The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-05-14
KA|SER'S EMPIRE
PLAYING IN LUCK c. |
Much Of Gernany's Position Is
Due to Tickle
Fortune. RI
STARTS WITH BISMARCK OK
WITH BISMARCK
Since His Time Power Of
Country Has Developed
Steadily.

Berlin, May i5,--No matter how VIII
ing you are to admit that Germany's
tndisputably leading position In, Eu-
rope Is to very large e1tent due to
the genius and fervent patriotism or
her statesman and the sterling ouai-
ties Of her people. you cannot close
your eyes to the fact, that much Is also
duo to luck. Germany has been in
luck ever since Bismarck decided to
try the army created by the genius
of Won Moitke. In the two little wars
against Denmark In 1864 and Austria
In 1866, mere dress rehearsals for the
great struggle with France in 1901.
which crushed the power OF Napoleon
III. Then more than q quarter Of a
century later. during which time Ger-A
many had developed all her military
naval and Industrial power Russia
was made harmless by the warj,with
Japan. followed By years of constitu-
uonal struggle, making 1t possible for
Germany to concentrate all her ener-
giles upon extending her markets ali
over the world and creating an i'm
-menEe commercial navy, tho chief
representatives. OF which are the enorm-
ously wealthy and powerful steamship
companies The Hamburg American
and the North German Lloyd" and
now. just at a time. when these com
pantes are looking for new CONNER
cial routes for the feet of steamers
Russia comes along and opens up to
them unlocked for opportunities in the
Black Sea. where the Cars govern
ment had until now consistently fav-
ored private Russian steamship COM
panies substituting these to such an ex-
tent that foreign competition was. I'M
possible
Among other lines for the past Atty
years there has been a prosperous, II
somewhat easy going Russian COM
pany at work. whose steamers were
far and away the most comfortable.
tho safest and tho steahiest on the
Black Sea. 1t is the Russian Company
of Navigation and Commerce.
II received a solid subsidy from'5ths
Russian government The contract
having expired, the financial commit
tee of the Duma proposed last year to
pay 1t In future only about ss35.o60.
This offer was declined. Now the COM
mittee recommends the Duma to re-
fuse to pay anything at all. to that
company, but to offer instead financial
aid to the volunteer fleet, on condi-
ton that It's steamer ply between the
Black Sea ports. About sT6o,00o would
be paid annually to the volunteer fleet,
and as 1t cannot reasonably be ex-
pected to make the Anatolian trips at
once q. e.. to visit the Turkish ports
between Batoum and Constantinople)
these may be discontinued for a.
twelvemonth. III. lsiN4i4I
That is Germany's opportunlty,a and
she is utilizing It, Her agents are on
the warpath. Already. according to
the Sovoye Nremya. the so-called
Northern Steamship Company. founded
by Russians and still assumed to be-
long to Russians. Is in reality German,
The Germans desire" this National
ist organ writes. ito appropriate to
themselves all the steamship COM
munIcations of the Near East and on
the Black Sea. as they have succeeded
In doing in the Mediterranean. For
this purpose they snatch a every pos
sible means. and in order TO triumph
definitely they are waiting Impatient
~ for the moment when. instead OF
our various private organizations. they
will have to cope only with the State
enterprise of the volunteer feet" And
now that moment is apparently draw
Ing near. 3'
Genuine regret Is felt here, az we'll
as at Vienna, at the news. of NJ. Sasan-
offs continued Illness, which may
lead to his retirement. Sasanof is
looked upon as the good fairy OF Rus
sia, Just as the fallen Isvolsky way
considered her evil genius, Here Is
what a leading Vienna paper says:
"Sasanoff conducted the foreign
policy of Russia not in the interests
of her political friends. but In her own
interest. Russia wants rest. This rest
was endangered as long as st. Peters
burg championed the imaginary inter-
csts of other powers. The logical re-
suit of NJ. Sasanoffs policy was the
Potsdam Interview. Russia entered into
good relations with Germany, and the
result is that Engiand-terrorized by
the noise of part of her population
about the spectre of German invasion
will exchange naval informa ton
with Germany; that the Bagdad rail-
road question Is to large extent
solved. and that the relations between
Russia and Austria Hungary have be-
come most friendly Europe Is breath
ing again freely, That is the work OF
Sasanoff." itt