The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram., 1922-10-03
BY WILHELM HoAENzoLLERN

ana particularly Cnat opinion IN Eng
land was apparently in favor of an un-
derstanding and of closer relations.
Bulow expressed himself as satisfied
with the results Of the journey, after
we had talked at length about it at
! Hamburg, and consulted as to how the
situation created by the journey should
! be put to use. suggested. that we
should unquestionably come to good
agreement, If an alliance - which
/ preferred-could not be brought about.
In any event, a firm agreement would
suffice, said, and would suit the
English; in the long run an alliance
might always develop from it.
The opportunity for such an alliance
lcame with unexpected promptness.
While was at Hamburg Won der Hohe
in the Spring of 1901, Count Meter
mich, who was with me as represen-
tative of the Foreign Office, brought
me notification from Berlin that Mr..
chamberlain had inquired there as to
whether Germany was ready for an
alliance with England. / Immediately
asked: Against whom ?'-since, If
England so suddenly offered to make
an alliance in the midst OF peace, it
was plain that she needed the German
army, which made it worth while to
find out against whom the army was
needed and for what reason German
troops were to. fight, at England's be-
hest, by her side. Thereupon the an
Eswer came from London that they were
needed against Russia, since Russia
twas a menace both to India and to
FConstantinople.
4 The first thing did was to call
London's attention to the old tradi-
ftional brother-in-arms between the
German and Russian armies, and the
close family ties between the reigning
!dynasties of the two countries; in addi-
ton, I pointed out the dangers of a
war on two fronts in case France came
in on the side of Russia, and also the
fact that we had acted jointly with
France and Russia in the Far East
(Shimonoseki 1880 and that there was
no reason to unloose conflict with
Russia at this time, when we were in
the midst Of peace; that the superior
ity in number of the Russian army o
"a peace footing was very great and
the eastern frontier of Prussia serious
ly threatened by the grouping OF the
Russian forces; that England would
mot be IN a position to protect our
reastern province from Russian attack
tsince her fleet could accomplish little
lin the Baltic and would be unable to
sail into the Black Sea; that, in case
of our making common cause against
Russia, Germany would be the only
one who would be in great danger
quite independently of the possibility
of the entry Of France into the fight
Chamberlain then informed us that
firm alliance should be made, by
which England would naturally bind
herself to come to our aid.
British Alliance Falls
I had also pointed out that the va
1idity of an alliance could only be
assured when the English Parliment
had placed it's approval upon it, since
the ministry might be driven from
office by the will of the nation as ex
pressed in Parliment, whereby sig
nature Of the ministry might be rem
dered null and void and the alliance
invalidated, and that we would lool
upon the Chamberlain suggestion, fol
n the time being, merely as purel!
y personal project of his own.
To this Chamberlain replied that ht
would get backing from Parliment il
due time and would find the way o
winning the Unionists over to his idea
that all needed now was the signatur
of Berlin. Matters did not progress a
far as that, because Parliment was no
TO be won over to Chamberlain's plan
therefore the plan" came to nothin
Soon afterward England concludes
her alliance with Japan (Hayashi)
The Russo-Japanese war broke out, i
which Japan-owing to the fact tha
1t fitted in with her schemes-playe
the role of pawn for England's inter
ests, which role had originally bee
reserved for Germany. By this wa
Russia was thrown from the east bac
to the west, where she might concer
herself again with the Balkans, Coz
stantinople and India-which was t
Japan's MISUNDERSTANDING to Japa
a free hand in Korea and China
In 1905 came my journey to Tangie
undertaken much against my will.
came about as follows: Toward th
end Of March / intended, as in tn
previous year, to take a Mediterranea
trip for the sake of my health, fc
which l proposed to avail myself {
some ship running empty from Gu,
haven to Naples. The Hamburg wa
destined by Ballin for this purpos
AT his request that take along som
other guests, since the steamer Wa
quite empty, l invited a number
gentlemen, among them Privy Coul
1ilor Althoff, Admiral Mensing, Coul
Puckler, Ambassador Won Varnbuhle
Professor Scfaemann, Admiral Hol
4 mann, etc.
Soon after the proposed trip becam
known Bulow informed me that thel
was strong desire at Lisbon to hay
me stop there and pay the Portuguese
Court a visit. To this l agreed. 4
the date of departure approached, B
low expressed the additional wis
that I also stop at Tangier and, I
visiting that Moroccan port, strengt
en- the position of the Sultan of Moro
co in relation to the French.
This l declined, since it seemed
me that the Morocco question was tt
full of explosive matter and / fear,
that such visit would work out d.
advantageously rather than bene
cially. Bulow returned to the attac
without, however, persuading me
the necessity or advisability of Il
visit.
Again Kaiser "GIves In"
During the journey l had sever
talks with Fheiherr Won Schoen, W
accompanied me as representative
the Foreign Office, as to the advis
bility of the visit. We agreed that