The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1922-09-23

Germany, ne WOuIQ De ODllgeQ 10 look
beyond Europe and be automatically
forced to act, politically, on a large
scale-with England especially. Eng
land, to be sure, was one of the five
balls in his observation-disclosures
game, but she was merely one of the
! five, and he did not grant her the spe-
cial importance which was her due
For this reason it was that the for
eign office likewise was involved en-
tirely in the Continental interplay of
politics, had not the requisite interest
in colonies, navy or England, and pos
sessed no experience in world politics.
The English psychology and mentality,
as shown in the pursuit-constant,
thought concealed by all sorts of little
cloaks-of world hegemony. was to the
German foreign office book sealed
with seven seals.
| Source of Russian Enmity.
| Once Prince Bismarck remarked to
me that his main object was not to let
Russia and England come to an under
/ standing. | took the liberty of observ
ing that the opportunity to postpone
such an understanding for a long time
| lay ready to hand in 1877-1S78, when
the Russians might have been allowed
to occupy Constantinople-ha this
been done, the English fleet would
have sailed in without further ado to
defend Constantinople and the Russo
English conflict would have been on.
! Instead, l continued, the treaty of San
Stefano was forced upon the Russians
and they were compelled to turn about
at the very gates of the city which
they had reached and saw before them,
after frightful battles and hardships.
This, went on, had created an in
extinguishable hatred in the Russian
army against US (as had been reported
by Prussian officers who had accom-
panied the Russian army on the Turk
ish campaign, escepially Count PfeiD /;
moreover, the aforementioned treaty
had been cast aside and the Berlin
treaty substituted for it, which had
burdened US even more with the hos
tility of the Russians, who looked up
on US as the enemy of their Just in
terests in the East" Thus the con-
flict between Russia and England,
which the Prince desired, had been
relegated far into the future.
Prince Bismarck did not agree with
this judgment of his" congress, con-
corning the results of which he, as the
honest broker" was so proud; he re-
marked earnestly that he had wished
to prevent a general conflagration and
had been compelled to offer his serv-
ices as a mediator. When l, later on,
told gentleman at the foreign office
about this conversation. he replied
that he had been present when the
Prince, after signing the Berlin treaty
came into the foreign office and re-
ceived the congratulations of the of
ficials assembled there. After he had
listened to them the Prince stood UP
and replied: Now l am driving Eur.
ope four-in-hand!" In the opinion OF
the said gentleman the Prince was
mistaken in this, since, even at thai
time, there was the threat of Russo
| French friendship in place of the Rus
so-Prussian-in other words, two
horses were already to be counted out
: of the four-in-hand. AS Russia saw it
, Disraeli's statecraft had turned Bis
: marck's work as honest broker" into
the negotiation of an Anglo-Austriar
) victory over Russia.
| Despite considerable differences in
, our opinions Prince Bismarck re
manned friendly and kindly disposed
: to me, and, despite the great differ
ence in our age, a pleasant relation
, ship grew up between US, since l, IL
) common with all those of my genera
, ton, was in ardent admirer of the
: Prince and had won his trust by my
} zeal and frankness-nor have l ever be
: trayed that trust.
2 During the time of my assignment
/ at the foreign office Privy Councilo
: Raschdau, among others, d;scourseC
r with me on commercial policy, colon
\ les, etc. In these matters, even a
n that early date, my attention was call
: ed to our dependence upon England
i due to the fact that we had no nav,
n and that Heligoland was in Englisl
I. hands. To be sure, there was a pre-
ject to extend our colonial possession
!. under the pressure of necessity, but al
O this could happen only with England
5 permission. This was serious mai
d ter, and certainly an unworthy pos
t ton for Germany.
: lnter-court Politics.
q My assignment at the foreign offic
e brought very unpleasant happenin
q in its wake. Ny parents were no
n very friendly toward Prince Bismarc
: and looked with disfavor upon the fac
'. that their son had entered into tn
J. Princes circle. There was fear of m
d becoming influenced against my pa,
q ents, of superconservatism of all sort
"a from England and liberal circles,
v who rallied around my father, impu
v ed against me. I never bothered m
IS head with all this nonsense, but m
q position in the house of my parent
m was rendered much more difficult fc
n me and, at times, painful. Throug
\ my work under Prince Bismarck an
Is the confidence reposed in me-ofte
n, subjected to the SeVereSt teStS-I hay
a had to suffer much in silence for tn
r sake of the Chancellor; he, howeve
" apparently took this quite as a matte
"A of course.
" Twas on good terms with Count He
+ bert Bismarck. He could be a vel
If gay companion and knew how to a
semble interesting men around h
n table, partly from the foreign offic
IN partly from other circles Howeve
Ie USED BY THREE GENERATIONS