The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1907-10-16
s.rrmany aud Austria.

Germany aud tustrit.
According toa telegram from Berlin the
German hore an Office. through it, rep
re-entat,ve ~ Washington. informed our
Federal Government some months x
that Prussia had no desire to see the Ger
man speaking subjects Of the Emperor
FRANCIS JOSEPH Incorporated in the Ger
man Empire. II il doubtless true that OF
late the Emperor WILLIAM has discour-
agedthe Pan-German party. which at one
time seemed likely to acquire consider
able Importance in Austria. but which
showed itself unexpectedly weak M the
rsrent general election, based IN univer-
AL suffrage. for members of the Cis-
Lothian Reichsrath.
1t remains a true a. il ever was that
the present German sovereign and his
people feel drawn southwark by the same
powerful attraction which for a thousand
years irnpelled CHABIEMAGNE and his
Teutonic SUCCESSORS to cross the Alps
and attempt q revival OF the Roman
Empire. 1t il only in our own day that
seemingly the dream has been renounoed,
for it il but forty years since German
speaking subjects Of the Hspsburg ruler
garrisoned tho stronghoids Of Venetia,
and to this hour they occupy Trieste, and
in the Trentino retain a passage to the
plains Of Italy. IL Germany is ever to
become a great naval Power and to play
an important part in the politics of the
Mediterranean world she must manage
10 reach the Adriatic, and this can only
be done by the absorption Of those Aus
TRAN provinces which as yet stop the
way. Once planted on the Gulf Of ven-
Ice her right and her power to obtain a
considerable share Of the Ottoman in
heritance could scarcely be disputed.
Tho force that pulls her thither will
prove in the end as irresistible as CRAWL
tation, and there are probably msn now
living thas will Q the German Empire
miass1 Of a foothold on the Midland
Ssa.
IT docs not follow that a southwark
movement would DO at this time oppor-
tune or that the idea Of Prussian hege-
mony ID as yet rooted firmly enough in
O0 00 - EiliIiu W bChT tnc IutOTDO-
ration Of ten million Catholics in the Ger
man Empire. Even "a il is a third of
tn Inhabitants OF the Federation belong
70 tho Church Of Rome, and in Prussia
itsel1 they have shown themselves sufR-
csntly str lg to compel the repeal of
tho Falk Laws. The addition OF the
German speaking subjects Of the Haps-
burg sovereign would cause the Catholic
element in the population Of the German
Empire slightly to p~reponderats. and the
old rivalry between Prussia and Austria
for the Leadership. which up to 1883 re-
duced the Frankfort Diet to impotence,
would b almost certainly renewed.
Equity woy1d require the concession to
German speaking A%ustrians Of about
twice a many members of the Bundles
rath - are possessed by Bavaria (six),
% that these two Catholic States alone
would have eighteen members Of the
Federal Senate, q against the seventeen
allotted To Prussia. When we consider,
too, that the Centre, or Catholic party, Is
already the strongest in the Reichstag
We can . chat the additional votes cast
by Austria would possibly enable it to
control the popular branch Of tho Ger
man Parliament Under such circum-
stances II WILLIAM III. should happen to
be- succeeded by . weak ruler it ID at
least conceivable that tho feature OF the
Qarman Constitution which vests the
imperial functions In the King OF Prussia
for tho time being might be changed.
Fifty years henoe, when the German
federation shall have been solidi6ed into
Q nation and tho number Of its inhabi-
: tants shall have increased to q hundred
millions It would doubtless b able to
digest and assimilate tho Austrian Cath
olics, and then . Greater Germany. built
on the principle OF nationality, may
stretch across Europe from sea to ssa.
For such an expansion. however. tho
hour seems not to be ripe.
It IL not only the lack OF internal
cohesion In tho German Empire itself
that would render an attempt to annex
Austria's German speaking provinces Of
doubtful expediency at the present time.
it Is questionable whether. even though
Austria and Italy should provo In prsc-
tice efficient cosdjuton OF Germany, tho
Triple Alliance would be q match for ths