Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1921-02-04

marck observes, "the things said about
him were really very nasty
Williams Vanity Wounded.
The chancellor derived great pleas
ure from the incident, but william
was very hurt and angry, both at the
car and at Bismarck, because Of the
situation IN which he had found him
self placed and the wound to his van
ity. Shortly after this, while his rage
was still hot. he heard of some III
founded, report by. an obscure German
consul In Russia which told OF an al,
legged mobilization of the Russian
army. Bismarck had not thought II
worth calling TO the kaiser's attention
as there were slight grounds for be-
iieying the report But the kaiser be-
ileved every word of it, and wrote a
dlscourteous note TO the chancellor
asking why such important informa-
ton had been withheld from him. He
declared that the empire was threat
ened and that counter measures must
De taken at once against the threat
ened Russian menace.
Bismarck's policy had been tradi-
tionally pro-Russian for 30 years. and
ne knew that there was no ground for
alarm. Action on the part of the Ger
man empire would have caused nm
necessary complications and might
have ended in real trouble. Bismarck
won his point. but at the cost of great.
~ strained relations with the throne
This quarrel soon merged into an.
other, for Bismarck, who felt that he
was being supplanted by others in the
confidence of the kaiser, suddenly In
sisted on constitutional clause. 40
years old, which forbade the ministers
to converse officially with the scy-
eresgn except through the medium of
the premier. Bismarck was both
Prussian premier and imperial chan
celior, and was determined to let NO
one but himself exercise direct per-
sonal influence on the monarch. The
kaiser. who liked to talk personally
with his ministers and who favored 4
direct government policy, demanded
the abolition of the clause. Bismarck
refused, but offered to resign.
The offer was mere gesture. Bis
marck had rendered his resignation
many times before when he wished "a
gain point, and had always won. At
one time the kaiser had returned a
written offer with the word Never
scribbled across it. But now he sent
the chief of the civil cabinet to call
for the offer of resignation at Bis
marck's house. The chancellor refused
&c be hurried. Carefully and slowly
he began the wording of the resigna-
tion, An afternoon and evening passed.
and the next morning the kaiser lost
patience and sent an adjutant with
the message:
His majesty will wait until two
O'clock for the document
Bismarck told the adjutant mat ne
was ready TO sign his own. resigna-
ton at any moment" but that he
needed time to write out his offer il
the tone was to befit the dignity OF his
office. But the kaiser did not waiver
In his decision. Bismarck was dis
missed. In an effort to conciliate him
William conferred upon the outgoing
chancellor the title of duke, but the
honor was not accepted.
General Caprivi was at once named |
as his successor and as soon as his |
resignation had been received Bis
marck was hurried out of the chan i
cellor's palace with unseemly haste.
He says that while his servants were
still packing up his possessions the |
lackeys of his successor occupied the |
stairs, doors and passages of the pal
see, and part of the palace was al
ready taken possession of by General |
Caprivt before Bismarck left.
- the third volume Bismarck. haY |
ing brought the story of his own po- |
itical career to an end. adds mali. !
cious chapter of criticism of the |
kaiser, He also attacks Canrlvi for |
exchanging Zanzibar for naligoland |
and for not renewing the treaty Nth |
Russia. He closes with the prophecy |
Of ruin ana catastrophe for the ma |
tons Of Europe