New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-06-16

The most surprising feature of the sensa-
tiop,l Incident Mt the German Union banquet
NJ Moscow WAS the part Prince Henry of Prus-
Gin nloved I'm II Had it been his imperial
brother. there would he no cause for wonder
mcnt His autocricy and PruSsianism arc well
known But Prince Henry has hitherto been
rcckoncd n sclfcontaincd and statesmanlike
voung man. not at all likely to make such
spcctaclc of himself as he did on this occasion.
pcrhous the exclamation of it Is 10 be found
In the manner of his reception ut Moscow, wheh
he went thithcr for the coronation On arrlV-
Ing ut the station hc found not person there
to meet him, when etiquette. Of course, required
the presence Of at least ono OF the RUSSIAN
pranddukcs He was 20 angry that his suite
had much difficulty in disSuading him from
returning To Germany by tho next train. II
NAV be that that incident so disturbed his
usually placid disposition as To leave him Just
spolling for a fight" and 50 led straight to his
amazing performance m the German Union.
In the latter affair he was Enthusiastically in
the wrong What occurred was this Inc
chairman in n speech referred TO the other Ger
man princes present IA members OF Prince
IIcnry's suite. which they were not, and as
vassals Of his brother the King OF Prussia and
German Emperor which. of course. they were
not and are not. II said ignorantly. that was
colossal blunder. II said dcsgncdly. II was
nm lniolcrablc insult No one knew that better
than Prince Henry He should have been The
first 20 spring to lis feet TO protest against the
uttcrancc and 10 correct the speaker But he
was not He remained seated and silent, In ap-
parent approval Of the outrageous speech
Thcrcupon Prince Louis Of Bavaria. the heir
apparent OF the Regent Of that Kingdom, arose,
and. with passionate but entirely pardonahlc
energy OF speech interrupted and corrected the
chairman. and declared that Bavaria and the
other States were not vassals but allies OF
Prussia. every whit rs independent In their
sovereignty rs Prussia Itself. That was en-
tlrcly true But Prince Henry was In no mood
10 listen 10 H. and 50 he rose and stalkcd out
Of the room in high dudgcon
The august occasion Of this incident and the
eminent personality OF III, chief actors In IT
have served 10 magnify II into international
importance. Probably no serious harm has been
done But attention has been called anew 10
the "irrcprcsSiblc conflict" between Prussia and
the other German States. The question is not
one Of loyalty 10 the Empire. II Is simply
whether the Empire is 10 mean Germany or
Prussia. There Is no doubt as 10 Prusslas de-
sire. or rs 10 the PruSsAn Kings desire. The
history Of that Kingdom for many years has
been record Of land grabbing. Of violent con
quest Of aggression upon the rights of other
Independent States. William III would doubt
less be glad 10 make Bavaria and Wurtrmberg
and all the rest mere provinces under the Prus
sian Crown. and his brother apparently has the
same desire. But for every fresh manifesto
ton OF PrusSianlsm there Will surely be- as
there IS today, an equally strong manfcsta
ton OF partcularsm and II will be the former
more than the latter that WILL If anything shall
imperil German unity.