The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-10-10
Bismarck's
Letters From
Front in 1870
Correspondence With His
Wife Shows Softer
Side of Iron Man.

onIy FIRST Minister OF the King
dom Of Prussia, but unlike Beth
mann-lIollweg of to-day. he followed
the German armies into France, and
shared their hardships as a soldier.
The Chancellor OF that day was otto
o Bismarck. In dcliciously frank
and often humorous letters to his wife,
Bismarck told of his hardships. re-
ported the progress of the war and
growled out his impotence with royal
persons, and gave news Of his two
sons.
He suffered a plague of princes. and
Bismarck had in his heart of hearts
no great veneration for royalty. Al.
ready he probably felt himself greates
than any living Hohenzollern.
Bismarck in 1870 was So. Tie hae
been twenty-three years in public life
and head OF the Ministry for eight
years. He did not actually fight in
the war, not being sufficiently ac-
quainted with military affairs to havd
command bcftting his rank, but his
two IONS, William and Herbert, were
cavalrymen, and the father watched
over them as best he could. and faith
fully reported their movements and
conditions to their loving mother. The
mar of blood and iron shows himself
in these letters as having other and
sweeter elements in his composition.
Herbert, the elder son, 81 years old
was early laid up with a wound, and
Bismarck was almost glad of 1t for his
wife's sake. because it took tho youth
permanently out of the fighting. For
William. the younger, Bismarck in-
quired Of every one who might have
W. Of him. At last every drag 1on
TO whom he addressed such inquiry
answered with a grin. for William, ac-
Cording TO his father, had an infectious
joll.ty.
From Pont-a-Mousson Bismarck
wrote: 9Th" people here take me for
a bloodhound. The old women, when
they hear my name. fall upon their
knees and beg me for their lives. Attila
was a lamb compared with me- Yet
that was the nan who wrote so ten-
DERBY To his wife.
BismarCkS Impotence with royaltv
developed while he was still on Ger
man soil. lie wrote from MainZ early
in August. saying: AT u. NJ. | gem
orally decline Ia remain ON account Of
fatigue; II is ~drauChty there In the
dining room, ana the high p~ersonages
" mat my
without fatigue"
At Homhurg early in August Bis
marck complains t. his wife of being
forced to occupy a small house with
ninety soldiers and many fnotmcu.
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