Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1913-01-09
4 PICTURESQUE CHAPTER IN EU-
ROPEAN DIPLOMACY.

(From the Springfield Republican,
The death Of Kiderlen Waechter, the
German minister OF foreign affairs. re-
moves from the scene at a peculiarly In
teresting moment the most picturesque
and dominating figure IN european diplo-
macy. The dead minister has many times
been likened to Bismarck, and the COM
parison was justified in at least a small
measure, for the chief quality which he
displayed in various large accomplish
mcnts was a truly Bismarcliian ruthless
ness, although he lacked the inesse OF
the iron chancellor.
While Kiderlen- Watchter was a saber-
rattler. ne was something more, and
something less. The great episode of his
career was the provocation and final set
Element. a year ago OF the Morocco af
fair with France In simple terms it was
a sheer case of bullying. Germany had no
plausible claim in Morocco. But the Ger
man gunboat Panther was dispatched TO
Agadir and objection made to the extern
sion Of the French suZcrainty az a means
of forcing France eventually to buy Ger
many off by the cession Of New Kamerun
in equatorial Africa, which, In the not
acquisition of the Belgian Congo. may
yet give her vast strip acros the Afri-
can continent from east to west, thus for
ever dividing British South Africa from
Britsh-controled Egypt and putting an
ond TO the dream OF the Cape-to-C afro
road on sO-called British soil. But that
was not the only time that Kiderlen-
Waechter pursued a policy OF rude intim-
idation or followed the Bismarckian die
tum, said to be his favorite, "Europe's
greatest diplomatist is he who to con-
temporaries is always making trouble"
When in 1905 Austria's annexation of
Bosnia and herzegovina in disregard OF
the Berlin treaty of 1878 raised storm
of protest in Russia Kideren- Waechter
was recalled from his diplomatic post in
Bucharest to direct Germanys policy. He
was undoubtedly the best posted man In
the entire German diplomatic service on
Balkan affairs owing to his service both
at bucharest and Constantinople, and it
was his knowledge OF Russian affairs,
gained while serving earlier at St
Petersburg, that had originally recon-
mended him to the kaiser on a royal
cruise as long ago as 1855 Thus. accord
ing to the version accepted In diplomatic
circles in Europe II was Kiderlen-
Waechter who In 1908 was responsible for
the mobilization OF a German armmy
corps on the Russian frontier, coupled
with peremptory demand for an inn
mediate acknowledgment that Russia
regarded the annexation of Bosnia and
Herzegovina as an accomplished fact and
was content with it. Yet that episode was
not Of a part with his attitude toward
Russia when he became foreign minister
He cultivated friendly relations with Rus
Sla, to certain extent reversing Will
Jams earlier policy, as a means of check
mating France, but more particularly
England, and of weakening the triple
entente. When in 1910 he succeeded in
cfccting rapprochment between the
kaiser and the car whose meeting at
Potsdam has ever since given rise to
persistent reports of peace pledges and
secret agreements affecting English in
terests In Persia he was credited with
having undone at a stroke all that the
gifted diplomacy of Edward VII had done
for England.
But, although for more than two years
kiderlen-W aechter has been the domin-
atng personality In European diplomacy,
his first appearance in the Reichstag as
the kaiser's representative was far from
being triumph. Evidently the kaiser had
a strong personal liking for Kderlen-
Waechter, who was a coarse wit and ra-
conte ur, as well as high regard for his
abilities. II 1t was due to the notorious
looseness of his private HE that Kider-
len Waechter was for years exiled to the
comparatively unimportant post at Buch-
Arrest, William tolerated 1t when he had
need OF him For IL was to Kiderlen-
Waechter that William turned In 1909 at
the time the celebrated interview had
been published by permission In the Lon
don Telegraph, an indiscretion with hui
consequences both to the kaiser
and to Won Schoen, then at the head of
the foreign office
In the crisis Kiderlen- Waechter was
again recalled from Bucharest to handle
the AFFAIR and present the case to the
Reichstag in as favorable light as posi-
BILE. lie stood up to deliver his maiden
speech wearing a brilliantly striped yell
low waistc oat-made for him by fair
ldmirer-wh.ch at once became interna-
Iionally famous and caused him to be
dubbed the man with the waistcoat."
Ills figure was unimpresslve and his |,
voice thin and weak. In spite of his self |
confident manner he was greeted with |
shouts OF laughter Yet he showed his ,
luality by taking the rdicule with good ,
numor or contempt, and year later he |
was placed at the head OF the foreign |
office, and began there the brief but nota-
Die career which Is now ended. Under his |
leadership the triple alliance OF DER
many, Austria and Italy was given new
'itality' while the triple entente OF Eng
and. France and Russia was discounted.
with tho settlement OF the Balkan war |
'till on the knees OF the gods. Germany |
nay miss him severely. but tho CA6er !