Year: 1873




lively in good frame Of mind. when right IN the midst
OF the holiday festivities appears the ghost OF the Second
Empire with proofs Of Austrian treachery. The Ger
mans do not try hide their embarrassment There ~


good deal OF resentment felt against Beust but no
complaints against Austria uttered. Indeed the
Norddoutsche ARgemeine Zeitngla semiohical Journal
makes a somewhat dsdainfu excuse for Won Beust,
saying in effect that IL he foolish enough to suppose


1870 that Austrian interests were bound upn frehch
alliance, he had right to seek such an alliance Ihs
one sentence then in ten sentences IL explains the
folly of rakng up old diplomatic plots, and bringing
them ont TO disturb the growing friendship OF two
neghborng This was the cue for the press In
general


IL Is impossible observe the unanimy OF the press
wthout seeing the nand of directing master The press
Of Germany, far foreign affairs are concerned Is
remarkably doce servant of the foreign Office The
press laws stringent and independently OF that the
journals show patriotic unwingness to hamper, by
any imprudent zea the operations OF diplomacy 1t is
fair presume therefore, that the course OF the German
press in regard to the letters Of the Duke dc Gramont
shadows fairly the policy of the Government 1t Is I'M
possible to admire its good sense and even Its cum
ming There is of occasion for Germany TO In
terfere in question veracty between NJ. Theirs and
the late Imperial Minister; but it would have been nat
ural not only feel but also TO express good degree
irritation at Austria. But one OF Prince Bsnarcks
most valuable qualities is thorough contempt for nu-
man nature matters little TO him how Austria felt i'll
1870 If he can keep her in subsection to-day.


The two letters of the Duke de Gramont add but little
TO what was already in substance by the world
and perhaps in detail by Bismarcs active agents NO
rejecting person familiar with European politics mas
ever doubted that Austria wanted only an opportunity
TO assist France The Gramont letters show how near
she came to such opportunity More than this they
explain the extraordinary efforts which the two belger
ents made 10 get the Rhine, and to win
the first battles There particular strategic
reasons why France should prefer to tight on the rght
bank, but there were the gravest political reasons
These have generally been held to concern the south
German States, Bavaria, Wmtemburg, and Baden,
whose loyalty to Germany depended the defeat OF the
French on the Rhine but the Duke de Gramont gives
the world understand that the course of Austria also
was involved in those preliminary movements Ihe
dimensions and character IL not the issue of the war
depended therefore, on the result or the hrs Daties
The feversh haste OF Napoleon to crowd every man 10
the Rhine is now perfectly ntegibe. Like an infurated
gambler he staked everything one bold cast OF the
dice. While the Prussians moved forward in compact
organization with perfect system and elaborate strategy
the French threw away their maps and cOmmlssary
stores and counted only on winning one great battle
on German soil This would have cut OF
Bavaria and Wurtemburg, and as 1t now appears,
would have brought Austria into the field. The
desperate plan failed but the historian will have TO
record it as possibility II is certain that the Prussan
staff Office which knew the French army better than the
Emperor himself, led nevertheless to overrate its
available strength In the official history of the
Just published, under the auspices of Won Moke HIM
SELF it is stated the opinion of the German stan IN
1870 that while with the South German States, they
could be able TO furnish larger armies eventually than


the French the latter would during the first few days
bring more men to the Rhine This fear grOundess
The French ridiculousy inferior from the begin
ming But il Is undoubtedly true that Won Moltke's
book and Gramont's revelations will explain and even
extenuate some Of the bunders Of the Empire.


D.,Ng faaf tffafp pia md
held the most piabe position in the affair At present
il impossible to say just how far the Austrian Chance


or acted under the orders Of his MASTER and now ar on
his own responsibility. The OF the disclosures up
10 to-day something like this Won Beust favored in
tervenOn and late the 2Oh OF July 1SIO promised
it, Count Andrassy Minister OF Hungary, protested ana
the Austrian War Office showed the impossibility OF
mobiizing the army within tho necessary time Then
came Woerth and Reiehshofen and the opportunity OF
interference passed away. France was crushed, En-
gland Inundated the German Empire recon
str1lcted with Prussia at the head, and
the balance of power overthrown. In the course
Of timel Won Beust retired and gave way 10 Count
Andrassy 1t is reported from Vienna that the Emperor
has refused to see him since his return and that he VIII
be dismissed from the service These not improbable
reports may explained in two ways IL may be that
the revelations surprise to the Emperor hlmseH,
and that the exChanceOr is to be punished for pedglng
Austria without authority; it may be that the Emperor
is only vexed by the publicity and is Offering his old
Minister as Ia vicarous sacrbcegforithe honor OF his
crown Be the what 1t may, there is genuine JOY at
Berlin over Won Beusts fall He is is heartily dsliked
and at the same time feared by the Bismarck faction
Perhaps no European politician except Gortsehakoh is
more respected by them. There Is also in their dis
like peculiarly bitter element, based on the origin
OF Won Beust himself. Saxon by birth and
allegiance he refused to accept Sadowa ana became the
Premier of the vanqushed monarchy. BY many Ger
mans therefore, he is looked on as almost traitor Ii
NAV be that the Gramont scandal will show that his
ability has been overraed but 1t will not be likely to
modify the dislike OF the Prussians As for Austria her
self-supposing always that Won Buest acted by
authorty-she would seem to have played in 1870 very
icnoble part. She would to have pledged assist
ance which she failed to give TO have watched events
before keeping faith and to have suffered France TO be
crushed with very contemplate timidity. In saying
this of course do not take account OF the sentimental
argument against war. 1t is only necessary to take
nations as they found land in particular the con-
tnenta nations OF Europe and TO look at the scandal
from their own point of view TO see in what sorry
plight as between France and Prussia it leaves the
kingdom Of the Hapsburgs.