The morning call., 1894-02-01
BISMARCK AT BERLIN.

The reconciliation between Emperor
William and Bismarck has been regarded
as nothing more than restoration of cor
dial understanding between the young
monarch and the faithful minister of hl:
grandfather. But the careful reader Of
! the German press discerns reasons for the
burial Of the hatchet which do not appear
on The surface. Under the calm serenity
of German politics volcano smolders.
1t was supposed that the reluctant as
| sent of the Reichstag to the proposed in
crease OF the army meant an imperial vic
tory over the Liberal party in Germany
But it appears that though the representa-
tive body did vote as the Emperor wished or
the new army corps bill it did not follow
up the vote by an appropriation Tor the
| support of the new levies, and the recent
| financial schemes of Capriyi TO increase
taxes do not command its approval. Ac-
cordlng to the best informed observers the
Government money bills have no chance
of becoming laws. in which event the En-
| peror will get the authority 20 raise new
troops, but no means of paying them.
| Again. since Bismarck's retirement the
| three dangers W hich he feared have all ma
terialized. Russia. from being firm ally.
| has become hostile and is coquettiDg with
| France; Bavaria and Wurtemburg are
talking secession. and Italy foresees that
it must break loose from the Dreibund or
take the chances of insurrection at home.
To cap the climax the solid Government
majority in the Reichstag which voted as
Bismarck directed has been dissolved, and
the socialist party which he divided is
! a 10
be suspected that, with such a crop of
perils enyironing the regime, William be-
thought himself of inviting the old minis
ter to renew relations which might enable
the Government to seek his counsels in
the hour of trouble.
When that hour comes, however, Ger
many will he apt TO seek leadership from
some one younger than a veteran who will
be 80 next year. And even if the man of
blood and iron were younger the difficult
ties which now surround the imperial re-
gime would task his ability. The trouble
with Germany is that the empire was an
artificial creation, and that the laws Of
nature and political science were set on
one side to call it into being. Nature and
science are now reasserting themselves.
and the artificial fabric is lettering Bis
marck tried to extend Prussian pipeclay
over all Central Europe. The endeavor
succeeded so long as wars succeeded each
other at intervals of five or six years, but
when a long stretch of peace came the
common-sense of the German race rebelled,
and people felt that German men were
entitled to higher destiny than to be
food for powder. 1t seemed smart in Bis
marck to harness Bavaria and Wurtem-
burg to the imperial chariot, but after all
this was only what Napoleon had done,
and the moment the whip was Withdrawn
Southern Germany reverted to its normal
antagonism to Prussia.
The whole regime whic the Chancellor
inaugurated was at variance with German
tendencies and German thought The
Germans are as liberty loving as Ameri-
cans. Their professors are masters of
political science. An anti-liberal reaction,
which restored the policy of Metternich,
was abhorrent to them. Yet Bismarck ig-
nored their diseOntent, and went on
placidly trying to cheat them with liberal
institutions which were a sham and to
bully them with an army which was a
reality. To finish the work, an Emperor
who was respected and another Emperor
who was loved were succeeded by a young
swashbuckler who can neither be respect
ed nor loved. and who seems to aspire to
revive at the end of the nineteenth GEN.
tury the principles of Frederic Barbar.
ossa. 1t is no wonder that all Germany is
seething and chafing, and that the So
cialist party is forging ahead toward the
control OF the Reichstag. It is impossible
to override the laws of nature or IN con
trovert successfully the proposition that
two and two make four. Monarchs and
statesmen sometimes try to set aside these
immortal truths, and now and then sue
ceed for time: but the time comes to an
end. and then the reaction is apt to be
sharp.