The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-10-19

the subdivision Of Germany and Italy into
petty states. 40 that they cannot count as
forces. and the pre-eminence OF France.
On the other hand, II IL the displacement
iority. the unifcation OF Germany and OF
Italy and the rise OF Russia as European
and world power that are the greatest
changes wrought In Europe since 100.
One of the first requisites for under
standing the European situation at this
date 10 knowledge OF tho peculiar
makeup of the old Germanic empire,
without such knowledge, too. the rise OF
Prussia. the work of Napoleon and the
formation Of the German empire OF
today cannot be clearly grasped. In ths
eighteenth century the Germanic or Holy
Roman empire was loosely connected
federation Of some $50 sovereign or nearly
sovereign states, consisting OF principal
ties and republics and comprising In all
somewhat less than four times the area
OF Illinois and somewhat over 1o.eD.Wi OF
people. OF the local and petty character
OF the majority OF these states In the en-
pire one gets an idea from the fact that
the ssxty-odd imperial cities fcity repuh-
licsl possessed little territory outside their
walls. and that there were eighty OF the
sovereign states with less than 30 square
miles of area. or. TO state the same fact
differently. more than a quarter OF tho
empire was occupied by states no one OF
which was as large as Delaware. An In
terestlng survival OF these little states Is
the present principally OF fichtenstetn.
These little states could form alliances
vided they were not against the empire or
the public peace. a provision continually
deffed. with the exception OF the free or
imperial cities. which were republics.
these minor states were absolute mon
arrhte~ whose princes maintained court
life modelled on that at Versailles, In the
ecclesiastical states. those whose rulers
were, bishops. the religious element was
Conspicuous only IN that the parade ~
state monks took the place ~ soldiers
Next 20 be mentioned are the several
hundred knish,s o. the snpI rs,,I rai'a rs
mains on the average OF about 90 inhs5-
iisnts
The nominal sovereign ~ the empiro
vas the emperor THIS once o. emperor.
election by the great princes ~ tho etn-
pirs. who constituted The electoral college.
As matter ~ fact. 4 was usually hered.
tarY in the house ~ kosrris. Several -
the greatest prince. ~ the empire bore q
curious double relation 20 n, involving
at times = serious conflict % interests.
For example the Archfaks ~ Austfia
vs.. Usually emperor tnos as IL too often
supposed. ~ Austria. bat % the Holy
Roman empire ~ tho German natinnl.
and at the same time as wins - tahetnia
re vas ere ~ she impartial eisctafn. IN.
sife the empire he was also after ifib
ruler ~ the ApstFian Nsthaflsuis lap
rroxinatsiy mosern relsiusnA ard naf.
stss fhe empire king n Hnnrary. Duke ~
Milan. etc Again. she niarsrsre % nfan-
ArrAstirg was An electoral prince - fns
err, rstye uhgis nmssife ~ Il he waR king ~
Prussia Duke ~ Aiiesfa after fTfsi ate.
The puke ~ Brunswick f.unehMrK w&a
MADE an imperial rlector IN iFg bsamg
commonly called the e4ertax ~ Hanover.
N ira .he ei~rfpr - Hanover became TIE
ksnK 81 England
Turning row 70 the two German Htatsa
p hesr rivalry has plsyei ~ large part
IN f6s military history - these centuries
ryarrrswe ~ pr@rA~rbErE hss f9st yfaen
10 she dignity Il king uTnea. taking hss
sists from chr territory % Prussia, ~rosa
snweYeirutw hR9 beer arrested frau1 Poo
lans b hsN father The policy - fhe res
kfrs was 20 conttuue the efforts ~ ne
rrset eieatcF--fB unsfy ars consolidate
hlw essarhsss tsss2enssums ~ shsartsrg ths
tsl~-4Fovfes iviwx h~twssr them anA BY
sysessispslux fos various Local bodies a
ee~tra fixrs and energetic administrator.
T~he accomplishment ~ this task waM cna~
stsnsfy promoted. hardly lees by the wfee
r,rstsv ~ fasernaf improvements. enS gen
nrsus hospitality 20 religious refugee
rAnn bv ths army. WITH a population
49, a rs-ssx and Protestant ths
r~asisru ~ Prussia was easier than that
~ re- rival for The Austrian r,aesa@si9ns
sec a Loose sEgregmtior % states inhabr
gses bv several races EreakinS yearly
dozen distinct language. Notwfthesana.
fug thn already heterogeneous clgarateT 81
+hrfv anrrafnH the house 81 H4Dsb1rE
.trssA Constantly 20 extend sfE rule. and
"a ~ al are expense Of Spain IN Italy
ara the Netherlands, ard sf the expense
~ The Turk in The southeast
Crossing the Airs IN our survey. Ne ma
ihst so Years ago Italy, Ike Germany.
was merely "a geographical sxSfsAsson-