New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1906-03-18
PAN-GERNANIslf AGAIY.


The spactre Of Pan-Germauism is again con
iured up bv writer in the Revue Bleue" Of
Paris. whose forecast Of the. measurable future
is q striking one Upon the death Of Francis
Joseph tabsit omenn. be thinks Germany will
seize the German-speaking provinces of Austria,
Tins extending the HOhenzOllern empire from
the Baltic to the Adriatic and making it the
greatest Mediterranean power. Thus Italys
homes will be crushed. the French and English
possessions in North Africa viii be menaced
and Russia viii be shut away from the rest
of Europe. Moreover Rumauia already has
Hohenzouern dynasty; the next Queen Of Greece
viii be q sister of the German Emperor, and
one Of that Emperor's sons has made himself a
fine Magyar scholar so as TO tit himself for
the Hungarian throne; besides all which there
is g practical alliance between the Kaiser and
the Turkish Sultan So the outlook is, accord
ing 10 this writer for the German Empire pres
emily 10 front not only upon the North Sea and
the Baltic but also upon the Aduauc d-gean,
Mediterranean and Euxiue, and TO fulfil Momm-
sens prophecy Of It's domination of the enure
European Continent.
It is an imposing vision. rs a certain ex-
tent. indeed il is a plausible one. and per
haps In certain circumstances commendaple.
The Pan-GermQnic idea is not a bad one any
more than the Pan-Slav or the Pan-Italian,
both of which have been so earnestly pressed
Tor many years. It is simply practical appI-
cation of that doctrine OF uatiOnelitles which
Napoleon III sometimes advocated and some
times violated. according 10 the way in which
il served his selfish interests Theoretically, it
seems reasonable and right that political divis-
ions should be on racial and linguistic lines and
that all German communities should belong 70
Germany, all Slavic to Russia and all Italian
TO Italy. In practice however, the thing is not
easily 70 be accomplished, for the reason that
in some provinces two or more entirely differ
ent races are iuextricablv cOmmingled i'm nearly
equal numbers. Parts of Bohemia. for exam
pie are half German and half Czech, ana parts
of Hungary are half Magyar and half Ruma-
MAN Also there must be considered the un-
willingness of a dominant majority race TO sur
render a province which it has long possessed,
but which is occupied by a fragment OF some
other race. We do not suppose any Pan-Ger-
manic propagandlst would consent for moment
to the giving up of the Wends or the Poles Of
Posen to a Pan-Slavic combination
Apart moreover, from these general difficult
ties in the way Of the Pan-Germauic programme
as discerned or imagined by the writer in the
/ Revue Bleue' there are some specific and
concrete obstacles. II may be said that neither
Russia nor Italy alone, nor any other Interested
mower would he able to resist Germany. That
we NAV readily concede. But # three or four
Of them united, they might be able 10 offer
/ effective resistance LIS lItlltlcu lbINdLu
movement of Germany would implcate Slavic
provinces in which Russia is interested; italia
/ Irredenta," in which Italy is interested; Hun
| gary the people Of which are bitterly and mex
orabIy nti-German; Rumania, also ant-Ger-
man in spite OF its Hoheuzollern King; and
minor powers with strong national and racial
! identities. Before such a combination of re
/ sistant powers-Rnd the common menace would
cause them TO combine-even Germany would
/ be constrained to pause. Besides, if France and
/ England were also 10 be threatened in Africa
their strength might also be added TO the array
/ In brief this French writer's forecast of Pan
! Germanic aggression means Germany against
! practically all the rest OF Europe which is
/ something we must decline 10 expect
! It is ungracious 10 speculate upon the death
I Of q reigning sovereign, but If we do so, there
! Is no certainty, and perhaps not much as
probability, that the AusrrO-Hungarian realm
will be broken up at the end of Francis Jo-
seph's reign. We rather expect and certainly
hope 10 see ii continue unimpaired under his
/ successor But If it should at any time and
for any reason be broken up, its disposition
would be determined by one power. Italy
I would certainly move 70 regain her unredee
} provinces. Hungary would stand ndexiblv for
her own ancient independence. The Slavic prov
inces would either gravitate % Russia or rise
into a restored Kingdom OF Bohemia. The Ger