New-York tribune., 1900-10-28

fce-that is to say in a war that is purely
offensive and undertaken by Germany neither
for the sake of defence nor of avenging some
affront. Thus it has not been considered neces-
sary to obtain the consent of the Federal Council
in the case of the military operations in China
owing to the latter having been guilty of an
act of the most gross provocation in numbering
the German Envoy at Peking, and it is hardly
necessary TO point out that the cases where
federal sanction would be required would be
very rare. indeed. With regard to treaties with
foreign countries, the only agreements of this
kind to which legislative ratification is required
are treaties of commerce and of extraditiOn
Consequently, the Kaiser is absolutely free to
conclude any non-commerciaI treaty with Eng
land with the United States in the name of
the German Empire and to commit the latter
to the without consulting the Federal
Council the Reichstag, both of which bodies
he afford to ignore completely regards
both the negotiation and the ratification of the
conventions in question.
a GRANDSON OF HUMBOLDT.
The new Chancellor is on the maternal side a
grandson of the celebrated Alexander Won Hum
boldt and son Of that old Baron Won Bulow
who for so many years was the late Prince
Bsmarck's chief lieutenant at the Foreign Of
flee in Berlin. He took part in the war of 1870
as a subaItern of hUssars then joined the dplo-
matte service. figuring as of the secretaries
of the Congress of Berlin in 1878. In the early
eighties while attached as First Secretary to
! the Prussian Legation at Dresden, he away
with the lovely wife of his chief Count Charles
Doenhoff, the elopement being followed by a
. divorce and marriage of youEs Won Bulow TO
the Countess Under ordinary circumstances
this escapade would have proved sufficient to
wreck the career of any youthful diplomat But
the lady in the case happened TO be the step
daughter of Italy's most influential statesman
old Premier Mnshetti, who devoted the
little Countess, and who had her happiness at
heart above everything else. AS Prince Bis
marck was most anxious tc propitiate him. he
not only consented TO overlook young Won Bu-
lows grave infracton of diplomatic discipline
but actually promoted him to the rank of First
Secretary of the Embassy at St. Petersburg
where the now widowed CZarina. thanks to the
extraordinary musical gifts and altogether win
ming personality of the Countess Won BilOw
soon became her warm friend, manifesting the
utmost Indifference to the fact that she
divorcee. Promotion to the post of Minister at
Bucharest and to that of Ambassador at Rome
and later to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in
Berlin followed m rapid succession the fasci-
mating Countess and her genial. witty and tin
social Hfe) always CHEEKY and sunny tempered
husband making friends everywhere: and to-
day. while 'le beau Doenhoff,' as he used to be
Eicknamed, still remains Prussian Minister
I npoientiary at Dresden. his former secretary
the man who ran away with his wife is not
merely his master and hierarchical chief but
has likewise become. next to the Kaiser. the
most powerful parsonage in his land as Chan
ceIIor of the German Empire.
EX-ATTACHE