The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1910-07-24
Y I

frussla the Ming refused TO aboliAh the
Constitution outright. but he inter
! preted- IL with much the Same effect
For many reasons Germany had remained
behind France and England industrially
She now began Ia advance and in intel
lectual pursuits also Germans ceased 20
be exclusively romantic. metaphysical.
speculative. and became practical. posi-
tive, realist. William I. became King in
1881 When he came to a deadlock with
Parliament over the army he wrote out
and signed his abdication: but in Septem-
Der. 1892 he appointed Otto Won Bismarck
President Of the Ministry. and the latter's
boldness caused him to tear up the paper
and settle down for fight To the death
with the Chamber Of Deputies. The re-
suit Of that alliance and of the struggle
Is known to the world Bismarck built
up. rounded out, consolidated the king
dom by every means in his power direct
or indirect, provoking wars when neces-
ssfy for his purposes Matters soon
came To a point where reigning houses
ceased 20 rule on order from Berlin. With
singular faulty European nations allow ed
the swi 1T contamination Of these changes.
which altered tho balance Of power and
the map Of Europe. a mistake that France
Frances decline began in 1872 with the
! Mexican expedition Up 90 that time all
| Napoleon's undertakings had been sue
ce~sful He miscalculated Austria's
strength in the war Of 1893 and refused
the suggestion Of his War Minister that he
should make a simple military demon
stration and become srbiter and master
Of the situation without striking "a blow
! King William later said that the war Of
1888 was the ruin Of France because
Napoleon should have attacked ns in the
rear This IL what Bismarck most
I feared; hut the golden hour slipped by. and
| Napoleon missed one ~ the greatest OPP
/ portunities Of his career Had he refused
20 sanction thu annexations Of Prussia
unless compensated he could have secured
important additions To France
Tn. year ls6T Is a turning point in The
history Of Prussia. OF Austria, Of France
~ modern Europe. II profoundly altered
the historic balanc,. Of power. France was
not fortunate. moreover. in her Ministers. |
When the fat"ful candidacy - Hohen- !
zollern for IN. throne Of Spain came up in |
1870 the head Of the French Foreign Office |
was a pronounced and bitter opponent OF |
Prussia reckless and unwise politician. |
The war which Bismarck had long been |
planning was astutely brought about by |
the use the Iron Chancellor made Of tel.- |
graphic despatch sent from Ems by King |
william. describing an interview with |
Benedstti. The French Ministry. sup /
ported by the war party. had unwisely re-
opened the subject. and Benedetti was in
struCted To make the additional demand !
that the King ~ Prussia should promise |
that the Hohenzollern candidacy should |
never he renew ed The King refused with |
entire courtesy. and IN the meeting OF the |
French Ministers. held on the same eve
ming. It was not felt that this refusal made |
war necessary; but in telegraphing an
account of the interview TO Bismarck IN !
Berlin the King left il To- his Chancellor
10 decide whether the facts Of this new
French demand and his refusal to enter
tain II should he published Here was Bis
marck's opportunity. which he used joy
fully and ruthle~sly 60 provoke the French
20 declare war The form in which the
Fms despatch was published was intended
by him 20 he "a red rag To the Gallo bull
and certainly fulfilled the intention. The
despatch was not falsified. as has been fire.
auently asserted. but u was condensed in
such fashion that the negotiations at
Ems appeared 10 have been sharp and dis
courteous and abruptly terminated.
whareas they had been courteous and To
spectful on both sides The text was not
changed. ave by excelsior. hut the tone Of
il was greatly and intent onally altered.
~ that the Prussians thought their King,
the French that their Ambassador. had
been insulted
Prof Hazen enters into comprehensive
details ~ TO the results. social. economic
and the like. which followed bringing the .
record OF both countries. with their prob
lem. and conditions. down TO 1909. To
England he devotes a long and careful
study: but as that entire period ismuch
more familiar 20 the American public I
through close connection Of the countries
IL il needless 20 say more Of Il than that il
Is rs accurate a summary as those pre-
pared for Austria. France. Germany and
Italy. Naturally IL includes a statement {
Of the people and conditions in South ,
Africa which led To the Boer war: and in {
bringing the history OF Belgium up TO date /
the Congo question is plainly set forth. :
Africa in general and its modern divisions Z
among the Powers has large space de- {
voted 20 IL. Switzerland with its extraor- ,
democratic processes OF law V
including the referendum and the 4
NtAtpN q
are duly considered. Naturally Russia, G
which Is reached last in the survey. de- Z
mands much space, intricately involved r
~ it, diplomacy il not only with that Of n
Europe but with the complicated problems q
II Asia before and since the recent war: I
and for "A proper understanding Of the most r
vital 81 modern questions adequate space \
= assigned To Turkey and the Far East. n
With the status Of the European Powers r
here and the rise and growth Of japan 4
The volume IL characterized by prac-
ical. lucid condemnation and reasoning. "a
Fourteen colored maps help to a clear a
and there Is bibIiog- 4
Apply. with comments. We notice that Q,
some of the -guthor.,!es a:::s.. Ia the bin I,
Biography are not TO be relied upon too i'm n
,licitiy. For example. reference TO three I,
n four works by Stepniak and a volume =
~ II. Won Samson Himmelstierna should n,
nave been accompanied by n caMtlon. 4,
Stepniak possessed talent for putting Z,