New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-08-07
German Diplomacy Chiefly toBlame
for GermanY's Predicament.

~ w. hAoAAN u
What stands out clcarest in Germsny's uncauny
defiance of over half Of Europe is the fact that
Bismarck died and left 10 successors. In the
Chsncellors Office in wnhclmstrssse Bethmann-
Holweg rsttles around in Bismsrcks shoes His
elsp is TO do things first and find out afterward
wlf thcr It was wise 10 do them
fhc collapse Of German diplomacy in the last
70 weeks has been amazing. German policy for
kRenty or thirty years back has been built on the
foundation stone Of the Triple Alliance. But in
ibe first great European crisis the Triple Alliance
las crumpled One partner-Itsly-hss dropped
out Of it, and the Kaiser and Bethmsnn-Hollweg
lave been placed in the humiliating position Of
having first to plead with, and then vainly to
threaten a power which they had counted upon as
a certain ally.
Italy escaped the obligations Of the Triple ALI
ance through glaring faults Of the Berlin For
cign Office. The Italian government says that It
was never informed OF Austria Hungary's plans
for discipIning servia. That is not surprising
.ince Italy and Austria Hungary have antsgonistic
interests in the Balkan territory and Vienna could
rot have expected hearty approval in Rome OF its
aggressive Servian policy.
lustria- Hungary evidently worked out the de-
tails Of its demand on Servia with great secrecy.
ierlin newspapers just received say that the Ger
man government admitted having simply general
knowledge of the Seryan note, receiving its text
Hungary. which has all along accepted guidance
from Berlin 10 rush ahead into a perilous position
without notice TO Italy and with inadequate notice
10 itself was diplomatic blunder OF the first rank
on the part of the German government 1t left
lpen TO Italy way Of escape from the obligations
IL the Triple Alliance-obligations Of which the
[ llian people had become very impatient in view
" the many acute conflicts Of interest between
tfem and the people OF Austria Hungary.
Italy has again announced its neutrality and
given technically good reasons therefor. Germany
must consequently take the illogical attitude #
lamenting the alleged per6dy OF an ally bound by
the triple compact, while offering no apology but
its own interest for the violation Of the neutrality
Of Belgium, whose autonomy is guaranteed in
treaty Of which Prussia is one Of the signatories
Bismarck was cynical about the observance Of
treaties but while he lived he would at least have
seen to it that compact like that which the
Triple Alliance was based was not broken to Ger.
many's disadvantage.
II is equally certain that Bismarck would not
have outraged the opinion Of the world BY wanton
violation of Belgiums sovereignty thus driving
Great Britain irrevocably into the circle of Ger
\ many's enemies Whatever military advantage
might have accrued from clearing path across
Belgium into Northeastern France could hardly
have overweighed in the mind of a diplomat Of Bis
marck's keenness Of view the enormous injury
done to Germany in the good opinion Of the neutral
states.
The whole German diplomatic policy Of the last
two weeks has been one of almost panic stricken
uncertainty. It's lack Of balance went to the point
Of erotesqueness in the note recently submitted 10
Sweden demanding TO be informed whether Sweden
WAS with us or against us" That was bare
faced imitation Of the first Napoleon's arrogant
methods at the height Of his inflated power.
There is no evidence as yet that the Kaiser can now
do with impunity what Napoleon did only after he
had nearly all Continental Europe at his feet.
German military plans have been checked by little
Belgium. aud Paris is still as many marches away
rs ever. Militarsm has its limitations as method
of getting forward. IL may go far for the moment,
but IT has rarely succeeded in winning permanent
triumphs except under geniuses like Frederick the
Great and Napoleon, unless based on sound and
fruitful diplomacy Germany's diplomacy in the
presep crisis has been neither fruitful nor sound
~ peaceful Land of Many Tongues.