Evening star., 1909-07-11
GERMAN And RUSSIAN RELATIONS

I and ignore the present condition of Euro
pean policy. The traditional relations or
| the Romanoffs and Hohenzollerns were
begun before German unity. the German
empire and the upward German flight IL
lasted several years after 1871 by reason
Of the force 1t had acquired and through
the genius of Bismarck. But from 1870
these relations were condemned. To have
extracted friendly relations from Russia
after the Berlin congress was a paradox
ical masterpiece, analogous to the widest
creations Of the Napoleonic will. but
which could not be maintained. The
Franco Russian alliance was the conse-
Quence.
Russia in the situation which resulted
from her Asiatic enterprise. requires
peace. But peace without
Russian independence was not
p.. possible. and Russia
! could not have had indie
pendence had she been allied to Germany
and Austria. Imagine Russia's situation
in the Balkans with Germany backing
| Austria's pretensions! Russia would be
more immobilized still than Italy Rus
sia, in a word, would have been hopeless
ly tied to German Austrian policies, and
these nations would have become inevita-
bly, the masters. Without doubt Russia
could not run the risk of rupture with
Vienna or Berlin. But in order to treat
with these two powers on % an eaaa. ho,Id aoOt,
not be alone. and, fortunately, she hnds
support at Paris and at London Rus
sia's alliance with France and her entente
with England are indispensable conditions
| Of her good relations with the triple al
lance. without such alliance she would
be indisputably in state of inferiority;
The Temps concludes that neither the
interview of William III with the car nor
the prospective visits Of the car to
France and England may constitute
menace either to the duplice or to the
triplice.
Actually Germany Is in the midst Of
| political and economical crisis rendered
j acute by the defeat in the reichstag OF
Prince Won Buelow's bill for financial re-
forms. The defeat Of the bill to extend
inheritance taxes to direct heirs, including
widows and children. by vote OF 194
to 1856. under ordinary circumstances
would mean the dissolution of the reich
stag or the resignation OF Prince Won
Buelow.
There are many rumors af1oat and much
public excitement. Speeches In the reich
stag were exceedingly bitter. especially
those Of the conservatives and national
liberals, who hitherto had formed coali-
ton supporting the chancellor. The con-
servatives, centrists. Poles, Alsatians and
independents united to form the majority
against the government. The imperial
conservatives. national liberals. radicals
and socialists voted for the government.
The paradox of constitutionalism was
never more apparent. The imperial gov
ernment had obtained a
German conservative-liberal major
Il ity, but the nature Of the
coalition caused some doubt
!. as to stability. Despite the cleverness
. Of Prince Won Buelow, he has not been
, able to avoid q rupture in his bloc.
been able to avoid a rupture in his bloc.
! The German press avows with bitterness
J that the situation in the reichstag Is not
, brilliant, and blames the conservative
. liberals as responsible for the anarchy
, that reigns. The rupture. says the press
, generally, has renewed the narrow and
egotistical spirit with which Bismarck
had to contend.
prepared and presented by the chancel-
lor with amplitude and a regard to the
necessities of the country. The reich :
: stag named finance commission. 1t
!. was then the interests of coteries were
brought into play. The conservatives
!. refused obstinately the taxes they were
expected to vote. The liberals hesi-
tated between their doctrines and gov
J ernment favors. Thus the reichstag
| presents the spectacle of a government
incapable of carrying out its program
with it's own majority when It's hnan-
cial reforms would have been accom-
plished with another majority, ready 20
act with government.
. The Catholic conservative party has
profited by the disagreement In the
, conservative liberal combination. and
has sought the occasion to replace the
conservative-lib liberals as the majority
| cit tc ior a
perpleXities of the chancellor may be
explained by the paradox of an imperial
German constitution. In an autocrattc
state the chancellor may ignore the
will of the assembly which is only con-
sultative. In a real parliamentary state
the remedy could easily be applied by
resignation. Prince Won Buelow does
, not depend upon the rechstag. bur
upon the will Of the emperor, which is
supreme.
II is conceded that Prince Won Buelow
would gladly retire from Office and in
deed 1t WAS reported from
), Won Buelow's Berlin on the 2sth ulti-
| e mo that just so soon as
: the pending finance re-
forms were disposed of he would retire
In the interval rumors are rife as TO
who will succeed him. Such names are
!, mentioned as probable successors as
Baron Marschall von Bieberstein, the am
bassador at Constantinople; Baron Won
RheinbaDen, Gen. Won Lowenfeldt and
Gen. Won Wedel.
Prince Won Buelow, then without
title. went from the German embassy at
Rome in 1897 to assume the functions OF
foreign secretary at Berlin. He was then
a poor man. He is now rich, not through
his office, however, or by gifts OF gov
ernment which bestowed upon him the
title Of count and prince, to which some
benefits are attached, but by the gen.
erosity OF Herr Godfrey, wealthy sugar
merchant of Hamburg, who. dying, LETT
the prince bequest Of $1,37o,OO. Herr
Godfrey had never met the prince, out
admired the statesman, and left MIN
fortune as a mark Of regard and appre-
citation Of his services to his country.
The Norddeutsche Allgemeine Zeitung,
: citing the various reports regarding the
significance of the retirement OF Cnan-
cellor Won Buelow, says:
Prince Won Buelow besought the kaiser
to permit him to go at once, Dut MS
majesty in the warmest terms expressed
the wish that the prince remain In ONCE
until the finance proposals had been put
through the reichstag."
Other rumors at Berlin represent Prince
Won BuelOw as being In no haste to aban-
don his portfolio; that the stories told OF
the great desire of the prince and prin-
cess to occupy the Roman villa are pure
fabrications. due to the friends and fol-
lowers of the many candidates 10 sue
ceed the prince at Berlin.
or HHAJI,IF-LONG