The L'Anse sentinel., 1921-02-25
Germany's Ruin Was
Predicted by Bismarck

the. document to Bismarck, and asked
his opinion.
May / respectfully ask your royal
highness to throw the draft you have
so kindly sent me into the fire with
out delayy' was Bismarck's answer.
When the prince came into author
lty Bismarck was retained as imperial
chancellor, but now found that he had
group of opponents to deal with in
the new government. The grand duke
of Baden, Waldersee and Botticher all
conspired against him both at court
and In parliament. Bismarck In the
memoirs scores these men and the new
circle Of friends that the kaiser had
gathered about him. He speaks, for
example, Of HeydeB 'of whom poll
ticians say that he Is painter, and
painters say that he Is politician"
Botticher. who owed his place to Bis
marck, won great influence over the
kaiser at Bismarck's expense. and the
young monarch gave less heed to the
older mans counsel. The time was
slowly approaching for the dropping
of the pilot" who had stood so long at
the helm of Prussia and the empire.
Many of the kaiser's policies at this
period show a creditable amount of
enlightenment, although Bismarck did
not believe them practicable. William
III at this. time expressed sympathy for
the working classes and dreamed of
better labor laws and class reconcilia-
tion. Bismarck, on the other hand,
thought that the workers ought to be
kept down. The kaiser had his own
way and better labor laws were
passed, despite Bisrsarcls's opposition.
Such defeats weakened the chancel-
lor's POWER and lie even wondered
whether he ought to send in his res
gnation. g ,&E i,st
Bismarck Considers Resisning.
Thus the storm gathered in January
and February, 1890. and was marked
| by scene In the imperial palace at
Berlin. Tempers had risen on both
sides over the matter I'm dispute and
at last the chancellor put the direct
| question
'''It appears. then, that am in your
/ majesty's. way 2, ,gs..'l @. .1....s;,
1.-The kaiser" adds Bismarck. "said
| nothing and therefore assented." 'f''
| After this Bismarck again consid-
cred offering his resignation, but he
Ida not doise. In fact. he became OBJ
stlnate and ultimately decided to make
it as difficult, as possible for the kaiser
to dismiss him. Meanwhile, however,
the kaiser was growing stronger In the
government The ministers in the
cabinet turned against Bismarck and
he felt his grip weakening. Once he
ministers favored the kaiser against
him. and one replied confidentially
1--WE must do something to please
him. (meanthg the kaiser). Bismarck
ANSWERED. ironically that. he was glad
to see the. monarchy so firmly estab-
lished4the monarchy that was so
shaken when he became chancellor. lt
ID I Chancellor Defies Kaiser.
f. Matters came to- crisis toward the
end of March. Bismarck had received
Windth1rst the leader of'lthe Center
party at his home, and the kaiser re-
sented this act. Bismarck claimed the
fight to receive distinguished poll
ticians. whenever and wherever he
pleased. The kaiser asked:
Even IL I, your sovereign, forbid
you tor"
Yes. even then" Bismarck an
swered. ~
william then. talked about the new
'reichstag Snd hbout insurance, both
subjects on which he knew the chan
,ellor's views were opposed to his own.
He spoke Of his great wish to visit the
car as, soon as possible. Is t.FiH'
Bismarck did not approve Of this
and the kaiser knew 1t, The chancel.
lor's answer to the suggestion was' TO
take a document from his portfolio
ana warn the kaiser against the yislti
saying THAT Prince Hatzfeld, the Ger
insB afkbassador at London, had made
notes of somesvery unpleasant things
the czar had said of the kaiser. These
notes were contained In, the, document,
which Bismarck exhibited, but would
not sh0Y to, William, The kaiser in
sisted that he read them. but Bis
marrk said that such distressing state.
ments could not very well be read
aloud. The kaiser snatched the docu
ment from Blsmarck's hands and be-
gan u read for himself. His fnce
tsrkw Ss,s with angei> for. as Bis