The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1896-04-05
BTSMARCK'S HAND IN 1870.
IRIS SECRET WORK REVEALED BY
xIyg OHARLEs OF RoUM1NI1.

an. Frsaeo-Rrussisa War, Aaaas Plain
q, Last-Ths ChssssIor's Lesaine Part
orom the Dsy ne was warned ~ Ma
,.,.on Usun the Eve-i-s or th. F.,sr.i
r-. Despatch, which NE Altered.
For twenty-five years Bismarok's part In
Arnsing on tho Franco Prussian war was
vailed in mystery. Everybody was familiar
nth his famous message TO Austria before the
Austro. Prussian war of 1s0e-'we desire
p.aoc, but do not shrink from . conflict
but nobody with knowledge and authority TO
,pesk told the people Of Germany Just how CON-
~,istently he followed this declaration in the
summer of 1870. All knew that after the de-
feat Of the Austrians at KoenigRrats he be-
iieved that . conflict with France was inovita-
bic: but Just how this feeling Influenced his
course toward france in the critical months
between Jan. 1 and July 15. 1870, none could
say. Tho preliminary history Of the war, as
written down In countless volumes between
1870 and 1895, was that Spain turned volun-
tarily TO Prince Leopold of Hohenzollern-Sig.
maringen when she sought q prince for her va
cant throne in 1893; that after much urging.
he accepted the throne: that Bismarck. like
old King William Of Prussia. declined 10 have
anything to do with the s~o-called Spanish von-
ture, and that Napoleon then forced war
on Prussia, while laborinR under the delusion
that Lsopold's acceptance Of the Spanish crown
was the direct result of . Berlin intrigue.
Most Of the German mon who fought Prus-
h"s .'t war. ehu uhiooo inc
empno sso INC poi,.ioei euase'
Ihe hrk. soro"n Frinoe' moithe' NOON
ana 'no nou rirnoo, are rome VI tne wnole
noroio ssoup vn "nioa "on.rou 'ho "orioe az,
.en'oh TN Ao'e 49, ps""ro u oeeh
.eie s1Anuak eiono, lke = pm on rock.
po. yeaf' " 'nouRne thAs inc worlo must
wN' . IN %en're 70 eApteih the orisin OF
sne eonnioe wnion ouimLneoeo In tne uninoa-
uon o oeln'Hny, anu oissipaoe inc oontradio-
lions ana oooouritics OF tne stories toio by con-
vontionai herman historians. Iho mystery
MAJ Doen cioaleo' however, oy another hand.
Inc Hoooleotlons OF hins hari OF toumanla''
protner OF Frlnoo Leopold OF donenzollern
olemelinson, haVe ooon puoiisneo oS oot-
U OK stuttgsrt 'the publisher VINO 10 ex-
pectod 70 give 70 the world some DAY tho 'Heool-
leouons OF blsmarck'), and from this work
may DO aathered tho material needed to MI
me gaps In tho German histories OF lsos-71.
In the fal OF 1903 spain sought q prince TO
sit on her vacant throne. She turned her eyes
toward the house OF ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
gen and looked with favor on Prince Leopold.
He was Q Catholic. and . son-in-law of Portu-
WA, moreover, . close personal friend Of Ma
poison III. tho Emperor or the French. To DO
sure. he was related to the royal house OF Ho-
hennoLcrn that rotgnod In Prussia. but the re-
lauonship was little more than . medieval her
itge- In February, 1869, 6onor Salasar y Ma
zarcddo, . member Of the Spanish Cortes,
directed tho attention Of his people TO tho
Qualifications Of Prince Leopold to rule them.
".eA III i"sof
Of Leopold. howover. ran q strong Paris preju-
o.e aSn io INC n . 'ne laea
=, "n"u eVon u ono, Sigma
w,s nnbesr.bI. S.no,.on ;nSormsd pan.do,,
E.ano.,, Amb....dori IN nar,;n th., I.ono,d,.
~" nerinn' 'nA' Lcopoios
acceptance OF the Spantsh crown would b re-
~. ~ to,.ra,aa Nv en-. Tr.noh nat,on, q 49,.
DO prevented. Tho Ambassador was to max.
this known to Bismarck, then Chancellor of the
North German Confederation but in 'uoh.away
task. even for a diplomatist of Benedeti's wide
= oo'n ooun.Iios AirenoS UT.
tho mSst ambitious sovereign of Europe behind
~ N. World h.for. hin no. va. bs onnn,nn
oa tn0 wotla Dc DerO ~ MN now was ne. CUNNING
would not appear to DO . threat. yet would
itablep Beuedetti could find no satisfactory
answe, to this question; 90 he merely told Bis.
Inarok that France felt the keenest interest in
the course of events in Spain. Bismarck re.
b4'. uNu " III
son &c ascend the Spanish throne. OF his own
vtsws he said nothing. The truth was that
p,.n,,rok heartily favored the nroi.ct and w.,
ready to do ali in his Dover rn to Hf tu9tSei d II. ""'
IN March Isea prince Karl Anton a.lad
Kine Wiiiism and Rismerch for tb thai onin,an,
Of *. Spanish Venture. BismnrcK deolined 10
fui study Of the law: of the House Of Hohen.
had no riGht 10 forbid Prince Ieonoid's az.
oent.nce az a for.ian GROWN: nj the same time
Ss srnresseS his disaonrovaI of the mndertaT.
ins Meantime the ppoertain honora of tbs
ansnt.h crown had been declined With thank
SSy three Princes. Tho Regency In MADRID was
e. y Wis enGs 70 ts nhu ~ rs,iSnips % orer rev i ! o.
t Il ana tnrbnient speinl IN september
issa ia Saent. Sedor safazar. made a formal
mar Of tho crown TO Prince leopold. NM
Hn0r 80 .arteT sor Soms The ofYer and tSs re.
fnsai bad been kent secret. King William
tr naa nn,htrC ~ a.. neither did Nanoleon' Ris.
mSpck did not learn of the NEGOTIATIONS until