The San Francisco call., 1907-01-06
Hohenlohe's Memoirs the Years
Sensation in Europe

Sensation in Europe
Long after their exploitation in the
cables and letters Of American cor
respondents abroad. the American pub
lic is at last permitted TO read for it
self .Thc Memoirs Of Prince Chlodwig
OF Hohenlohc-S -Schillingsfuerst." which
was the sensation making book OF the
year on the Continent IT made such
r. stir in Germany that HOheniohes son,
Prince Alexander was obliged TO quit
the service of the Kaiser, though his
offense had been nc more grave than
10 permit the publication OF the
Memoirs.
no weiglty state secrets are re-
vealed in these TWO heavy octave
volumes but they contain bits Of con-
temporane0us history which are written
with almost audaciOus recklessness.
This may be accounted for in large
part by the fact that Hohenlohe him
self was not spared TO revise his notes.
From 1892. when his "reminiscences be-
gan. he kept notes in a somewhat ran
dom fashion but these were accom-
panied by important correspondence
and private documents which were OF
vast Importance. He selected his edi-
tor himself Friedrich Curtius. and
hoped with his aid to expand the pa
Ders into an important historical work,
but just as he planned to begin the
work he died and the task fell to the
editor and the Chancellor's son, Prince
AeNander. For fear Of making mis-
Fke. they have published the notes,
letters and journal almost as they
were written. and while OF the greatest
interest. the books as a whole are not
as Hohenlohc himself would have sent
them forth.
The memoirs are OF vital interest. in
that they are from the inner life Of an
earnest advocate Of the progressive
party In Germany. a man distinguished
in both diplomacy and administration,
and are free and unaffected comments
upon events still within the memory Of
the present generation
The world has had, in Bismarck's
own memoirs, one story OF the Iron
ChanceIlors fail; here is the version
OF one who was on intimate and con-
fidential terms with both the partisans
OF the young Kaiser and those Of the
old Chancellor.
IOhenlohe became Chancellor four
years after Bismarcks retirement in
1898. In 1866 Hohenlohe became chief
Of the Bavarian Ministry. and that date
is really the beginning Of the new Ger
man empire. His story Of the intrigues
over Bavarias relation with the new
confederation is as interesting as ro-
nance. When Bavaria finally Joined
the German states. in opposition to
France. Hohenlohe's great opportunity
came TO him. He was ambassador TO
Paris for eleven years. from 1874, and
his comments upon the men and af
fairs Of that period are even more
frank than his virile, caustc criticisms
Of his own people.
IIOhenlohc was the friend and ad-
mirer Of the old Emperor Wilhelm and
also saw the Emperor Frederick sew
eral times during his brief reign. He
Erotc at considerable length OF the
y iness Of the Crown Prince. now the
Emperor. toward his stricken father,
the last reference being Of as late
date as 1893.
The present Kaiser was discussing
with Prince Hohenlohe the project for
memorial 10 the old Emperor Will
helm and expressed his opposition to.
the suggestion which had been made
for q costly mausoleum. MY father"
he added, might have been put in such
e mausoleum and surrounded with
various things; he was for show. But
my grandfather is not suitable for
that"
The pages Of these memoirs are filled
with references to and anecdotes Of
men famous in the political and literary
life Of Europe. Naturally there is much
Of Bismarck, and many OF his unfat-
tering stories of the doughty Kaiser
are rOlC. Inc ldEllufn MOLLke Is quoted
IN few stories which throw new lights
on that reserved statesman's character.
IT is not difficult to understand why
such candid revelations from such a
source OF knowledge and such a repOsi-
tory OF secrets should have shocked
Europe. There was not much OF Ger
manyis high Dolitics and statecraft in
his time that Gohenlohe did not know
with the intimate knowledge of one at
the center OF things. He helped In the
building or the empire; he was a CO
partner with Bismarck in the days Of
his more than imperial power; he was
ambassador 70 Paris from 1873 to 1885;
for the next nine years he acted as
Viceroy OF Alsace-Lorraine; he was
with the Emperor Frederick much OF
the time during his tragic reign Of a
few months; he knew all the details
OF the fall OF the Iron Chancellor, and
finally he was himself Chancellor to
the present Emperor for six years.
There was not much in German diplo-
macy or German administration that
he did not witness and little OF which
he WIS not a part.
The historians who viii some day
write voluminously the story OF Ger
many and OF Europe during the latter
half OF the ninteenth century will be
found drawing largely from the me-
moirs OF the distinguished Chancellor,A
whose secrets have been permitted to
survive him.
CThe Macmillan Company, New York
price 860