New-York tribune., 1896-11-16
p1sMARCK'S SECRETS.
srnr LIGHTS UPON A GENERATION
OF DIPLOMATIC INTRIGUE-rHE
rx-CHANCELLOR's MOTIVES.
London. November {.

.prnch's' cartoon this week represents rrlhce
-,.-,orck as "the old pilot turned wrecker."
49, hand is on the tiller of an open boat and
MS .as ore fastened upon the batte-ship
'r-oIe Alliance" under whose bow torpedo
.obed from his own tube is exploding. This
,,ctorial description Of the effect OF his dis
,'.nre OF State secrets in the Hamburg and
,.,arrs press and it is accurate so far as it
aas His first revelation laid bare the secret
e,rs.a,ding existing between Russia and
orv during the earliest stage of the Triple
,,ocs which was generally supposed to be
,fensive coalition against Russia in the East
France in the West His second disclosure
-.,.aalad A deliberate proposal on the part Of
,xorder II to invade Austria if he could
IN, unon Germany's neutrality during the
so-;od when the Three Emperors League was
a. force In one instance he convicts Germany
- dupcity, and in the other he accuses Russia
=, nerhdy: and in both cases he discredits the
r,lne OF the triple coalitions which have been
corded for a generation as charters of Euro
nssn peace Indirectly. moreover. he impairs
,h,,c confidence in all alliances, whether dual,
,,,ls or quadruple and warns every great
pouer in Europe that it must depend in an
emergency upon its own armies and fleets.
Those revelations have created a painful i'm
,,ssson in every capital of Europe and caused
,r,snse Indignation in official circles in Berlin
and St Petersburg The German Emperor. who
raf,sed 10 renew the secret treaty with Russia
ond thereby opened the way for the present al
lance between St Petersburg and Paris is in
s,ats Of righteous wrath over the ex-Chan-
.s,,or's betrayal Of State secrets; but hesitates
% have recourse TO the Bismarckian laws which
ware vigorously enforced against Count Arnim
The Gar, angry in his turn over the accusation
Iad foil boc
ordered all the documentary evidence relating
70 the secret negotiations between Russia and
Germany TO be laid before him. Meanwhile, the
atmosphere of Vienna. if l may Of
Carlyss phrases. is electric with suspicion. and
Prince Bismarck is condemned in every great
eapj,al as a disturber of European peace.
DIPLOMACY TAINTED WITH INTRIGUE.
While the changes have been rung upon Prince
Bisnarck's dsingenuousness and duplicity in
making secret treaty with Russia after
tering into defensive alliance with Austria
Hungary and Italy, every critical student Of
the diplomatic history of Europe during the
last generation knows what a maze OF selfish
intrigue and hypocritcal cant 1t has been. The
Treaty Of London settled the Danish succession
and was charter of peace in Northern Europe;
but Prussia and Austria. after signing the
a
mark. and France and Russia refused to join
England in enforcing the sanctty of European
treaty law. Those masters Of Continental diplo-
macy, Prince Bismarck and Prince Gortschakoff.
were cheek by jowl during the campaigns
Of Koeniggraetz and Sedan, and the map of
Europe was recast through their secret machi-
nations and agreements. Napoleon ILL., who had
received by secret bargain two provinces for
his services in the Italian campaign, expected
10 get a section of the left bank of the Rhine
in return for his neutrality during the Prussian-
Austrian war. and when he found himself
duped. dragged France into war with Germany.
Russia after cancelling the restrictive clause
Of the Treaty Of Paris. made secret treaty with
Austria by which her neutrality was secured
during the war with Turkey, with the under
standing that she TO have Bosnia and
herzegovina as her share Of the spoils.
II was at the close Of that campaign when
the Treaty Of San Stefano had been dictated at
the gates Of Constantinople, that Great Britain
appeared with her Sepoys Malta and with
her fleet off the Bosporus as the champion OF
European public law; but, after four months Of
hgh-sounding plattudes over the sanctity OF
treaty law and the concerted action Of the
Powers, secret engagements were entered into
with Russia and revealed prematurely by
the London memorandum signed as a secret
basis between Russia and England for the issue
Of invitations TO the Congress OF Berlin, before
Lord Beaconsheld opened negotiations with the
Porte for the cession of Cyprus and defensive
alliance for the protection Of the Sultans
Asatic dominions
This second secret bargain was made on the
day after the invitations to the Congress
sent out; and when the British PlenpOtentia-
ries entered the Radziwill Palace to enforce the
great principle of the sanctity of European
treaties they had in their pockets definite con-
tracts with each Of the two Powers which had
been fighting at Plevna. the Balkan passes and
Kars. England had been camoring for an ad-
1ustment Of the Eastern Conference by Eu-
Topean Council and had refused to allow Rus
sia and Turkey to settle their own differences;
but when the Berlin Congress had been in
sion for a month her representatives. produced
the Anglo-Turkish convention. suffering their
colleagues 10 look al it, but not to revise
invalidate 1t. British diplomatists had deep
pockets in those days and 1t was not strange
that Mr.. Lowe, with bated breath. asked the
Beaoonsheld Government how many nOre secret
treaties were In reserve. Indeed 1t
Tently believed at the time that another secret
convention had been negotiated by Lord Bea-
oonsfeld-one which has never yet been brought
to light.
ENGIAND'S BACKSTAIRS S BARGAINING
The diplomacy OF England, no less than that
OF Europe, was tainted with Machiavellian in
trigue during that era Of secret understandings
and backstars bargaining. The principle OF
collective European action a safe and hon
orable tradition. to which practical diplomatists
paid little heed. Their great strokes of state
craft were arranged by secret compacts and
coalitions: and when European conference like
the Congress Of Berlin. held. its decisions
were anticipated by contracts entered into In
advance by the two Powers directly Interested