The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1893-06-25
PRINCE BISMARCK TALKS
He Discourses of Politics, the Army
Bill and Socialism in Germany.
Being Free from Diplomatic Restraints His
Views Find Open Expression and. as Might
Be Expected, Are Bold aud Lively.
W. smalley. In New York Tribune

The Prince plunged almost at once into
politics. but at first they were the politics
of Friedriohsruh. They quite enough
to OCCUPY me" he said. land quite as in.
tractable as any / have had to deal with
elsewhere. For here at Friedrichsruh We
have swans. and ducks. and rats. who will
not live at peace with each other if left to
themselves, and they give me a great deal
of trouble. The swans are not on good
terms with the ducks; in fact. they
want to eat them. or their young.
and the rats are the enemies of both.
1t is extremely difficult to constr ct!a con-
stitution under which they can oil thrive.
or to make them understand what Is best
for each"-then. after pause. and with a
twinkle. especially the rats" He CON-
tinued: II try to make my will prevail
have tried that before. in other affairs, and
sometimes succeeded and sometimes not
but have to resort. as did when l was
Chancellor. tOtsll sorts of devices. They
will not do as 1 say merely be-
cause l say so. The swans have TO be
kept to themselves by a wire fence: as
you Will see. They are the majority, but
msj0rities in Germany do not always have
their own way" This disqulsition on the
politics of the swans and ducks proceeded
for some time with the utmost gravity.
There was no effort to apply the allegory
closely or to identify the swans or the
ducks, still less the rats. with any existing
political party or group. 1t was, neverthe-
less. AZ allegory. and it was possible to
imagine that if one could look into the
Princes mind similitudes might DO dis
The army bill followed not long after the
swans and ducks aud was discussed with
equal gravity. Prince Bismarck's opposi-
tlon to the bill, which the Emperor deems
vital TO Germany. has never been secret.
and Is no secret now. He gave his reasons.
or some of his reasons. for thinking it
bad bill in itself. The army. he admitted.
or indeed asserted. undoubtedly needs
strengthening. but this bill would do it III
the wrong way; or, rather. IL would not
strengthen the army. it would weaken it.
You do not want more men. Increasing
the number of men would mean drawing
of q great many officers TO train the new
soldiers. This would involve the making
officers weakening the army in one most
essential respect. There are not nOn-cOm.
nissioned office enough; not enough who
could drill all these new men and per-
form their present duties You cannot
create them. Where are they to come FRONT
Nor, If you had the men and the
officers all ready for the emergency which
the trainers Of this bill contemplate. could
you use them for an emergency When
war breaks out there will be. at first. per-
haps, three or four battles at different
points about the same time. The result of
these battles may decide the campaign;
must. at any rate. have great influence on
the fortunes of the war. They Will be
fought. 0oo each aUa one of them. by per
of million men. on each side. You can
Gse, that Is to say. for your own emergency
and for what is likely to be the most critical
if not the most decisive moment of the con-
tiict. a million or soldiers. You cannot use
more except for reserves. and for future
battles which may or may not have to be
fought. But you have three millions al
ready. What is the use OF another eighty
mo, what the army wants is moro artil.
lery. We won our last war with France by
artillery. The best artillery will win tho
next, even more certainly. So changed are
the conditions OF war, that without q com.
petent artillery, the best infantry can no
more by itself win o battle than cavalry
we may be still superior to
France, we are not superior in
the same proportion that We were in 1870.
The certainty OF victory depends on our
maintaining not merely q superiority. but
q considerably superiority. That ia what
q wise bill would aim at But this 10 not q
wise bill. nor are the authors of 1t wise.
The Emperor" but at that word came
u pause. men ne resumed changing the
word
The government is weak and short
sighted. 1t has made mistake after mis-
take. 1t has flung away positions and ad.
vantages. not seeming In the least aware
what It was doing AT the time. Just when
il was likely to be in need of money it cut
Oft large source of revenue by Its new
commercial treaties. No one had attacked
these revenues They were not felt as a
grievance or burden. and they produced
army bill. finance and all, BY
way and ruin. and the defeat
of she army IL it be not increased just as
they propose. All this has bad effect ON
they believe ii. on the soldiers; discourages
them and makes them doubtful of them
selves. But there Is little evidence thus
far that the panic that they have tried to
soldiers or among the German people. We
shall know in a few weeks what the Ger
man people have to say TO this new scheme.
and what the fate of the army bill is to be.
The electionsi Well. il is very difficult
to zee where a Government majority Is to
come from. or how they are to govern with
out q majority. 1t is true we carried on
the government of Prussia from 1852 to 1866
without budget and without a majority.
But If l were again in Office, which I shall
Majesty the advice which / gave to the
King of Prussia at that time. Tho circum-
stances are entirely different. and Germany
is not Prussia. / should not do Ii again.
A policy of that kind is not to be drawn
into precedent"
The remark of De TooquevilIe. in the re-
Gently published Souvenirs. occurred TO
me: 81 have always noticed that In politics.
grave errors are often due to having too
good a memory" quoted it. YES" said
the Prince. mere Imitation does not an
swer. No two situations are alike. and q
man should not copy even himself"
He thought the Socialists more likely to
gain strength in the coming cleo
tions than any other party; an
opinion / had already heard in Berlin
and elsewhere. What was said on this
matter of elections should. however. be
taken with reference to the date. The con-
versatIon occurred on the 18th of May. He
was OF the same mind about the Socialists
as when himself In power. The growth of
their numerical power, In the country an1
tiOn of the souldness OF his own policy
toward them. lie would have pursued it
to the end.
Whereas the government. by treating
the Socialists as political party. force
In the country. To he met seriously ana
argued with. instead as of robbers and
thieves TO be crushed. has increased very
much their power aud Importance and the
consideration shown them, / would never
have allowed this. They are the rats of
the country. TO be stamped out. 1 had
foreseen this. and feared il when / per-
ceived the turn things were taking in u
against II. The warning was thrown