The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1910-11-30
FRENCH VIEW OF
IRON CHANCELLOR


III. He makes some rather extreme
statements, which, when published in
book form, cannot fail to attract world
wide attention
OF course. the lions share in the chap
ter, as in all of the others, Is given 10
Bismarck. discussing whose greatness NJ.
Olivier says. as naiyely as you please,
that there never was politician who
Was honest in the accepted meaning of
the word.
Hard, prosaic realities and interests,
as we'll as passions. both of a common
and OF an elevated sort. says the aged
statesman, and not ethereal considera-
tons of subjective ideaIity, together de-
termine the science OF statecraft II is
thus that Bismarck would have liked 20
be praised; IL is thus that one ought 10
speak OF that extraordinary man-this
most cunning OF foxes" most auda-
cious of lions" who could captlvate and
alright, make OF truth Itself a vehicle
of falsehood. TO whom gratitude and for
getfulness of wrongs and respect for the
vanquished alike were unknown. as were
all other generous sentiments except his
devotion to national ambition; who found
everything legitimate that contributed TO
success; who dazzled the imagination OF
o
tunities of morality.
'Esthetically." says NJ Olivier. this as
pect Of him most pleases me. From the
moment that lie unmasks himself and
boasts OF the audaclous trickery by
which he has placed his Germany, until
then divided and powerless, in the front
rank OF the nations he Is as great and
as superb at Satan"
NJ Olivier shows deep dscernment
when he goes on 10 say. with all the force
OF his versatile pen. that the popular
belief that there is something fundamen-
tally and mutually antagonistic IN the
nature OF the German and the French
man is absolutely wrong.
Just listen 10 this bit OF persihage:
THE cause OF the conflict between France
and Germany, SAYS NJ Olivier, was one
OF two artificial fatalities, born OF false
conceptions and the unwholesome ambi-
ton OF statesmen which time might wear
out. transform, and often extinguish."
It was NJ. Olivier's ambition when he
took Office TO establish friendship and CO.
operation between the two nations. 'But. "
he adds. there existed a man 20 whom Il
imported much that this Fictitious fatal
ity should subsst and should finally
burst forth into war. II was this puts
SAINT genius. unwilling TO leave 20 time
the glory OF accomplishing the task OF
unihcation, the triumph Of which would
have been inevitable. who wished to
make short work OF evolution and i'm
pose upon the present what the future
would have freely established and 20
keep for himself the glory thar his sue
cessors might have shared.
Had bismarck not existed, the war be-
tween France and Germany would not
have been predestined. The son of Ma
poleon III would have avoided il even as
his father would have done Napoleon
wished for peace. but he was vaclllating.
Bismarck wished for war with all the
force Of his inexorable Will II is pitiful.
therefore, 10 read the painful disserta-
lions OF our tFumpery historians, who see
what they term the responsibilities and
strain themselves 10 incriminate either
the statesmen Of the opposition OF those
or the government.
"Assuredly, the men Of the opposition
were imprudent enough to keep the pub
lie mind in state OF exaggerated impa-
thence. AssuredIy, the Emperor ought
not. by demanding useless guarantees for
the Spanish succession, to have reopened
question which by a victorious solu-
ton already had been closed. But neither
the declarations OF the men Of the oppo-
sition nor the error OF Napoleon was the
determining cause Of the war. No French
man was responsible for Il" mo. nor
Frenchwoman, for the Empress who pre-
cipitated that war was OF Spanish de-
scentl
NJ olivier then goes on 20 place the
entire blame upon the shoulders OF the
Iron Chancellor. In which he is wrong,
strictly historically speaking. For. while
as Frenehman, he is not TO be censured
for entertaining such an opinion he IS
10 blame for trying 10 foster his own
opinion as truth upon the entire world
We all know that II was Empress Eu-
genie who instigated that war from fear
that one of the hated HOhenzollerns
would ascend the throne OF her native
land. Spain, that she was aided IN her
intrigues by her own special "cIique" IN
the Tuileries, and that her weak, vacil-
lating husband, Napoleon III, who was as
wax in her hands, did not have strength
of will sufficient TO ward of the calamity
which he foresaw was coming, and which
ended in the historic debaele at Sedan. |
In view OF the prominent part the
Prince of Wales will take in the great
state ceremOnials next year, Il is inter
esting TO note that although for more
than 900 years the heir apparent usually
has borne the title OF Prince OF Wales, |
yet during the whole OF that period no
Prince OF Wales. except the present King. |
ever has been present at the coronation
Of his father
Edward II. the first holder OF that title. |
n
the principality, and he was unmarried
when he succeeded 20 the crown, as was
also Edward III Richard III was crowned
in his infancy. Henry " never was
Prince of Wales, and Henry Y did not
receive the title until after his fathers |
coronation, and himself was unmarried
when crowned. Henry VI was crowned
in his cradle. Edward " never bore the |
title, nor did Edward V. Richard III. or
Henry VII Henry VIII had no legitimate
son living at the time OF his coronation. |
Edward VI died unmarried, and Mary !
and Elizabeth had no children.
No Prince OF Wales was living from !
the time Of James I TO George l. When !
the latter was crowned his son stin was |
az Hanover. Frederic, Prince OF Wales, |
did not attend the coronation OF his |
father, George Il. and until 1902 all the |
succeeding sovereigns either were I'M |
married or had no children.
By the way. an extremely interesting |
point appears 10 have arisen as to |
whether or not the present heir apparent |
IS entitled TO carry. in pretense the arms |
OF SaxoRy. The title OF Duke OF Saxony |
Is borne by princes OF Great Britain OF |
the house of Coburg King Edward had |
Duke of Saxony among his titles; so had |
the present King when Prince of Wales, |
and so has he now
As those titles were inherited from the
husband Of Queen Victoria. Albert Ed