The times., 1897-09-22
PRINCE BlsMARcK's OPINIONS
The Present status of France, Eng.
land and Germany in Europe.
(From The London Times.)


(FTom the London Times)
Prince bismarck mas become prolific In
interviews of late. His critics, indeed, ac-
cuse him II giving way 70 the garulous-
ness of age. Soue Interesting bits of his
tory have been mado public in connection
with some of his comments upon current
events. Discussing tile FFanco-Russian al.
lance the Gauiois represents him as say
ing:
THE chief topic OF conver sation be
tween the Emperor and the Car, as well
as between the Car and VI. Faure, must
have turned Oh the subject OF England
In spite of the slight sympathy for the
selfish policy Of England, l fear that all
these effo5 Us at Peterhor have been made
quite in vain. 4 serious active, working
entente, with q very definite pTogra II.
and u great deal of penetrating insight
and tenaCity would be required To reach
u result capable Of moderating English
prctensions. I am perfectly sure that
Germany VIII rot compass it, and we
might have TO repent undue naggng OF
the English As for France, she has not
To complain of her position in the World,
which she owes as much to her relatioIs
with Russia as to iier army, now We'll
rcoI ganized, and her prudent and honest
government. l am not an enemy of France,
but tie difficulty she finds in accepting
the fait accompu uf the integrality u
the German empire has always inspired Ia
me prudent mistruSt. 1 said to
Ferry: Seek some compensation. Found
colonies. Take outside of Europe what
ever you ike: you can haveit; and Ferry,
without my ever having sought to create
for him the Slightest embarrassment quite
the contrary obtained Tuns.
In acting thus I annoyed not only the
English. but our friends, the Italians, as
we'll If Jules Ferry had not understood
ne, I shorld have had some sufficiently
anxious nmments iu the region or the
Vos.eS, and who knows what would have
occurred? Certainly it would he a very
good time to recover the SueZ Canal and
Egypt from the English bat ! DO rot he
lieye that in France there Is really auy pas
sOnate interest in this question. They are
right there, perhaps 10 wait for Us Ger
| mans 20 become still more deeply involved
| in our foreign policy, FOR at present we have
| neither leadership nor principles; in fact,
nothing, nothing whatever. It is a case
| of general cropping and waste of the stores
| of influence V hiSh l had accumulated" !"
| Again, in another interview, the ex-
| chanceI lor discussed the late Empress
| Augus,a wItha freedom Souew nat startling,
| perhaps. but the personal "reminiscences he
| reveals are nightly interesting
That exalted lady, the Empress Au
| gusta,'' he tells US, powerfully con-
| hibuted To the deterioration or my nerves
| She was herself Of a nervous, changcabIe
| = of
| and st once famed up if one would not
| or could not acquiesce in her plans. The
/ friction between US bagan at an early date
| When in As the Prince of Prussia latter
| ward william l. J wanted TO go to England
| and 1 wished TO see him in order TO advise
| him urgently that he should remain il Pots
dam, as tne whole army and Il great par
of the rural population was on his side
| ard as his journey would have bad effects
| she tried TO prevent me from obtainin!
access Co him. She was excited, and, u
| she was won't when in that mood, Sh'
| slapped her knes with the palm of her hant
| and declared To me that, above all things
she muse provide for the future of her sol
| tafterward the Emperor Frederick
Il subs equently heard of a singular
| project which had been hdtched in tn
| palace. Vincke came to me in the Die
| and said he intended to bring forward
| motion conf er-ing the re gency ON tbs
| Princes Of Prussia fAugusta), and h,
asked me what ] thought of it. 1 in
| quIrad why in the world the Prince CWiI
| lam) should not be regent. The prince
| Vineke thuaght, bad become impossible il
| the country. All right ! said, If yoJ
bring forward yor motion l shall pro
pose to have you arrested for high tTea
son The motion never came on, because
| had no chance of success without tn
support of the Extreme Right. ali thi:
did not improve my relations with tbs
princess, nor when she became queen ant
empress could she ever quite conceal he
| peculiar grudge against me, Her Iikin,
for everything French and Catholic Intens
fled this feeling.
In course OF time there arose at hel
Court a cataI which did not invaria III
employ unexcepiionable methods to achiev
its objects, and there was much tlat
should have been unable to carry through
unless the old gentleman-wh by the Wa
! suffered no less than from these things
had always run straie light at the decisive
moment. These conflicts, however, involved
an expenditure of nervous power, espee
ially when a t the period Of the constitu
tinnal conflict she would have persuade'
the king to abdicate, and l had 10 max
an energetic appeal to him and point t
his porte epee. / can safely say that thi
protTected ladies' wal injured my heaItl
more than all my public battles fought ii