and from this Intimacy
special knowledge OF the Emperor's character may
very we'll have resulted. The papers devoted 10 ue
character and tendencies of the young ruler Oh Ger
many In this volume largely apooseuc' Inc
writer refuses to in the more or less wld utter
ances OF William III any evidence Of defective ]uue
ment. His position generally Is that the surprise
felt by Americans and Englisbmen at tvesc Swings
Of the Emperor is rea, due TO their mlsnnoers'hds
OF the German national attitude aud neceeSiues' AZ
cording TO this view. there IS In "ernapN ho se
opposition that somewhat rampant and c'rriioV
dominant Institution which the Emperor represents.
pether is there In Germany any feeling OF resentment
because OF the absoutist sentiments to when he I'D"
given MT ersuce on the contrary. the German pco'
ple fy recognize the necessity OF suborflna'lhg cVc
thing m the maintenance of the army, and thcN cF
fully accept all the restrictions upon PERSONA "oo
dom which are Involved in the military regime
The young Emperor Is represented as man WIN
.,orouoh,v understands both himself and his time
and who has done his country service IN freeing 'ne
Government from Prince Bismarcks an'ocra'io ''e'""
and policy In support of this the aSseru"" j. ""'o
TINT the Socialists who were increasing '"I'"'s :"
numbers and power throughout BismarcRs ao'','nsm
ton have lost ground from the time ne retired i"c
Emperor Mr. Bgelow tells us. is an indeniugaole
worker man who readily assimilatcs new IDEAS WHO
Is resolved to keep the peace OF Europe 'at NC poSs
BILE hut who Is less determined TO be rcahy lor wal
Mt all points, and prepared at any moment 10 ngh'
France and Russia together. Mt Bieciow mas HUG
confidence in the peaceful Intentions ana professions
~ the Gar whom he evidently regards as the dSturbcr
not the pacfcator. OF Europe. His travels In Ru
mania, Bulgaria, and on and about the DANUBE !"
various directions, have convinced MIN that an az
rrcssye movement the part OF Russia VIII not De
tho fpvv -ardtn nf
Russian troops to the frontier is and has been for con-
.idcrable period proceeding steadily. The German
frontier Is thus already threatened, and the temper OF
the Cars Government, and OF the Gar hlmseil'
toward the Emperor william and the Germans Gcner-
ally Is distinctly hostile.
OF the Emperors habits Mr.. Bigelow says ain
spe OF the pomp that custom demands Of an imperial
court the German Emperor is man OF siDGulnry
sImple md lpalthy tastes. When he is out OF Office
hours his recreation Is largely taken with his children
In their nursery. dropping in at the house OF a
personal friend end begging cup OF tea and cosey
chat. lie kpows the value OF knowledge. ana while
the machinery OF his Government provides him with
elaborate reports on every subject and from every
corner of the world, he st prefers 10 study his peo
Die at first hand and never loses an opportunity Oh
seeing for himself what is going on about him. lie
reads Of course, all the new books OF importance
sees the good plays and assists in bnnHns iorwafn
such rs have merit: be takes pleasure In running
into artists workshops at unexpected hours ready
TO meet any one who has idea OF interest. When
think OF him the business manager OF prarucai
political corporation, am constantly lncnco 10 looH
for the key to his success aDd popularity III Germany
by quoting tie laconic opinion OF him expressed by
an American officer who presented to him Tor the
first time at the Baltic manoeuvres 1890 He came
away from his audience flushed with excitement. ana
expected vigorous Ieproof from the fact that thS
officer had been drawing his impressions OF Germany
principally from Paris and 81: Petersburg. What 90
You think OF bin now7' asked nonsense lie |
has a equine Yankee head or him. 1t only need be
added that this compliment the highest in the
court vocabulary of my fellow countryman."
This German Emperor with "a Yankee head on MN
has, all know, army so great mat IL ioom> over
Europe portcntously In separate paper Mr. Bseo"
gives the statistics Of this great forc and II deserves
to be read carefully. for II Is not The Nnd CT army
which in 1870 Napoleon III fatally relied upon.
Germany toleratcs paper soldiers, and no UNFRAMED
ones She requires but eight days for mobilization ana
at the end that period she can put In the field, per-
fectly equipped in every respect over million OF men,
Tho active strength OF Germany amounts 10
e.o34,631 of which o.165.950 are non-commissoned
officers and men, These figures "do not include the J
STATS and personnel Of the stay-at home army estaD
shments, the seven hundred thousand trained men OF
the Second Reserves, called Landsturm. and the rail
way staff, made up largely of old soldiers amounting
10 about three hundred thousand men, Mr.. Bgeow
gives an interesting though brief resume of the rules
which govern the military education OF the German
recruit. As he advances the aim of the instruction
Is to mike him familiar with all kinds Of service as
nearly as possible under the conditions which would |
exist In actual The autumn form the
climax of his training and here great bodies OF men
are handled in manner to test the efficiency Of the
officers less than that of the With 100000
thoroughly trained and disciplined soldiers; I'M
mense artillery force every appliance for transporta
ton communication, and supply that science, in
genuity and experience suggest, Germany may
we'll be thought ready for whatever the future has in
store; and for moment Is the movement and
energy necessary to the maintenance Of this state of
readiness permitted to relax or slacken.