New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-09-19
TOASTs.
IMPORTANT ROLE WHICH THEY pr,
IN CONTEMPORARY POLITICS


epoch that post-prandal oratory should hs.'
become one Of the principal instruments, ~
statecraft After-dnner speeches are no,s
days selected by rulers and their Cabinet NJ
listers as the means of making the most NJ
mentous announcements. The final concl,.,.-
of ii treaty Of alliance between Russia o.,
France, which Is destined to play so weIghtv =.
role In the history Of the world. was proclaimaa
by the Car and President Faure in the cou-,.
of the toasts which they addressed to one q,
other before rising from succulent repast a,
board the flagship Pothuau while on eyer,
November . the attention Of the statesmen ana
politicians throughout the civilized world 9,
concentrated upon the Lord Mayor OF London.
inaugural banquet owing to the practice OF n.
Prime Ministers Of the British Empire To Pa
serve for that particular occasion their mos,
important utterances OF the entire year con.
corning the foreign policy Of England.
1t is a custom which. far from calling 10,
criticism or ridcue. merits on the contrary
commentator. For no matter how temperate
men are likely to take a more genial and kindly
view OF things toward the close OF a good dime,
than when their stomachs are empty; nor 4,
the atmosphere of conviviality which prevails a.
such times without softening influence
upon any tendency that there may be to az.
gressiveness and luminosity. Indeed. 1t NAV
he questioned whether the maintenance OF peace
between the civilized Powers Of the world
during the twenty-seven years which have
eIansed since the Franco Prusslan War Of 1870
is not attributable in a great measure to the
part played in modern Sstatecraft by aftetdh.
ner speeches.
CLEARLY THOUGHT OUT.
II must not. however. be gathered from this
that these post -prandial political utterances arc
spoken on the spur Of the moment. or that the
sentiments expressed are wholly due to the
promptings OF a contented digestion. With thu
exception Of Emperor William there is not Z
ruler or statesman who delivers speeches Of this
character without mature reflection and prepa.
ration. Thus all the toasts OF the present Gar
since his accession have been read by him from
a slip of paper and the terms employed therein
have been invariably we'll weighed and dis.
cussed beforehand, usually with his Foreign
Minister. That may serve to explain why they
are so brief and formal in tone, conveying the
impression that Nicholas Is anxious not to say
n word beyond what Is absolutely necessary.
II accounts. too, for the anger which he mani.
tested last year when he found that the teIt
Of the toast which he pronounced at Breslau on
the occasion Of his visit to Emperor William
had been altered by German Court dignitsries
in a more friendly sense to their Kaiser before
they issued the official version thereof to the
press agencies for publication. II Is doubtful
whether Nicholas has ever really forgiven this
almost Incredible piece or deceit practlsed a.
mis- expense with the manifest object Of dirnn.
lshing the warmth Of the welcome which he wa
to receive e. few weeks later in Paris The Trick
was subsequently laid bare during the course
Of the trial Of Police Commissioner Won Tausch
and Of his titled press agents at Berlin.
FRENCH THE LANGUAGE USED.
1t Is precisely with the object Of avoiding any
possible misinterpretation or distortion that the
Car invariably uses the language OF diplomacy.
namely. French, in delivering his post -prandl
toasts and his example in this respect is fol-
lowed by every other European sovereign eX.
ceJI Emperor William. Indeed King Humbert
who spcaks list as perfect German as the
Kaiser himself. made point last week at Hon,
burg Of responding in precise brief and formal
French to the fulsome and long-driwn-out Ge'
man eloquence OF his Teuton host and ally. AM
when old Francis Joseph Of Austria visited s.
Petersburg last spring all his after-dinner uttsf
ances were couched in the Gallo tongue a.
though he IS Just as proficient in Russian
Nicholas is in German.
Emperor William declines. however. TO be
bound by this rule with regard 10 the use o.
French. and when at st. Petersburg last month
disconnected both his Imperial host and al
present while responding to the chillnsy
cold short French toast OF the Museoyns
Autocrat In an extraordinary Grafton o.
considerable length, spoken half in Ger.
man and half In Russian. and during the
course OF which he made use OF eXtrayagan.
expressions Of subserviency. describing himse.
as laying at the feet" Of his Imperial hos,