The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-09-20
THINKS DIR. DERNBURG
OVERLOOKED FACTS

To rHE EDITOR or THE SuS--Sir, " Is
true. az pr pernburC says that Prussia
has hut seventeen votes out of the MY
four In the Bunhcsrat, but he fails 10
allow for the proponderat,ng influence
that Prussia has almost variably excr-
Cised m that body. II il likewise true
that IN Germany suffrage Is universal. nut
DR.. Dcrnburr omits to ssste that there
has been no change IN the arrangement Of
the electoral districts Of the German
Reichstag for more than forty years. dur
ing which time there has been an enor-
mOusly greater Increase In the urban than
in the -ural population so that the agri-
cultural districts, the seat Of the "Yunher"
strength. enjoy an influence far beyond
their numerical strength. More than this
while all measures providing ways and
means must he passed by the Re!chstag'
they mus, likewise receive the approval of
the Bundcsiat. hardly stronghold of
popular strength. Finally. to complete
tnr picture OF a democratic GERMANY
there Is a Ministry not responsible to the
Reichstag, conducting the affairs Of the
empire and defying n Reichsttg whose adj
verse majority cannot shake the position
ut chancellor secure In the confidence
of the Kaiser
DR. pcrnblrg. In the preliminary part
" his paper gives what Is intended To Ice
a brief opi ono of the h1ru f,t, ~ Ger
many rom the time of the thirty years
war ~ ne final uniflCaton OF 1870
1871. n g.. many was tu!n by dissension
and made the scnt OF internal conflict IL
was the fJul nj hey rulers anl their am
billions and while mentioning the league
against Prod .Irk Tive Great from 1856 to
1888 i, might have been -fairer to recall
that II WA, Fisd"i icI's earlier rape OF
Slesa that w1s the moving cause. II IL
apparently part Of Gcrmany's grievance
according To- Dr Dernburg, that when
Belgium seeded from Holland Gin 1890
the Powers selected a king who was both
the son-ln-law Of the King OF France and
the uncle OF the Queen OF England and
therefore strongly affiliated with these
two countries" Is II intends by this to
hint that the famous guaranty Of neu-
trality was aimed AT Germany? AS
matter Of tact. King Leopold did not
marry tine daughter OF the French King
Until 1882 and HIS niece was not on the
English throne until 1897 and why did
not Dr. Dcrnburg mention that Leopold |.
of Beg UNI WAS OF pure German stock. a
scion of he ruling house OF Saxe-Coburg.
and that II was the subject OF Just com
plant m England that he too much sur
rounded his niece with German Influences?
II might hav" been fair also II he had said
something 81 that weight Of educated
opinion VI england which looked with re-
gret upon German separation and wei
coined with delight the unhcatlon Of 1870.
Dr, pcrnburg says that the national
existence ~ Austria can never he arb-
trated upon. and that Austria is the only
aid that Germany has for the purpose Of
defence which can he relied upon To
speak of the national existence OF Austria
10 to name an imaginary thing. In reality
there never was a moro short sighted
policy than to rely upon Austria Hun
gary, which, representing not n nation
Ality but n dynasty (that holds It's pos
...l.... . e..
tains all the elements OF solution. ne
cause It gives the lie to the principle OF
nationality. if Russia has unsavorY
memories and sntertaina great desiGns -
conquest what one may ask, Is the his
tory Of the dual monarchy? Her taking u
Bosnia ana Herzegovina was pure act
of aggression based upon the notion that
one country may prey upon another.
Who drove France into the aims OF
Russia? Russia may have doubtless has
Pan Slavist ideals, hut when Or, pcrnburg
quoted from the English white Book to
show that Sszouon declared that war
with Russia must inevitably follow an
Austrian attack on Servil, he ought also
IN fairness have quoted rom No 1872
from the same source which shows thar
all that Russia asked was 'hat Servil's
territories integrity ANA iulcuendouca
should nr ma n'aiued
"ttrgenD Formula amended ~ accord
encc with tho English proposal II Aus
esia consents To stay the march Of her
troops on S"rvan territory. and H. rra,r.
nlZing that the Austrp- Scryiau conflict
has assumed tine character OF question Of
European Interests, sEe admits that the
Great IoWers may examine the sltlsfac-
non which Scrv,d can accord 10 the
Austro- hungarian Government withou,
injury 10 her sovereign right as a state
nnd tn her independence. Russia under.
lah's 70 preserve hcr waiting attitude"