The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1922-12-27
THE ALeEcIRAs CONFERENCE


but rest. Car Nicholas, who toward
the end of the nineteenth century,
took the initiative in proposing a
peace conference at The Hague, also
sought, by means of a second confer
ence summoned in 1907. to find a so
luton for the very delicate problem
of the limitation of ornaments and of
obligatory arbitration. Opposition to
these, by the way, came from Ger
many, Austria Hungary, Bulgaria and
Turkey.
Given three governments inspired
by such sentiments, the Entente could
have none but a peaceful goal in view;
a goal, in fact, more distinctly peace
full than that of the Triple Alliance.
In 1904, William and his Chancellor,
Bulow, saw in the Entente Cordiale
nothing more than liquidation of the
past
But the formation in Europe of new
groupings of Powers with Russia up
set the plans of William. At Berlin,
no doubt, it was well known that the
Triple Entente was directed against
nobody, and Bulow saw in it no more
than a new form of the traditional
English policy of equilibrium, but, in
the eyes of the Emperor, it was ex-
actly in this that the danger to Ger
man hegemony in Europe lay. 1t
would become increasingly difficult,
he foresaw, to bring to bear the whole
weight of German ornaments, by
means of negotiations, upon these
three powers, which, though peaceful,
were allied with each other
nounced to the utmost the efforts of
Edward VII, branding them as a policy
of enlightenment aimed at the isolation
of Germany.
AS early as November Is, 1906,
when the idea of an Anglo-Russian
agreement was in the air, Bulow de-
clared in the Reichstag that policy
having as its purpose the encircle-
ment of Germany would be dangerous
to the peace of Europe, and that the
making of such circle aroused appre-
tensions of an explosion" And Will
liam, who, snice 1905, had, on several
occasions spoken of dry powder" and
the sharp sword" became threaten
ing in 1907.
Germany is ready" he said on
February of that year, "to trample
underfoot those who get in her way"
William still thought that he was
living in the days of Bismarck, when
all Europe bowed at sign from
Berlin.
William A Good Actor
From 1904 to 1914, William sought
to break the imaginary circle drawn
about him. In order to accomplish
his ends, he found every means good
courteous advances, violent acts, in
innate condolences, dramatic coups,
trusting avowals, lies, official negotia-
tions, steps by adventures. In this he
was what he has always been-a great
actor
1.-THE Emperor" said HolsteIn, who
had been concerned for thirty years
in the shaping of German policy, "has
the theatrical instinct, not the polit-
icaI."
Working now upon Russia for the
purpose of hurting France, now with
France to ALLEVIATE her from England
seeking now to break the Franco-Rus
sian alliance, now to worm his way
into it as a third party, his sole di
rect object remained that of breaking
the entente of other powers with Eng
land, which he wished to isolate.
From 1904 he turned toward Czal
Nicholas, being well aware of his in
fluence upon the weak character o.
that monarch. Moreover, the Czal
was at that time face to face with the
serious problems arising from the Rus
so-Japanese war, for which William
was in part to blame, for had he no
constantly encouraged the Car in the
latter's Asiatic policy? kilograms ex
changed between the two rulers, dis
covered later in the Russian archive!
and made public, cast strong ligh
upon the manoeuvers of the Kaiser
which were filled with perfidy anC
Implicitly
Kaiser and Gar Work in Secret
At the very moment when France
was exerting herself to prevent rup
ture between Russia and England a!
a consequence of the Dogger Bank in
cidents, William, while congratulatint
himself in public on the fortunate re
suits from the peaceful conclusion o
the matter at the same time hintet
on the sly to the Gar that France wa!
fulfilling her duties as an ally prett.
badly, and that a good Entente among
the three continental powers would b.
the best way to checkmate England
At first Nicholas yielded. The tex
of an agreement was drawn up be
tween the two sovereigns on Octobe
80, 1904 Later, though. scruple
arose in the mind of the Car, wh'
was faithful to his alliance witt
France He wished to communicat
the text to France before signing
William opposed this violently, fear
ing that England might get wind of il
This first attempt failed. But, il
July, 1905. at the time when the dis
asters of the Russian fleet had pair
fully impressed Nicholas and when tn
mutterings of revolution were audibl
in ST Petersburg, William, cruising i
the Baltic. brought about the inter
view at Bjorko. There, amid the calr
of the sea, with no witness but God
Whose name William took so ofte
in vain-he caused the Car to sign
treaty, made known since the wal
through a letter of Lamsdorff.
The pretence was made that thi
treaty was destined to assure tn
peace of Europe. Russia and Gel
many bound themselves to reciproca
aid in case of attack. William, mor'
over, bound himself to obtain the az
bociop IF