The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1897-02-18
PRINCE BISMARCK'S "THEORET-
ICAL AND ACADEMIC"
OPINIONS,

The New York World publishes letter
from it's London correspondent, Ballard
Smith. who succeeded in obtaining an in
terview and an expression Of an opinion
from Prince Bismarck, through his son-in-
law, Count Rantzan, on the arbitration
treaty between the United States and
Great Britain although this opinion was
qualified, az the prince desired it TO be
understood that the opinion was 'theo-
retical and academic
The opinion il so vague that Prince
Bismarck need not have qualified it more
than it was qualified as pretense to an
opinion which was practically no opinion
at all. Boiled down and cleared of the
frilfrols with which the World publishes
its own enterprise in obtaining it, the
opinion has but two points, and neither of
them is by any means salient or con-
sistcnt The prince says the accomplish
ment of this international treaty proves
how humanity has advanced and lis to
be appauded for that reason if for no
other" But from the other part of this
opinion would be- gathered the idea that
il gives no evidence of the advancement
of humanity, for Prince Bismarck pro-
cccds to dcprcciatc the importance of the
treaty by saying that there is no law
court TO enforce the treaty" and that
mo statesman in the world is so powerful
as TO BE- able to command the voice Of
the people in certain emergencies and
further, that mo arbitration treaties will
means of settlement of q dispute when
the whole future of Il nation is believed
by its people to depend upon the way the
issue is settled"
1t seems from this that Prince Bis
marck does not regard the consunlmation
of any treaty as an evidence of "how hui
manity has advanced" for he says the
emergency may occur in which mo states
man can control the voice of The people,"
or that arbitration treaties will succeed
in abolshing war when 1.-THE people think
war is the sole way to settle the dispute"
and this, Analysed, means that Prince
"o"ih NV Sif' 'lt 'ltp VI
finger or the paper II treaty is written on
for u treaty with the purpose of abolish
ing war when the interests of Il people
conflict with keeping the treaty in good
faith
The platitudcs in which Prince Bis
marck INDUCES are true in one sense.
\ treaty would have very little influence
in staying the hand of the iron chancellor
if it stood in the way of any purpose he
might entertain. Although Prince Bis.
marck regards an arbitration treaty be-
tween two great nations as a gossamer
against the dangers of war, he forgets
that there are nations, peoples and states
men who regard national honor as bull
wark against the betrayal of a trust. He
forgets that as far as these two great
nations are concerned, the honor of a SOW
ereignty of people is involved in keep
ing the treaty and protesting against as
saults on its inviolability. A treaty of
international arbitration may have no sig
nihcancy in the school of politics of which
Prince Bismarck is graduate, but there
are other schools in which good faith be-
tween nations is the evidence of an educa-
ton in international polity, and graduates
from such Il school will suffer the loss
of anything but honor before they will
violate treaty entered into in all good
faith between two nations of Il common
common freedom, a common
language and II common literature, as well
AS Il common religion, the latter of which
is founded on good faith