The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1922-10-02
Rise of Buelow is Described;
Predecessor Virtual Recluse,
William Asserts in Memoirs


had been able gradually, especially
since the time that the foreign office
had been, so to speak, orphaned by
Bismarck's retirement, to create for
himself a position that became stead
lily more influential and to maintain
it under three chancellors with such
skill, that he was considered indi
spensible.
Holstein was unquestionably pos
sessed of great shrewdness, seconded
by phenomenal memory and GER
tain talnt for political combinations,
which, to be sure, often became a
hobby in his case. His position also
was based largely on the fact that
he was looked upon in many quarters.
| especially among the older officials,
as the bearer of the Bismarckian ira
! dit1ons," the man who upheld these
in the teeth of "the Young master"
4 His importance rested, above all, on
his wide personal knowledge in the
entire domain of the foreign service.
Since he welded, on account of this,
an authoritative Influence on all pro-
posals relative to the appointment of
the younger officials, it may be easily
understood why he. little by little, had
l
sition at the foreign office. But he
sought more and more to obtain at
the some time, a decisive influence in
the conduct of foreign policy: he
had, in fact, become the guiding spirit
both of the foreign office and of Ger
man foreign policy.
HoIstein's Secret Power.
The serious thing about this was
that he exerted his far-reaching in
fluence entirely from under cover and
avoided all official responsibility as
an adviser. He preferred to remain in
form there. He refused every respon-
sible post-many stood open to him
every honorary title, every promo
ton. He lived in complete seclusion.
For long time l tried in vain to be
come personally acquainted with him,
for which purpose used to invite him
10 meals, but Holstein declined every
. time. Only once, in the course Of
many years, did he consent to dine
with me at the foreign office, and il
was characteristic of him that, where
as on this occasion all the other gen.
tlemen present wore full evening
dress, he appeared in a frock coat,
and excused himself on the plea that
he had no dress coat.
The secrecy with which he sur
rounded himself in his work, so as
not to be held responsible for it, be-
came apparent also at times in the
character of memorials drawn up by
him; they were unquestionably in
genious and attractive, but often as
) involved and ambiguous as the oracle
of Delphi; there were occasions when
after a decision had been based on
: the contents of one of these documents
! Herr Won Holstein would prove to a
nicely that he meant exactly the OPP
r posite of what had been thought.
/ considered it a serious matter thai
, an irresponsible counselor should
bring TO bear such powerful influ
enc, especially as he did so from under
cover and, hence, in doing it, eluded
the officials who were the responsible
, parties. Often, especially in the Won
/. Richtofen era, it happened that
would advise a foreign ambassador tC
discuss some political question, which
he had taken up with me, with thu
secretary of state, and he would reply
: zen parlerai avec mon ami Hol
l stein" Il shall speak about it with my
- friend Holstein) The fact alone thai
: an official of the foreign office deal
: with foreign ambassadors, going owe.
l the head of his superiors, did not seen
: right to me; but that he should be
= dubbed by these foreigners friend
l seemed to me to 60 beyond what
deemed advisable.
Matters had, in fact, developed grad
. ually to such a stage that Holster
conducted a good part of our foreign
o affairs. To be sure, he still listened
$ to the chancellor in connection witt
: them, but what the emperor though
+ or said about foreign affairs was rath
l. er unimportant. If things turned on