The Cairo bulletin., 1905-03-20
The Wedding Ring.

stages; autocracy tution-re
public This proposition may be con.
sidered automatic by all who have in
mind the history OF the past two cen.
turtles in western Europe and Ameri
Ca But one circumstance which al.
way accompanies such an evolution
may have been overlooked. a eircum-
stance which with two exceptions. Of
which | shall speak later. has helped
The progress of all countries and
saved them from dissolution.
the centripedal Force.
Il refer TO the existing centripedal
force of a nation. The more typical
examples Of this are Germany and
Italy. whore the evolution from abso-
lutism to constitutiOnalism went hand
hand with the powerful national
tendency to unite in one strong
whole In France likewise, all the
great governmental upheavals, from
he downfall of the monarchy in 1889
o the establishment of the republic
in 1870 We're accompanied by
strong nationalistic feeling and no
one even thought Of the dismember-
nent of France, that France which
through the policy of Reholieu and
-ouis XIV was so firmly bound to-
sether that even the German Alsace
elr itself an integral part
No need to mention She smaller
lota- at4rh ,e fr,4,oc. rloqeyf,-.,, rI,l
and, which represent strongly united
utties incapable OF division, since
neg have no parts. And who does
lot know OF the ideal national energy
II Switzerland which win always re-
main one, though composed of thEee
ifferent nationalities.
Autocracy Losing in England.
But now for the other side OF the
picture. In Great Britain we already
ee signs Of an insufficient centripe-
al force. due 70 an insufficient feel
ng of national unity. In the
eighteenth century il lost It's Ameri
can colonies and the present relation
# the mother country TO its foreign
possessions is weakening to such an
extent that the very name of British
Empire is becoming questionable
We will say nothing Of Ireland-that
eternal open wound in the body poll.
tic Of the empire
Sweden and Norway Also.
In tne anne manner the relations
between Sweden and Norway are con
stan,ly growing weaker; these two
countries could not unite into one
hole in 1914 and now they viii new
er do so.
Austro-Hungary Trouble.
Bur the most striking example Of
centrifugal anti-goyernment force is
offered by the Austro- Hungarian mon.
archy during the unlimited autocra.
cy Of the Hapsburgs (since fGS9) ii
presented one political whole, firmly
united under that system; but when
in the year 1S4S the era Of Democrat
&c constiutionalism began, the mon
lrchy was shaken to its very founja-
lions. Hungary separated from Aus
tria, retaining only an outward tie
which if NOT today VIII tomorrow be
tgoheu. The HapsbWgs have forever
lost the Italian provinces. have been
lriveu from Germany and the Aus
ia RI gj8y represents q rabble Of
lutaganistic haN0HaAies. rendering
IDEAL political life impossible
Russia's Sig Problem.
pa9atiseiy small scale. 50 with Rus
sia GA a colloss enc, ana the peril
Nilh which parliamentarism meuaccs
russia is therefore infinitely greater
than that which the Hapsburgiau
state faces The Russian empire is
vast but its vas ness is sin Of very
recent origin Its western and east
ern frontier ssessions-Finland, the
1altic province, Poland, the Caucas-
q, ana the Central Asian regions
ave rot only yet assimilated them
selves with Russia proper, but they
20 not even desire to do so: they en-
erta n hopes OF an independent ma
iOnai aud even political existence. IN
view Of this their centrifugal force is
much more powerful and intense
than that of the smaller nationalities
5f Austria, which cannot even think
If complete political independence
outside Of the Hapsburg sway, those
fragments Of the italian ana Servian
peoples who are endeavoring TO join
themselves to the Italian and Seryian
kingdoms alone excepted.
Disntegration Would Follow.
let us now suppose that the au-
tocracy which has created and pre-
served in it's entirety the great united
Russian empire, be swept away and
IN its place be substituted constitu-
sional parlianentarism What takes
place in this parliament A process
Of dinintegration as in its Austrian
prototype. the fragments arraying
themselves net into political but into
/ ..ss;,,,,. Al f,or4fac which rfffor into an