The Washington herald., 1910-12-11
MAMMALIAN HARDEN
POLITICAL EXPERT

where he lived the life Of squire. but
he followed politics closely, and ruthlessly
criticised every action of the ruler or the
! government that seemed TO him fraught
with danger to the fatherland. William
| resented this attitude the more as 1t was
| Unprecedented. For several years every
connection between the Kaiser and Prince
Bismarck was cut or, bat when public
opinion more and more favored the old
founder CT the empire William believed
a reconciliation political necessity.
On New Years Day. 1894. he sent one OF
his aids-de- camp to Friedrichsruhe and
presented the prince with a bottle OF the
rarest wine that grows on the banks OF
the Rhine. a genuine Johannesberger
burg.
Several days later tho prince had
| caller, youngish-lookng man, slender
and clean shaver but of exceptionally
intellectual appearance, whom he treated
with great courtesy and distinguished
consideration. Talking about the En-
| peror's unexpected present. the prince
said; I've shall drink this bottle to-
| gether. because YOU mean as well by
| the Emperor as / do
The bottle was brought in and emptied,
4 but whether to the Emperors health no
one ever knew
The guest whom the Iron Chancellor"
| honored in this remarkable manner was
Macmillan Harden, then IN his early
| thirties, and editor Of a weekly, the Zu-
kunft. American readers may not fully
understand the significance of the former
ehancelior's attitude toward Harden, Tn
! Germany journalists are not accustomed
TO fraternize with princes, especially
| Prince bismarck. The event, therefore,
shows the position Harden had made for
himself in the two years that had elapsed
between the FIRST publication OF the now
famous periodical. "De zukunft," and
| his visit 20 Bismarck
Like the great Socialist leader, Las
sake, Macmillan Harden was the son of
a Jewish merchant The most striking
feature of the boy was his independence.
and he had fiery and breeding tempera-
ment. Al the age Of twelve he ran away
| from home and joined a troop of wander
| ing actors but was found and brought
back TO his parents. Some years later
upon leaving college, he again turned to
the stage. He has a special gift for carl
cature, and if he were not the greatest
journalist in Germany. and perhaps in all
OF Europe, he could make fine living on
the vaudeville stage
| After the dismissal of Bismarck. Harden
began TO discuss political matters in the
Zukunft, lie was one OF the few who II
that time already saw and understood the
| weaknesses I'm .he Emperors character,
and he criticised them IN the most auda-
cious manner In Germany this is rather
/ dangerous. and thus far Harden has
faced three trials for ''lese majestic and
spent year as prisoner in a Prussian
| fortress.
| But he never insulted the Emperor in
a vulgar way. His language always was
noble and often pathetic. Still, the GER
man courts arc very vigorous in such
matters. and the judges only saw in
| Harden destroyer Of authority lie had
| no friends ia the German press, and
| fought perfectly alone, but he never
wavered, and to-day all intelligent Ger
many knows that Hardens criticisms
| have reached their mark
Harden is not. as an American metro
politan paper once pat IL, the enemy OF
| the Emperor His genius is not 70 be
| Imprisoned in such a narrow circle He
| is far and away the greatest expert
| to-day OF German foreign politics, and IL
Is difficult 10 imagine how he managed
| 10 accumulate such an intimate knowl-
edge Of personalities and facts as he ex-
| hibts in his articles again and again.
There Is not a politician or statesman
| In all Germany high or low. who does
not read the Zukuuft every week. and
lister or chancellor but high function
aries frequently come TO see him in his
villa in the Gruncwald for the purpose
of obtaining his judgment on political
problems. He receives everybody and
| answers every letter personally, and in
his own handwriting.
The amount OF daily work that Harden
does is gigantic and it is a wonder to
all how he has persevcred during eight
cen years. He eats very little. and
mostly fruits. and his only recreation is
an ice-cold bath Sometimes he takes
three of them in one day. He very sell
dom drinks wine and then only a glass of
very dry champagne. During all these
years he has never left Berlin, save
some days spent at Paris and Milan
Harden recommends an energetic for
eign policy. but he is not chauvinistic,
and looks at war only as the ultima
ratio Very often he has urged the
| necessity of coming 10 an understanding
with England. thus putting an end to the
competition in naval ornaments
Harden is much interested in American
development, but his personality in one
respect at least offers a strong contrast
To the American type. Here specializa-
ton reigns. Successful men are working
IN a certain domain in which they be
come experts and authorities. They are
SO busy at all times that they are not
able TO aim a. harmonious cultivation
of all their gifts Harden, however, tries
TO develop himself in every possible sense.
Hence, his information is universal, and
his essays en- art literature sociology.
and law are not less thorough than his
political views. No European author is
comparable 20 him with regard 10 the
fieNbiiity of his talent or range of mind
Hardens paper. the Zukunft. is abso-
| lutely independent, and he is its sole
proprietor and editor. II nets him annu-
ally $4,000, a phenomenal income accord
ing to German notions. His success is
the more remarkable, as he never spares
anybody and possesses the gentle art of
making enemies right and left and in the
highest degree.
His recipe was very simple He gave
way to his attacks without any worldly
consideration. without fear, but also
without forbearance Hence everybody
almost reads his articles. but very few
like the author. Ills enemies accuse him
% having no principle and OF being too
changeable Il may be that he is change
able, but he is always himself He once
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