The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-05-24

marpki The opinion b hsrs sxpraseed that
sin the long naeditationa Of 4 powerful mind
borne toward vast conceptions and durable
work, Bismarck must have approached
himself with the stigma OF the provisional
character which he had allowed TO DO i'm
posed on his achievements; he must have
felt internal rngret at having failed in
duty which hsd shown itseH clearly to
him, that Of not allowing trrsparahle errors
to be made He understood, what was
not discerned by tho PFussisn military party.
the injury which would be done 10 Germany.
In tho opinion OF Europe, and even Of her
SELF by the act OF violence BY, whict, she
created, Of malice prepense, IN eternal
cause OF conflict between the two coun-
tries. He himself has acknowledged the
weak point In an annexationist policy,
namely, the presence in the German Empire
OF populations which remain foreigners
to II.
M. Hanotaux evidently thinks that Biz
marck would have done morn wisely to
leave Alsace and the whole Of Lorraine
to France, and even TO give her the
French speaking provinces Of Belgium re-
serving for Germany Luxembourg and
Holland and those Belgian provinces In
which the Flemish language Ia spoken.
No doubt Great Britain would have pro-
tested against a partition Of Belgium, but
II is probable that such Q redistribution OF
the lands once belonging to the House OF
Burgundy might in 1871 have been carried
out, and that thus France and Germany
might have been perma nently reconciled,
This. at all events. is our authors opinion.
He says: Face to fsce with himself, Bis
marck must have experienced some con-
fusion at not having ventured, by way OF
completing his triumph, to attack the real
problem. to wit. the final settlement Of the
great debate opened on the death Of Charles
the Bold; at a time when he might. perha Pc,
have assured peace to Europe and the
new Empire which he was founding, by one
OF those skilful and equitable solutions
which are always contained In the facts.
and which genius like his would have been
able to evolve"
u. Hanotaux does not presume to pass
q final judgment on Prince Bismarck,
The time has not come for that. His pow
erful physioenomy exercised q Kind OF
hypnotsm on the generation OF his con-
temporares. His acts are but little dis
cussed because the perspective needed
for measuring their results IL wanting.
However. one can even now note that his
political genius was incon plete, pow
erful though 1t was. Entirely devoted
to the political game, there arc some
sentiments which he refused to take into
account. His principal instrument was
force; his motto from tho beginning was
s1ngvins Ell terro.' Our author goes on
to cay that Bismarc realism took the
surrounding humn nta rianism by surprise.
The militarism by which he was sometimes
swayel got the better OF the general inclina- =
ton to parliamentary institutions. He OBJ
tanned successes which broke the order OF
ideas and sentiments dominant in Europe
at the time when he lived. He acted in q
| revolutionary spirit A revolutionary in
reaction, however, he deposited in the very
heart q his work the germ Of weakness in
herent TO works OF violence, insufticiently
balanced Prince Bismarck has often
been compared 10 Cardinal Rot e.ieu.
Our author, who has made . nemora bic
study of the latter statesman, u pecuharly
qus'fled to say how far the comparison Is
justified. -The one, refined. aristocratic.
imps ssioned for all ma niiestations Of
human greatness. developed France In the
direction Of her national genius; while the
other, hard tasku,aster to his own country,
turned it aside from It's true path, and has.
for q long time. perha pc, put II out OF con
colt with the elevated and sentimental idea
inherent in the ancient and traditional aspir-
atoms OF that noble Germanic race"
We reserve FOR a second notice that part
Of NJ Hanotaux's first volume which deals
with the ragical episode Of the Paris Com
mune, and with 90 much Of the history OF
the Versailles Assembly as preceded the
resignation Of executive functions by
( Theirs in May, 1873. NJ. W. H.
|
Financial Aspects OF INDUSTRIAL Comoina-
| lions.
A timely book, II thsre ever was one.
Is tho volume entitled Tru't Finance, by
EDWARD SHERWOOD MEADE (Appletons).
This is study Of the genesis, organiza-
ton and management Of industrial COM
binations. The aim Ia to ascertain what
basis. IL any, there is for the widespread
impression that there exists In tho Unite d
States a great mass OF speculative securi-
ties behind which is no guarantee Of earn
ing power sufficient to maintai their value
under ordinary fluctuations OF industrial
prosperity. In pursuance Of his inquiry,
the author has undertaken first, to show