New-York tribune., 1908-11-12
TIE cHANCELLOR ON THE KAISER.

The saving that "he who excuses accuses
will rise To the minds of many who read the
German Chancellors speech to the Reichst8g in
answer 70 the numerous and almost universally
representative criticisms which had been made
upon the interview with the Emperor recently
printed In The London Daily Telegraph Per
haps it would be unjust 10 apply that saying in
all its force Yet we are not sure that the
speech Of Mr. Basserman mn or that of any one
who followed him in the Reichstag. cr. indeed,
any of the censorious criticisms which have
abounded in the press, was more gravely fraught
with censure of the action. though not perhaps
of the individual, than this measured declara-
ton of the foremost member OF the imperial
government.
There were three salient points in Prince Won
Buow's address. The first was that there had
been damage already caused" by the publica-
tiOn Of the interview. 1t is impossible 10 scan
the broadsides which have appeared IN the Eu-
ropean press of three or four nationalites with
ont realizing the unhappy truth of that state
ment 1t is TO be feared that former feelings of
antagOnism or dstrust between Germany and
other natons-nOt Great Britain alOne-however
little ground there may ever have been for them,
have been intensified by this publication to de-
gree which il will require a long time and much
earnest effort 10 overcome.
The second point was that the interview as
printed was not correct. We assume that the
Chancellor meant that the Emperor was not
correctly reported and not that his majesty him
self made inaccurate statements. But imme-
diately upon the appearance of the interview the
German Foreign Office declared that "the text
Of the imperial words was practically correct"
Moreover. the world cirCUmStantialy in
formed that after the interview had been writ
ten out for publication IL submitted 10 the
Emperor for his approval was handed by him
TO a representative Of the German Foreign Of
fee was then passed on to the Chancellor,
by him turned over 10 his private secretary, who
was an eminent member of the diplomatic
vice: was returned by him TO the Foreign Office.
and finally was sent by Of the imperial
retaries back to Tie Daily Telegraph for pub
lication. If after such scrutiny and censorship
the article contained errors either Of fact or OF
discretion we might well despair of securing
correctness in anything or else we might sus-
pect the long succession of functiOnaries through
whose hands il passed Of singular lack of
vigilance or judgment far surprising, indeed,
the lack OF tact which his critics have sought to
impute 10 the Emperor himself.
The third point, which is probably the most
practically significant of al, is that while the
Chancellor loyalty accepted responsibility for
the publication and willing to suffer for it
by resgning his office he declares that he
and his ministerial colleagues will assume no
more such responsibility, but, TO put 1t buntly
If the Emperor does not stop talking SO freely
they VIII all resign their places. That. we say
is probably most significant of all that the Chan
cellOr said because 1t is not only an adnonition
10 the Emperor which he will probably accept
in the same spirit in which it is given, but is
also an unmstakable declaration ia favor Of a
constitutional system under which the minis
try including the Chancellor himself. will be
81,
personal sovereign Some time ago il was an
nounced that such d system Of responsibility
had been established, aud that thereafter the
stability of the ministry would be dependent
upon the maintenance Of favorable ma iority
in the Reichstag. We have heard little of that
principle since, but this episode of the interview
End this apoloS3 Of the ChanceIloE IL aahaH Of