Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1903-05-28

peuuSHI upon UQe peTSplClly, .IuS JuuS"
ment and the craftsmanship of their |
agents and ambassadors 1t was Gar I
Nicholas | who in the days of post |
chaises--that is to say, before rail-
roads and telegraphs came into use
inaugurated the system Oh visiting the
various courts for the sake of becom-
ing personally acquainted with his fell
low rulers, of learning their views and |
imparting TO them his own, being UNI |
willing to remain any longer depend |
ent in the matter upon the reports OF |
his ambassadors and ministers [
abroad. He twice visited Queen Vic
toria, arriving on the first occasion in
London absolutely unannounced, and
in her memoirs she publicly admits
how many prejudices that had previ-
ously existed against him were dis
PEELED by his coming and how favora-
BILE the impression which he made,not
only at court, but also in English so
ciety. He visited the pope at Rome
on two occasions and was frequently
at Vienna and at Berlin, declining,
however, to go near Paris in conse-
quence of his personal antipathy first
to King Louis Philippe and then to
Napoleon III. The latter was the next
ruler to follow his example, and visit
ed his fellow-sovereigns in Germany,
Italy, Austria and England. But 1T
was not until the present Emperor
William came to the throne, now near
fifteen years ago, that the system OF
interchange of visits between rulers
became a regular practice. When,
shortly after assuming the reins OF
government, the kaiser started Off on
round of visits-which were in most
cases unlimited as he was not popular
in those days-he at first incurred
good deal of criticism, both at home
and abroad. 1t was claimed that he
was manifesting too great an anxiety
to flaunt his newly acquired dignities
at those foreign courts where he had
formerly been treated with compare
| tive Indifference, and that he spent
more of his time travelling abroad than
he did in his own dominions. But his
| subjects have since had occasion TO
| congratulate themselves on this policy
which he adopted, for it was by means
of his personal intercourse with Leo
| XIII that he managed to bring TO an
end that war between his government
and the church of Rome that had been
waged with intense bitterness on both
sides throughout period OF some nj
teen years or more, impairing the uni
4 ty of the empire as we'll as the loyalty
of the German Catholics to the crown,
and rendering parliamentary govern
ment difficult, owing to the uncompro-
! missing attitude of the powerful Catho-
j lie party in the Reichstag.
i 1t is entirely through the kalsers
u two or three visits to Constantinople
! and to the friendship which he form.
ed there with the sultan, that Germany
has succeeded in obtaining so power
j full a foothold in Turkey, where at the
present moment she is more Favored
4 by the sublime porte than any other
II foreign country, German influence pc.
j ing, indeed, predominant at Constan,
i tinople and Emperor Williams wishes
something very much akin to law 10
! the padisha, and again 1T is by means
of his two visits paid to King chris
tian of Copenhagen that the kaiser mas
managed to convert Denmark from
an unfriendly into friendly power
and to efface from the hearts OF lts
people the cruel memories of the wa
,, of 1864 So convinced is emperor
: William. indeed. of the efficacy OF
these visits of his to foreign rulers and
of the benefits derived by Germany
from the establishment OF personal IN
tercourse between them, that he is
: firmly assured that if he can arrange
to pay state visit to the president OF
the French Republic at Paris he VIII
accomplish thereby more toward rec
onciliation between France and Ger
!. many than has been achieved by al
: the cleverest of statesmen and dlplo
matists during the past three and thlr
!, ty years that have elapsed since tht
4 war of 1870. Perhaps he is right, fol
. he can when he wishes be exceedingly!
;, winning, and his character is precise
!. ly the one calculated to interest AM
! please the French more than that 0
. any other monarch of Europe.
During the past week the kaiser ha
!, once more been at Rome, strengthen
! !. ing the bonds of the triple alliance an
y endeavoring to obtain for German
= from the pope the titular protectorat
I of all Roman Catholic missions an
:; interests in the orient. King Vlcto
Emmanuel, who has already visited 81
Petersburg and Berlin since his acces
e sion. will be seen within the next fey
IS weeks both in Paris and in England
\ while Emperor Nicholas. who, afte
y calling upon the late Queen Victorls
n Emperor Francis Joseph, the kaiser
J. the king of Denmark and the presideI
y of the French republic, is to pay hi
a respects to King Victor Emmanue
el and Leo XIII at Rome in Septembe
le The question now arises as t
le whether the foreign relations OF tn
le United States would not be benefite
J; by personal intercourse between tn
lie President and the various rulers
N Europe Both Emperor William an
'e King Leopold OF Belgium have FIR
G. uuently discussed the probability
their paying visit to the Unite
d, States, and should the kaiser come tn
n laws of International courtesy woul
a REQUIRE that the President should r
y turn the compliment by an official vi
IN it to Berlin within given period. TIL
p United States, as one>of the great poH
V ers of the modern world, represente
O. abroad by full fedged ambassador
re and at great state functions in Europ
Id such as coronations, by special en-
u bassies, cannot afford to be remiss
n any Of these rules governing the int
in course between the principal nation
Mt of the universe. and nowadays, wit
L L ID ...,t.