New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-04-03
PETTY GERMAN RULERS.
Allies IN Name, but YaSSals IN Real
ity, of Emperor UHliam.


Among the many difficulties with which the
Kaiser has to contend is that constituted by
those one-and-twenty petty rulers in Germany
who claim TO be his allies. but who are IN reality
TO such an extent subordinated 10 his supremacy
that they only be regarded as his vassals
Jealous OF the vanishing remnants OF their au-
thority. and preOccupied above everything else
about the maintenance Of what they conceive
70 be their prerOgatives. they form a drag upon
the development and prosperity OF the empire.
& source OF trouble within the borders OF the
latter. and of something very much akin %
ridicule abroad For whereas William II stands
in the eyes Of all foreigners for Germany. fden-
tilted Herewith as its most impressive and com
handing figure. any mention Of the minor SOW
ereigns at once suggests Thackeray's burIesqus
Court Of PUnpernicl.aT' and Onenbach's bouffs
Grand Duchy Of Gerolstein.'
While the native born Teuton. or the careful
student OF German history. is thoroughly cog
infant Of the status Of these petty potentstes
and OF their relation 10 the Kaiser. the vast
majority Of people beyond the borders Of the
empire have a somewhat vague and hazy no
ton about the matter. Evidence OF this was
given some years ago. when a New-Yor6 mer-
chant. who was spending the summer with his
family at Kissngen. became involved in some
alteration with local authorities. who treated
him with undue severity. \ widespread dis
position was shown in this country at the time
to hold the Kaiser responsible both for the atti-
tude Of the officials and for the difficulty in OBJ
tanning redress. thereby indicating Ignorance OF
the fact that Bavaria. in which Kissingen is sit
uated. possesses rights of autonomy. and that
Emperor William found himself IN the matter
much in tie same position as the President Of
the United States when called upon by Italy for
redress for the outrages perpetrated upon Italian
cftfvers "a Louisiana some ten vearz o.
Had Kissingen been in Prussia the Kaiser could
and would have set the matter right at once
with that ready good Will which he Invariably
manifests to everybody and everything Ameri-
can. AS it was. the affair had to be negotiated
by the Department Of Foreign Affairs at Berlin
with the Bavarian government. with due regard
to the extreme sensitiveness OF the latter con-
corning everything that could possibly be con-
strued twisted into act OF imperial inter
ference with the internal affairs OF a federal
State
OF the One-and-twcnty petty rulers that tax
the resources OF statecraft and diplomacy as
well as the patience OF the Kaiser. who Is
obliged to devote much valuable time to scoth-
ing their easily aroused susceptib1ities. as well
to alternate persuasion and compulsiOn three
are insane. and as such under restraint; a fourth
is eccentric thai the question OF subJecting
him 10 similar tutelage is under discussion; a
fifth is stone blind. a sixth has surrendered the
reins Of government to his eldest son in order to
be able TO devote himself more entirely to ths
charming actress whom he had norganatically
married; seventh. who has contracted an an
alogous mesalliance. lives abroad with his wife
from years end TO the other. leaving his
dirninuttve duchy TO get along as best It can
without him; an eighth is debarred from exer-
cising his rights Of ruership over his miniatures
state because OF his obstinate refusal to recos-
nize the present constitution Of the German En-
pire. while ninth. namely. the young Duke OF
Saxe-Coburg-Gotha is still minor
Several of these states have a population IN
the neighborhood OF 10000 Schauuburg-Lipps.
for instance. having less than 1900 while their
area is smaller than that Of the estates Of many
a territorial magnate IN this country or Great
Britain and is suggestive OF the familiar story
OF the petty German ruler who. having prr-
chased new cannon. obliged to obtain the
permission OF his neighboring sovereigns before
ne could fire IT. as any projectile which IL
hurled must inevitably carry beyond his bor-
cers before II fell Two OF the States-nanaely.
the grand duchies Of Mecxlen burg-Schwerin and
OF MeckIenburg-str elits. have no constitution
Whatsoever IN the accepted sense Of the word
and while the population. by means Of It's rep
rsseutattves in the Reichstag has a voice IN tho
direction OF the affairs OF the German Empire "a
a whole 1t has means whatsoever OF making
,ts influence feat in domestic matters. the entire
poyver being vested in the hands OF the two
grand dukes. whose rule. were it not for the
Kaiser's supremacy. would be quite as auto
cratic as that OF the Car or Sultan In Meek
lenburg- Strelitz. IN fact. the entire state raw
enue derived from the taxation OF the popuIa
ton is appropriated by the grand duke who Dis
burses IL as be sees At. furnishing no accounts
either OF receipts or expenditures. % lila usssa