Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-08-07
Attended College With His
New Chancellor.
CLOSE PERSONAL FRIEND
Emperor Nearer Than Ever Of Be-
ing His Own Chancellor.
MAN OF STRONG PERSONALITY
Not Brilliant Like Prince Won Bue-
low, But Forceful, and Con-
vincing in Debate.
sneci.1 cahlecram to The Star.

Special Cablegram to The Star.
BERLIN. August THE kaisers new
chancellor is his boyhood's friend and
college chum. That and the circum-
stances that Dr. Theobald Won Bethmann-
Hollweg is of Jewish origin, like the CO.
lonial secretary. Herr Dernburg, are the
facts standing out most prominently in
connection with his elevation to the Of
fee hallowed with the memories and ira
ditions of Bismarck. The appointment
has not taken Germany by surprise A
Prince Won Buelow's vice chancellor and
known intimate OF the emperor Of many
years standing, DIR. Won Bethmann-Ho
veg has long been a logical candidate for
the chancellorship and his selection be-
came a foregone conclusion from the mo-
ment Prince Won Buelow. in response to
the kaiser's invitation, nominated him as
his successor.
Although the new steersman OF Ger
many's imperial destinies has had dis
tinguished oficial career and has risen
by legitimate steps to prime ministerial
rank, he is a little-known personality. Inc
type of Prussian bureaucrat, who began
as assessor. rose to county supervisor.
became a provincial president. then
Prussian minister and later an Imperial
secretary Of state, his advance through
the stereotyped grades of German OF
ficialdom has been altogether character
perament, he has never intruded himself
into the glare of public notice. His ad-
ministrative career has been marked Dy
studious restriction to official duties. his
speeches in the Prnssian diet ana mouse
Of lords and before the forum of the reich
stag have been distinguished for nothing
but straight forwardness, sincerity and
thoroughness. He has never once been
known to electrify the country or parlla-
ment But he has won a reputation IN
the governing set for honesty, conserva-
tism and loyalty. and those are quahties
which will go far to compensate the fath-
erland for the brilliancy of Prince Won
Buelow.
Novice in Foreign Affairs.
Herr Won Bethmann- Hollweg's official
career has lain far remote from the paths
of diplomacy and foreign affairs. His
have been the prosaic problems of local
government and home administration
fields in which he is almost without peer
among his cOuntrymen. He approaches
the task of directing Germany's Weltpoli-
tik, therefore, practically a novice. That
Is a circumstance which leads Germans
to conclude that the kaiser will be very
much his own chancellor-as Bismarck
predicted-in so far. at least, as foreign
affairs are concerned. Either that, or the
pOrtfOllO or GeTndn IOTclSH ScCfetAis
will for the first time become something
more than titular position. Won Beth
mann Holweg will lean heavily on Baron
Won Schon. who. under the BueloW re-
gime, was hardly more than the chancel-
lors private secretary for foreign az
fairs.
The fifth chancellor Is born Brandon
burger. a native of Hohen Fitow. village
in the Mark. three-quarters Of an hour
west of Berlin. He is f1fty-three years
70 onrnblod n 1R1n Ia
od-time Frankfort merchant and banking
dynasty, prominent in the commerce OF
south Germany for several centuries.
Originally it consisted of two branches,
united unler a single hphenated name
through intermarriage. The founder OF
the Bethmann branch was driven from
Holland in the seventeenth century on
account of his religion. Chancellor Won
Bethmann-Hollwegs grandfather was the
first of the family to identify himself with
public life. An excellent lawyer, he be-
came a professor of Jurisprudence at
Bonn University, receiving the patent OF
nobility as a mark Of distinction for his
learning AS a member of the Prussian
legislature in the forties he was in the
thick of the constitutional struggles which
had their elimination in 1S4S, and ten
wears later he became minister of educa-
ton in q liberal cabinet. From this hardy
stock. sterling mixture of traders, bank
ers. scholars and politicians. the kaiser
has chosen his new chancellor.
Met Kaiser at Bonn.
1t was at Bonn, the celebrated univers-
ity on the Rhine. where all the Hohen-
zollerns of later generations have studied.
that Chancellor Won Bethmann- Hollweg
met and became the friend of Emperor
William II. Their real intimacy springs
from their membership of the famous b.
russia student corps. Many of the young
noblemen who had the honor of being
Prince Williams college comrades and
posts Of eminence In the fatherland's serv-
ice. for one of the kaiser's finest traits
is prediction for taking care of his
friends" After leaving the university
young Won Bethmann- Hollweg took the
state examination for the civil service,
mounting the first rung the bureau
cratic ladder, that Of an "assessorship'' in
1886
Before he was thirty, in 1885. he had
become landrat of Oberbarnim. a post at
which he spent ten years grounding him
self thoroughly in the principles of Prus-
sian local government. Oberbarnim
elected him to the reichstag in $780, but
he resigned his seat. In 1896 he was called
to the executive department of the pro-
vincial presidency Of Potsdam, where he
served for three yeaers and had many
opportunities of renewing with his student
comrade of Bonn, now kaiser the ties of
university ddyS.
In 1889 the emperor promoted his col
lege friend to the high post of president
of the government of Bromberg and
within three months had advanced him
still another grade by making him presi-
dent of the province of Brandenburg, with
headquarters at Potsdam, where he was
once again TO enjoy the comradeship of
his imperial patron The presidency of
Brandenburg is a natural stepping-stone
to ministerial honors in Prussia, and 1905
brought Won Bethmann- III llweg the ira
pointment as Prussian home secretary
Two years later the kaiser promoted him
from the Prussian cabinet TO a place in
the imperial government as secretary of
the imperial home Office, the position
which carries with it the additional rank
of vice chancellor and vice president OF
the Prussian ministry.
Always a Hard Worker.
In all these offices Won Bethmann-
Hollweg distinguished himself by zeal,
industry and capacity. His devotion to
Prince Won Ruelow was a marked fea-
ture of his ministerial career. The late
chancellor was accustomed frequently
to intrust Won Bethmann- Hollweg with
his representation in critical parliament
tary and political situations, and their
personal relations were of the most in
innate and confidential character. AS
a parliamentary figure Won Bethmann-
pressive. He is less brilliant than
Prince Won Buelow. but more convinc-
ing and thorough. The world will miss
the raillery of the late chancellor but
will get in it's stead plain speaking and
the wit that springs from brevity. I'M