The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1922-12-26


augurated his reign by so many mani
festoes, could not long resist the pomp-
Gus wish to display himself at all the
courts of Germany and Europe.
First. Russia, Sweden, Denmark,
then England and Rome-where the
Vatican is not overlooked finally,
Athens and Constantinople receive, in
turn, his visit. Everywhere he appears
amid splendor, in different guise dom
ming all sorts of costumes, changing
his tone and his physiognomy with
the consummate ability of a veteran
actor During these travels, which
take up the last part of 1888 and al
most all of 1889, and which arouse
much hostile criticism at Berlin, he
loses no chance to make speeches and
reiterate his determination to carry on
The traditions OF his race and, above
all else, to complete the achievement
OF his 'unforgettable grandfather"
And Bismarck, standing beside him
and Loyalty attached to the Hohenzol-
lerns, is the personification of this
achievement.
At the beginning of his reign, Will
liam never fails to manifest to Bis
marck his gratitude and admiration.
While he is travelling and on each OF
his birthdays, he sends Bismarck tele-
grams couched in ridiculously lyrical
terms. Nevertheless, the temperament
of the Chancellor does not fit in at all
with the fiery impetousity of the
young Emperor, who gives signs OF
having harbored, from the very mo-
ment of his accession to the throne,
the intention of cutting loose from Bis
marck.
Il shall allow old Bismarck to
prompt me for six MONTHS he once
remarked, 'and, after that, | shall rule
alone"
Bismarck Felt Himself Indispensable
Bismarck, the builder of German
greatness, hardly expected such in
gratitude He felt himself so indis-
pensable to the empire that, in Octob-
er 1889, he replied to Car Alexander
III in these words: Il am sure OF re
naming all my life" There were, to
be sure, some minor incidents, but
Bismarck attributed them to the
youth of his master" Notwithstand-
ing this, the publication in the early
part of March 1890 OF an imperial or
dinance not countersigned by the
Chancellor was the occasion of explain
atoms that were not of a pleasant char
aster.
A few days later on March IS, Viii
liam took Bismarck to task for having
received the chief of one of the Reich
stag political parties. Bismarck re
piled haughtily, claimed the right OF
receiving anyone he pleased. and add
ed that he was ready to give up ms
post. But the old servant could not
believe that his master would resolve
10 allow such action on his part; only
on receipt of a formal order from the
Emperor did he send in his reslgna-
ton. on March 20, moreover he wrote
a long memorial justifying the line OF
conduct which he had adopted.
And now William is master. He
FASTENED to make this clear in
speech: "There is but one master "
the land and that master is !; ! shall
tolerate no other beside me-"
He acts like an absolute ruler, pay
ing heed neither to his cabinet nor tc
the Reichstag. He wishes none but
obedient servants around him. HIS
Chancellor must merely be the execu
ton OF his orders, he tells General Ca
priv, who has been chosen to replace
Bismarck And Hohenlohe, Bulow
-Hollweg, they, too, mus
bow to his exacting demands.
Versatile and DissolVing" Foreign
Policy
William took it upon himself to oil
rect in person the foreign policy OF MI
country. But the policy of such
chalengeable, impulsive and arbitrar,
man was bound to assume an aspec
the meaning of which was often un
fathomable. Hence, it became oil
ficult matter for the Foreign Offices 0
the European governments to CUES
The goal or intentions of the Wilhelsn
trasse. This brand Of diplomacy. o.
the lookout for all sorts OF incidents,
meddling in every quarrel not in orde
TO smooth them over but to deriv
profit from them. constantly see-saN
ing back and forth among the othe
European Powers, was quite right
described in 1895 by the Russian An
bassador at Berlin as versatile an
dissolving."
At the beginning of Williams reig
the alliances built up by Blsmarc
seemed such as TO assure TO German
for a long time a hegemony over
F,urope DESTROYS of nothing but peace
and William endeavored, by eXchan;
ing visits with the sovereigns OF tn
three allied countries, 10 strengthe
The ties between them. The Tripl
Alliance which guaranteed the "statu
quo in the Mediterranean, was locke
upon with favor by England, whic
wished before all else to tighten tn
burden of ornaments. France, afte
the Boulanger agitation, was entlrel
absorbed in internal questions; IL
idea of "revanche," championed by
minority, faded away; she could NJ
Justly be accused Of desiring war 4
for Russia. William adopted towal
her a policy of friendlness, but CT;
Alexander could not forget Bismarck
rudeness toward him, and drew clos
10 France, without ceasing, at Il
same time. TO maintain amicable rel
tons with Germany. The Franco-Ru
sian alliance, whose purely defensi'
character was evidently known to w
liam, did not seem 10 worry him
that time; and Bulow even went so f,
as to acknowledge in 1914, before q
Refchstag, that this alliance had e
erted an influence toward peace
Europe"
William was now on the point
adopting that double-faced attitude
his: to scatter to the four winds stat
ThietIpthW2itn'e