Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-08-13

l. -bERLlN, August 1.-The revolution or
1913 succeeded in forcing the King of
Prussia to cOncede a constitution, but 1t
did not leave the people with sufficient
power to compel respect for it. The
Prussian government permitted the main
tenance of constitutional forms, but pro-
ceeded to act as if it were an autocratic
despotism. The Austrian government
also revoked the concessions made to
the revOlutionists, and the smaller Ger
man states readily followed the example.
Constitutions were Withdrawn OF modi-
fled, and there was great popular dlscon-
tent. During this period the German
emigration increased rapidly, and the
United States received from Germany a
great number of sturdy German liberals
who could no longer brook conditions in
their own country. These immigrants be-
came a great source of strength to the
American Union in the trying period of
the civil war and the subsequent era of
development. The German nation APP
peared to be dying.
But the dawn of a brighter day for
Germany was al hand. In 1851 King
Frederick William " lost his mind, and
his brother, the Prince of Prussia, was
appointed regent. The prince at once
set to work to develop scheme for the
reorganization of the Prussian army,
which would put into general use the
military principles instituted by Scharn-
horst. He had the powerful aid of Won
MOltke. The old king died in 1861, and
his brother succeeded him under the title
of William l.
AS prince regent, William had attempt
ed to force through the diet his expensive
army reform scheme, but as the money
was to be raised by land tax, the prince
was deserted by his friends, the aristo-
A w
diet was elected about the time William
came to the throne. in which the lib
erals had great majority. The diet was
determined to end the army scheme once
for all. 1t also insisted upon many other
liberal concessions from the throne and
was disposed to be extremely truculent.
The king had his heart set on the plan
to reorganize the army. 1t was at this
Bismarck's Bold Move in septem-
and His Bold Speech. s oer foo feo- one ne
Won Bismarck. In their interview the
king laid before Bismarck his plans for
abdication. saying that his convictions
forbade him to relinqush his army pro-
gram, and that there was nothing else
for him to do in view of the attitude of
the diet. Bismarck instantly said: THAT
shall never be allowed to come Bis
marck told the king that he could &C
complish his desires despite the liberal
opposition. He then accepted the min
istry, without majority of the diet and
without power to form budget. 1t was
a bold thing to do. but Bismarck was a
bold man.
The next week Bismarck went into the
fo no he
most significant speech ever delivered in
Germany. He told the deputies that lib
eralism was not for Prussians: that Ger
many admired Prussia for its power and
not for its democracy: that Prussians
were too highly cultured and too hyper
critical to tolerate constitution: that it
was the mission of Prussia to lead Ger
many, and that to fulfill this mission
Prussia must consolidate its might. He
said that it was well enough for Bavaria,
Wurttemberg and Baden to indulge in
liberalism and democracy for they
never could play the role Of Prussia. He
told them that Prussias boundaries were
not conducive to its integrity as a SOW
ereign state. and minated that they
must be expanded and that Germany
ought to be united under the aegis of
Prussia. He then said: Not by speeches
and resolutions of majorities are the
mighty problems of the age to be solved
that was the mistake of 1913 and 1919
they must be solved by blood and iron.'
Bismarck did not regard either the
speeches or the resolutions of the diet,
and the army reforms We're carried for
ward in defiance of the constitution. The
world did not then know. but Bismarck
the diplomatist Won Moltke the strategist
and Won Room the organizer were at
that moment engaged in perfecting the
details of the most powerful political and
military machine the world ever had
seen.