Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-09-27
Last Days of Famous Statesmen
One of Bsmarck's Last Pleasures Was Stumbling
Kaiser William.
By J. p. GLASS.

Bismarck. growing old, on one of his
birthday anniversaries told his brother:
Though realize that every day may
be my last, am unable to find the
thought agreeable. It is not because
outward successes engross me, but be-
cause the thought Of separation from
wife and children is terrible to me-"
He was to outlast his wife, and when
| the good woman died at the age of 70
he did not consider 1t worth while to 60
on, though he must.
At supper time Of one day they had
! talked together. The next morning
when he went into her room she was
cold in death.
Johanna! Johanna" The poor old
man, barefooted and in dressing gown
he who had been so mighty and had
worn SO majestically the habilimentS
of power-sat down and wept ike a
lost child.
This. he said. was a greater tragedy
than his dismissal some years before
| by the Emperor william. To-day
everything Is vain and void" It Is no
longer the builder Of the empire speak
ing. In his sadness he writes to his
brother-in-laws:
Dear oscar: Can we not meet and
have q talk once more before the end
! comes? 1t Is 66 or 81 years since at
! the gymnasium We flrst drank beer
J together out of the bottle. Let
us have q last drink together before 1t
is too late. want to hear your
| voice once more before L"
The young Emperor, little reckoning
| of q World War that will destroy i'm
perial pretensions, brings the doughty
old fighter out OF dreams Of the past.
| Somehow he permits the press to inti-
| mate that a rupture between Russia
and Germany, which has produced an
| entente between Russia and France, II
| Bismarckis fault. The aged statesman
| rishes to his own defense.
| Six months before the death Of Bis
marck william thinks TO make an i'm.
perial gesture. He will pay the old
| man the compliment Of . visit, unin-
vited, unannounced.
The Iron Chancellor In his weakness
| now sits in q wheel chair In front OF
his door. When the royal hand-the
same that had handed him his letter
| of dismissal-is extended to him he sees
1t not. He looks blandly OF In the
distance.
william stands q moment. His mouth
witches, his eyes CLEAN angr1ly. But
what can he do? He departs with all
! the dignity he can muster.
At SO Bismarck's favorite retreat Is
the forest. He loves trees. Two Of
them, giant pines, attract him espe-
cially. He tells visitors that, like an
Indian. he would like his last resting
place to be high up between them, in
"The thought Of confinement in g
narrow box under the sod Is repulSive
to me-" he explains.
He died that year-190S. Likely.
then, he did not care that they placed
him in q narrow box under the sod"
Gladstone.
When Gladstone went to BfarritS in
January of 1894 he had not yet de-
cided to resign the premiership. But
more and more his years-he was S5--
bore on him. His eyes and his ears
were failing rapidly He was not exactly
weary, but after all, what was the use
OF continuing? Toward the middle Of
February he prepared to resign.
His last cabinet council was held on
March /. 1t ended on note of almost
poignant gravity. Lord Kimberley and
Sir William Harcourt, voicing the feel
ings of their colleagues, spoke affecting
words of farewell.
The old statesman sat still and COM
posed. It was dificult to penetrate his
arm exterior. When he replied In q
i
his voice unbroken, although low.
But there was intense drama in his
simple parting words. His God bless
you all" was no more than whisper.
Queen Victoria accepted his reSigna-
ton without argument, for 1t was APP
parent that the time for severance had
come. She would gladly have confer
red a peerage upon him. But she did
not offer 1t; she knew he would not
accept 1t,
He still had four years of life ahead
Of him. When . friend expressed the
wish that 1t might be 10 years, he re-
piled:
ooh, I do trust that God In His
mercy will spare me that"
Extreme age had brought trouble
some catarrah and O skin affection on
his face that was extremely painful
In March, 1898, his malady was pro-
nounced incurable.
He asked for the verdict and when
he heard that death probably would
come in few weeks gave p sigh of re-
lief. His suffering was now terrific.
He was then ut Bournernouth, where