Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1919-02-23
LETTER Of KAISER
TELLS Of BREAK
WITH BISMARCK
Williams Letter to Francis Jo-
Seph of Austria FelIS i low
Iron Chancellor Defied I'M
periaI Authority,
by Joseph w. Grigg.
(Staff Correspondent of Albuquerque
Journal and New York World.)
Copyright, 1919, by the Press PUB
The New York World.D
Especial Gable Despatch.)


Especial Gable Despatch.)
London, Feb. ga part of tho
correspondence. between the former
kaiser and Emperor Francis Joseph,
which was found in the state archives
in Vienna, has been published IN the
Austrian periodical Rundschau by
Prof. Hans Schiller. 1t includes an
amazing letter by Wilhelm II. de-
scribing the events which resulted NJ
his dismissal of Bismarck as chan
cellor. The letter is dated Berlin,
April 81, 1890, and begins My Dear
Friends"
The kaiser tells how Bismarck
flung his resignation at my feet IN
the most disrespectful manner" and
he goes on to describe how THE
storm broke loose"
without any regard for courtesy
or consideration he told me he would
not allow himself to be kept by me
in leading strings. that he forbade
this once and for all, that | had no
idea of parliamentary life, that in
such things it was not my business to
give him any kind of orders, and 50
on and so on. When | described to
him what connection and confusion
this visit had caused among the peo-
pie, still excited by the election, and
suggested that this could not be his
intention, there escaped from him the
following words:
Bismarck Wanted Confusion.
" on the contrary. it is my inten-
ton. There must be such complete
confusion and such hullaballoo In
the country that nobody will know
what the emperor is driving at with
his policy. AS | thereupon stated,
that was not at-a my intention, but
that my policy must be open and clear
as daylight to my subjects, he de-
clared he had nothing more to say
and roughly flung his resignation at
my feet. In deep pain and with sore
heart l now saw clearly that the de-
mon of love of power had seized this
sublime and great man and that he
used every matter, whatever its ma
ture might be, for his struggle against
his emperor.
He wanted to do everything and
rule alone and not even to submit to
his emperor
''Erom that moment it was clear to
ME that we must part, if everything
was not to be morally ruined and
perish God is my witness to how
many nights | wrestled in prayer and
that the heart of this man
might be softened and that | might
be. spared the terrible end Of letting
him leave me. But it was not to be.
As, for two days later, the order had
not been sent in by Prince Bismarck
to be cancelled, | had him asked if he
would not send it. He replied he
would never think of doing so; he
needed it against his ministers.
There my patience gave way, my
Did Hohen2ollern family pride rose up
1t was now necessary to force the old
to obedience or to bring about
our separation, for the new question
was whether the emperor or the
was to remain on top.
\ dagger Stab at His Heart"
Il had him once more asked to
send in revocation of the order,
md to accommodate himself to my
wishes and the requests previously
expressed to him, which he's flatly re-
used to do With that the drama was
1t an end. The rest is known to you.
rhe man whom | had idoliZed all my
ife, for whose sake | had endured
hell of torments of moral
persecution in my parents house, the
man for whom, after grandpare's
leath, | alone had flung myself into
he breach in order to keep him, for
whom / had brought down upon my
'elf the anger of my dying father
md the unquestionable hatred of my
nother-this man had no thought
whatever for all that, and stepped
,ver ME because / would not do his
will. What a dagger-stab for my
leart! His boundless contempt for
human nature, which he had for all
ven for those who worked them
elves to death for him. played him
nasty trick when he also regarded
lis master as nothing, and wanted
o humiliate him to the position of
lis henchman. When he took his
cave and accused me of having
lriven him way, | kept silence and
aid nothing, and when he was out
ide | broke down. am ashamed TO
ay tin a CONFUSION of tears.'