The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1896-01-15
A LONDON JOURNALS QUESTION.
Will the German Emperor Be King Of
England

(From London Society, Jan. 4, 1885, }
1t will astonish most people to hear that
there are considerable fears in certain
select circles than on the death of Her
Majesty the Queen-an event which all
true Englishmen pray may be deferred
for many years to come-a claim of sue
cession will be put forward that may lead
TO serious trouble in Great Britain. Some
time ago a paragraph appeared in few
or the daily papers vaguely limiting at
trouble with Germany upon the demise
of the Queen, and it appeared that for
some mysterious reason the Emperor was
threatening Great Britain with war, a
conflict delayed out of consideration to
his august grand mother, Nothing more
was heard of this rnmour, and any little
attention that might have been attracted
to it died out. the whole thing appearing
canard But it would seem that there
was measure of truth in the statement
after all, and from an article in the
Frankfurter Zeitung, and still more by
pamphlet circulated with the greatest Sec
recy amongst German notables, such
measure OF truth that would seem to call
for Immediate and careful consideration
OF the whole matter at the hands of Eng
lish statesmen. The Frankfurter Zeitung
is.a journal of repute, not given to pub
fishing sensational and apooryphal stories
and the account it contained is here close
ly translated as follows:-
We receive from European diplomat
OF high standing the following commune
cation. 1t has been sent to us in way
that we are not at liberty to disclose, and
it opens up a vista OF future European
applications that VIC view at once with
astonishmenb and alarm. We cannot re-
gard the matter but as very serious. COIN
ing as ii does from person who is emil
neutly lifted to be acquainted with such
facts, and who we know to be very much
in earnest. We give the communication
as indicating the existence of a deeply
hidden current, whose aims cannot be
yet determined, and as in some measure
explaining certain remarks of an Impe-
rial parsonage that have mystifled state g.
men unaware of the facts we now pub
lish.
Many people will be astonished to
hear of an English Succession question,
yet it exists. The Prince Of Wales was
born in 1641; his sister. the Empress
Frederick, was born in 1910. AS rule it
is thought that sons have precedence of
daughters in the heirship of thrones.
But in England this has bean discovered
not to be the case. The laws OF succession
in the Royal Family Of Great Britain
say nothing of heirs male in particular,
make no difference between sons and
daughters, but speak of children only.
Thls sensational discovery was first made
known Ill lettor from the late historian,
Froude, and the idea has found adherents
Ill England-Lord Lonsdale. Lord Meth
uen, and latterly Mr. w. r.. Stead. of the
Reylew OF Reviews. In Germany, Won
Moltke had spoken Of it before his death,
and in certain circles Prince Bismarck
has pointedly alluded to it more than
once. England has ever been grea ter
under the Queens than under her Kings,
and Victoria II. would be very popular.
Curlously enough, though, the Princess
Royal, when approached, wished to de-
cline the honour, because on her death the
crown would devolve upon her eldest son,
Emperor William H., whose ambition
she fears. and she thinks it impossible to
unite the two gigantic Empires. But she
has declared that the Grown should go to
her younger son, Prince Henry of Prussia
Disagreement between herself and her
eldest son is well known to exist. and its
oiiSih was Cnls expression OF opinion on
the part of the Empress. The Emperor,
however, Insists upon getting his rights
as eldest child of the eldest child, and, as
suoh, by the English Law of Succession,
the heir to the Grown of Great Britain,
and no one else. To certain persons no
has expressed himself as convinced that
union OF the two Empires would be of
advantage. not only to Great Britain and
Germany. but to the whole world, and
that that union should certainly take
place. The German Emperor is not the
man to allow his rights to be infrineed.
but he has sufficient tact not TO make any