New-York tribune., 1896-11-18
THE BISMARCK EPISODE.

Prince Bismarck, has not gone 10 IaHoSS"'
There were those. fortnight ago. VINO were
ouite sure he would have to do So Ills as
founding revelations in die Hamburger Nach-
richten" had not only shocked Europe out hhi
exhausted the forbcarancc OF the emperor.
The old Chancellor would surely be brought to
book I'm the seyercst fashion, He would per-
hans he mpeached. His newspaper wo'ild pe
suppressed At any rate he was to be sum
mOned to Berlin, to give personal account vi
himself and of his doings to the Emperor As
for his revelations. they were false. or nj least
much exaggerated. 1t was therefore not so
much for his betrayal Of State secrets thht lie
was TO be punished as for his falslilcatioh "l
thcm-in fine, his gross libels upon the lImpcriai
policy.
Very we'll. That was fortnight or more
ago. Several things have happened since; ana
several have not happened. Prince BismarcH
has not been impeachcd. nor summoned TO Der
lin. nor punished in any way. and "Die Ham
burger Nachrchen" has not been suppressed
Prince Bsmarck's revelations have peeh
proved to be letter perfect in their accuracy.
On Monday the Reichsag met. and the Gov
ernmcnt was ntcrpellatcd on the matter
Common expectation was that l'rincc Bls-
marck would be ccnsurcd. excorat"d But
the present Chancellor Prince Won Hohenlohe,
merely murmured that he really couldn't say Il
thing about it. except that German policy was
not dictated by England and that he peheV'u
the Triple Alliance all right. Then came
the Foreign Minister. Frcihcrr Marschnll Won
Rieberstcin. He. too. mumblcd his speech:
begged the House To let the whole matter drop:
assured his hearers that German policy was
equally honest and independent; hoped the
pcnce Of Europc was secure: and was positively
certain Prince Bismarck was u very great man
and n very successful diplomat. After him. Il
few voices and nothing more. Net result, II
sweeping. unaualificd overwhelming personal
victory for the Man Of Blood and Iron. csiab-
fishing beyond all cavil the absolute truthful
ness of his revelations and his own absolute
freedom to make rs many more aS he pleascs.
But In what plirh, the victory leaves both
victor and vanquishcd. He was the Honest
Broker" the diplomat who fooled his oppo-
nents by telling the truth when they, in ac-
cor,lancc with immcmorial precedent. took ii
for granted he was telling lies. And now he
is f-pillorcd rs guilty Of such dupliciy
nay. triplicity. muliiplcity.-as would hnvc
given Tallcyrand an ague and scared Meter
nich out OF his boots. The most Chauvini>t
Frcnchman never said anything Of him more
bitter than that which he himself cynically
avows. and which Emperor. Chancellor ana
Rechstag confirm as truth. Az for his foes.
in what better plight are they; They stand
convicted Of n desire and attempt ia conceal.
even to deny. his irickcry. for the prcsumptiyc
reason that they wanted To be- able to repeat II
themselves Germany Is revealed as an ally
whom it would be- folly To trust and This ~
the very time when she stands most In need Of
allies Taking this episode together with the
wretched failure of the concert at 'onsan-
tinople. il is doubtful II European diplomacy
was ever more sgnaly dscredIfcd in a single
year than II has been In 1896.