New-York tribune., 1914-11-29

IT. SupprcSsiuC agitation iN their Polish
provinces. TO surrender refugees and
TO give mutual aid I'm case Of rcVolts.
Prussia abandoned her liberal expert
ment, the Polish Governor was sbo!-
ished. PruSSisn officials were appointed.
md the policy was rnauguratcd Of set
Ting German landowners I'M the prov
inces in order 10 strengthen the Ger
man element.
Nicholas Opposes Liberalism
The convention OF NUrchengratz had
q larger significance ln the eyes Of the
Car Nicholas |. who brought u about
The Car, who was An incarnation o.
the spirit of autocraCy, believed Dc TO
be his duty TO resist 10 tic utmost the
propagation OF the liberal IDEAS. Of
Western Europe. and iu Prussia and
Austria he saw st once two barriers 10
protect Russia against the pcrnlcIous
doctrines current ina France. Belgium
and ltalv and two supports Tor the
mouarcmcal principle. In fact. he de-
signed a political system. which We
mieht describe as league OF monarch
ism. 20 oppose curoachments Of vest
ern coHstitutionalsm.
Prussia wss facilitated ny the reia-
tjonship of the rulers. The Car was
son-iu-law OF Frederick William III.
At the crisis OF the Crimean War there
was danger Of a rupture. 4 party al
the Prussian court known as the
WocheUblatt party from the name of
their press organ advocated efforts to
bring about d partition o. Russia and
20 cultivate a friendship with England
which might lead 90 q united Germany.
This party was supported by the Pr.u-
cess William atterward the Empress
Augusta. wife O. tho heir TO the
throne. She was partly Of Russian
descent. As her mother was daughter
of the Emperor Paul. but she detesteo
Russia. This aversion constantly
caused difficulties TO Bismarck. VINO
speaks satirically of her idea that good
will toward England. and even toward
France. was a sign OF higher culture
than goodwill toward Russia. Prince
William was nearly won over by his
wife and the Nochenblatt party 10 a
policy opposed 10 Russia, but Bismarck
dissuaded him. urging especially that
such q policy would form.dably in.
crease the difficulty Of the Polish prob
lem.
After the death Of Nicholas the role
which he had played in upholdine the
principles 'of monarchism ia Eastern
Europe passed 20 Bismarcs.
Bismarck Gets Whip Hand
The lesson Of 1880 had not beer lost
IN Prussia. and when trouble arose in
Russian Poland in 1928 Bismarck
took the ueedful measures. There was
q division i'm the governing circle al ST.
Peters burg between absolutlsm and
Polish sympathies. The Grand Duke
Constantine was a man OF liberal opln-
ions. and when he was appointed vice
roy of Poland AZ the crisis he spoke
, Polish wore Polish uniform and as
Sumcd the most conciliatory attitude
Alexander II was half inclined to a
philo-PoliSh policy. and out Tor the &C
tion of the extreme revolutionary party
in Poland this might in the end have
prevailed Bismarck's diplomacy was
directed toward insurnC the victory OF
the old absOlutist principle. The qucs-
tion was, he wrote. whether the Rus
sian Cabinet was dominated "by an ef-
fort after Russo-Poiish determination
in the anti-German PanSlavist interest
or by one for mutual reliance between
Russia and Prussia
He had against him not only the
Russian philo-Polish party. but also the
influence Of France, England and Aus
tria. which made repeated representa-
tions at ST. Petersburg 1863 urgine
! liberal concessions such ss represent Ia
i tive government. appointment Of Poles
J to public Offices and the exclusive use
Of Polish as the official language. Bis
marck was successful, 4 military con.
vention was concluded, and Prussia
helped Russia to crush the revolt ol
guarding the frontier. so that the in
surgcnts could not escape I'm this
convention Bismarck saw political. not
merely military, significance. l. "stooC
70 the victory IN the Russian Cabine'
( Of Prussia over Polish policy" "Ar
agreement between Russia and the Ger
man foe Of Panslavism for joint action
military and political. against III,
! Polish 'Bruders tamm movement wa.
a decisive blow TO the views of tn,
philO-Polish party Al the Russian
/ court"
To these quotations. which illuminat,
/ the consistent policy of Prussia, mal
sdd one more:
"For the German future Of Prussis
the attitude of Russia was question
Of great Importance. 4 PhIlo-PolIsi
Russian policy was calculated TO viyIfl
that Russo-French sympathy againS
which PrussiR's effort had been direct
ed since the peace OF aiis. and, indeed
on occasion earlier. lt was oul
interest 70 oppose the party ia th,
Russian Cabinet which had Polish pro.
clivitieS even when they were the pro
clivities of Alexander ll.'
Austris Takes Part of Poles.
II is 10 be noted that Austria OF
this occasion associated herself with
the Western powers in behalf Of the
Poles. She could afford to do this be
cause she had herself been compare
lively liberal in her treatment Of The
Poles Of Gslicia. Her empire consist
ing of many nationalities. its complete
Germanization could never be her oh
ject; whereas complete Germanization
was the definite policy OF Prussia. a
policy TO be pursued not only .u the
Polish districts. but also afterward in
Schlcswig and ElSass. Austria. more
over, stood n different position I'm
regard 10 Russia on account of their
opposite interests .u the Balkan Pen
insula, and the favor she showed tow
ard her Poles was az least partly ;u-
fucnced by the consideration that che
might use them as o weapon against
Russia.
russia was somewhat CHARMED at tho
advances OF the Prussian power in 1854
but Bismarck, who boasted that ne had
the ca Of the Car, avoided a rupture
Of the friendly relations between tho