The Irish standard., 1914-11-21
(From the Saturday Review, London
Sept. II, 1879

The Old Wise Man of Europe has
spoken. And there should fall on Eng
land the silence of reflection and pre-.
paration. "The chief topic of CONVEX
sation between the Emperor and the
Czar," said Prince Bismarck as quot
ed by the Times" must have turned
on the subject of England" The old
statesman has watched the growth of
the CRAFTS he planted on the Prussian
stock, and knows that the principali-
ties and provinces of the German en-
pire are united into a vigorous and
organic whole. He knows that Russia,
shapeless and vast. an incompress-
ible but docile fluid, may be quietly
held Off the flanks Of Germany, to
creep slowly and irrepressibly through
the Balkans to the sea. There, in Il
corner remote from German interests,
it may meet the enemies of Germany
with explosive violence.
And France? Does he not remem-
appeared to have in accepting the fait
accompli of the integrality Of the Ger
man empire inspired in him "pru-
dent ,mistrust," he said to Ferry:
Seek some compensation. Found col
onies. Take outside of Europe what
ever you like; you can have it," And
Ferry, without my ever having sought
to create for him the slightest e1nbar-
rassment quite the contrary - OBJ.
tanned Tunis," and, he might have
added, Tonkin? France busy with her
Tunis and her Tonkin, Russia quietly
pushed to the east and the south,
there was left for Germany the sim
pie task of sitting peacefully on her
bulging Golfers, while her merchants
captured the trade of England and her
diplomatist guided the diplomatists Of
England into perpetual chickering's
with other countries.
Prince Bismarck has long recog
nized what at length the people Of
England are beginning to understand
that in Europe there are two great,
irreconcilable, opposing forces, two
great nations who would make the
whole world their province, and who
would levy from it the tribute of COM
merce. England, with her long his
tory of successful aggression, with her
marvellous conviction that in pursuing
her own interests she is spreading
light among nations dwelling in dark
ness, and Germany, bone Of the same
bone, blood of the same blood, with a
lesser wil-force, but, perhaps, with a
keener intelligence, compete in every
corner of the globe.
In the Transvaal, at the Cape, in
Central Africa, in India and the East,
in the islands of the Southern Sea,
and in the Far Northwest, wherever
and where has 1t not?-the flag has
followed the Bible and trade has fol-
lowed the flag, there the German bag
man Is struggling with the English
pedlar. Is there mine to exploit a
railway to build, a native to convert
from breadfruit to timed meat, from
temperance to trade gin, the German
and the Englishman are struggling to
be first. A million petty disputes build
up the greatest cause of war the
world has ever seen. If Germany
were extinguished tomorrow, the day
after tomorrow there is not an Eng
lishman in the world who would not
be richer. Nations have fought for
years over city or right of success
sion; must they not fight for two hun
dred million pounds of commerce?
There is something pathetic in the
fashion in which the aged statesman
sees at once the swift approach Of the
catastrophe he was the first to antici-
pate, and the crumbling away of the
preparations he had made against its
event. Take first the approach Of the
event. Ten years ago, except to the
Prince himself. and perhaps to one or
two watchful Englishmen, the idea Of
a war between the two great Protes-
tant powers, so alike in temperament
and genius, would have seemed i'm
possible.
Three years ago, when the "Satur-
day Review" began to write against
the traditional pro-German policy Of
England, its point of view made it iso'
lated among leading organs of opinion.
When, in February, 1896, one Of our
writer's, discussing the European stu.
alton, declared Germany the first and
immediate enemy of England. the opin.
ion passed as an individual eccentric
ity. A month later the German flag
was Kissed at a London music hall,
and when, on Saturday night in
April an evening paper sent out its
newsboys crying "War with Ger
many" the trafiic of Edgware road
stopped to shout.
The outrageous follies Of William
the Witless, the German schemes In