The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1912-02-24
NEW ASPECTS
OF BISMARCK

A French army surgeon, named
Czernicki, in a supplement to the
Ganlois, gives a very interesting AMI
pleasing Renaissance of Bismarck,
placing the Iron Chancellor In an un-
accustomed light. DR.. CzerniCH had
been left in charge of an ambulance
at Rezonville before the siege of
Metz, and when Bazaine ordered the
retreat of the Second Corps d'Armee
into Metz on the night of August ell,
the ambulance, with some 5000 wound
ed, was left behind and found itself
within the Prussian lines On the
morning of the 18th DR.. Czernicki was
accosted by an officer, who informed
him that the King of Prussia, with
his suite, was in Renzonvile, and that
he would introduce him 20 Count Bis
marck. The rest may be told in his
own words.
There on a stone bench, close to
the door of a rustic cottage, at Z in
the morning, was seaved alone the
celebrated Prussian Minister at break
fast. He had spread a sheet of paper
on his knees, upon which lay cold
meat, sausages and bread. Beside
him on the bench was a bottle, from
which he was drinking. When he saw
us he left off eating and. rising to
his full height, saluted with a kindly
laugh. The following conversation,
which l wrote out the same evening
in my notebook, then took place in
French:
You are taking part, sir, in a ter
rible war for a start in your career,
he said. What a sight, what suffer
ing! 1t is not you or these poor
mutliated fellows that | should like
to see here, but your Senators and
Deputies. They would see what war
isl Look at it! Have you many
wounded"
''In reply TO my question whether
the Germans had also lost many, Bis
marck said: Six times as many as
in 1866. But do you believe, sir, and
does the French army believe, that 1t
was | who wanted war; Taking off
his helmet he went on. Look at me!
| am threatened with an appopletic
stroke and was quietly going through
cure, and never thought l should
have to interrupt and change it for
the life of the camp
Always Ready for War.
Just then the chaplain of the am
bulance, the Able Bolard, came up,
and asked, But, M. lie Comte, if you
did not want war, what was the mean
ing of the Hohenzollern candidature?
to which Bismarck replied teXtually,
Upon my word! anybody really swal,
low that? NJ. de Grammont is too re-
fined a gentleman and too good a
sportsman to be a good politician,
That was invented to force on war.
We were challenged not to retreat any
further. Already, four years ago, We
had shown great patience in the Lux
emburg affair. and you were less
ready then than you are today. You
only forget one thing. And that Is
that We are always ready for war, and
that if We are forced to fight we carry
on war in the severest sense. You
| have had proof of this and with a
| gesture of satisfaction he haughtily
and coldly pointed to the battlefield
which had called forth his deep emo
ton few minutes previously.
Then, changing the conversation
| suddenly, he asked me:
"'Do you know, Monsieur, where is
the Emperor? 4 am absolutely ignor-
ant l answered, rejecting that prob
ably the whole reason of the inter
view, beginning with humanitarian
sentiments and turning to violence,
was simply to find out the where
abouts of the Emperor, whom he
wrongly believed up to August l9 to
be with the army of Metz.
Field Marshal Room then came up
and also asked after the whereabouts
of the Emperor, after which Doctor
CzernicH was requested to lead the
way to where the German wounded
We're housed, and the cortege, with
Bismarck and De Room at the head,
marched OFF.
Here truth compels me to say"
proceeds Doctor Czernicki, that moth
ing can describe the solicitude and in
terest shown by the minister OF war,