Notable Deliverance by Prince Bismarck.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 7073, 20 February 1893, Page 2

Notable Deliverance by Prince Bismarck.

M Henri Des Honz, has published in the Matin tbe only authentic utterance of Prince Bismarck which that statesman thinks proper to make for French ears. “ It is to tho government of my trees (said Prince Bismsrod) that I shall devote tho rest of my life, for I have bidden a final farewell to that of men. If I were called upon to return to power, I should have to reconstitute a portion of the machine which I constructed with so much trouble, and which later hands have altered. For I have neither the courage nor tho strength. X am too old to begin again. I have paid my debt to my country- I wish to die in peace. As for going back to the Reichstag, Ido not intend to do so. Ido not like hotr-1 beds. I am happy now only at home in tho bosom of my family, and, morei over, I could not go out in Berlin without being tho object of a demonstration. I saw this well enough the other day when I came back from Austria. "Jhie bores me to no purpose Indeed, if I wont back to the Reichstag I should necessarily have to speak, and single word would be commented upon, exploited and contradicted. I can no longer speak with the authority of power, I should be a mere soldier in the fight, and no doubt in the way." On the question of the condition of peace after the Franoo-Pru»sion War, Prince Bismarck said that that the President of the Swiss Confederation intervened with a demand for Mulhouse, over which Switzerland, claimed historic rights, and also the incorporation of Alsace-Lorraine into tho Swise Confederation. “Thus would have been constituted between Franco and Germany a large neutral zone, formed by a Swiss canton and Be ! gium 1 could not agree to this. If we ever wanted to some to blows we could meet at seo. There wo shall always be behind you ” Of tbe Franco-Russian entente. Prince* Bismarck said “ You remember whafc Russia did in November. 1870. While we were busy together she denounced the treaty of 1856. If it ever happens, which Ido not believe, that you declare war against us, do not imagine tnat Russia’s first care will be to hurry south. lam speaking not only of her armies, which are moved slowly, but of her diplomacy. It is all the same to us ;we have nothing to do in tbe Mediterranean. Oo tbe contrary, it would be useful to us to hove the lateral pressure taken off, to have Russia busy in the south, and meet the English there For you that would not be so much matter. Tho Black Bea and the Straits do not interest you, and as for your interest in the Levant you ought to prefer meeting the Russians rather than tho English’ Thus in ca«o of conflict there is no reason why we should care what Russia does in tho Balkans. They will have eai'te blanche. The Russian army is full of valour." Prince Bismarck then touched on the queation of French colonial policy ;—“ You have at your door, without needing to cross tbo isthmuses or oceans, Judies which may become richer than the English Indies. In 1 ’fiVosfc Africa, putting aside Morocco, you have an immense empire to take. There I have never opposed you. I did not turn you away from Tunis I would never have tried to upset your plan of uniting your northern possessions to, those of Senegal and the Congo. Why not have made this your chief policy ? Admit that it is not I wba incited France to go to Tonquin, at the other end of the world, where you find yourself in hostility with the SDmese sod the English, and where you will always have under your feet 300 mihio v of venemous serpents. Germany is not j»alous of your colonial extension and will applaud all your success in Africa. Fir us, we are content with what we have io Europe. And it is only by commerce that w® wish to enrich ourselves throughout the world.