BISMARCK, THIERS, AND FAVRE.

Samoa Times and South Sea Gazette, Volume 2, Issue 73, 22 February 1879, Page 3

BISMARCK, THIERS, AND FAVRE.

Prince Bismarck is quoted by the i Times as telling this story of his coufe- | rents with Thiers and Favre during the 1 days of peace-making between France 1 and Germany : We had met to discuss a question on which wc could not agree. I M. Thiers fought like a beau diable. M. Jules Favre wept, made tragio gestures and no progress WIM made. Suddenly I began talking German. M. Thiers looked at me with an amazed air, and j said, " You know very well wo do not understand German. " Just so," I said, " when 1 discuss with men with whom I expect ultimately to conn; to an understanding I speak their language; but when I begin to see that it [i useless to discuss with them I speak my own ; send for interpreter." The truth is, I was in a hurry to settle matters. These tactics had a strange effect. M. Jules Favre ex•Jfljrfd'feJfftf *""'" t0 heaven, his hair »taotrwWfi<l:'4Rd, concealing his face in his hands, he rushed into a earner of the room, pressing his head against the wall, as if he would not lie a witness of the humiliation inflicted ou the representatives of Franee in forcing them to continue the negotiations in German. M. Thiers looked up above his spectacles with a scandalized air, then rushed to a table at the end of the room, and I heard his pen dashing feverishly over the paper. In a short time he came back to me. HU small eyes flamed behind bis spectacles, his mouth was drawn up with anger, and ho offered me the paper with an abrupt movement, and in a husky and almost harsh voice said, " Is that what you want?" I looked at what he had written; it was admirably drawn up, and was pretty nearly what I wanted. I then resumed speaking in French, and the negotiations were completed in that tongue.