GERMAN DIPLOMACY.

Taranaki Daily News, 13 November 1915, Page 12 (Supplement)

GERMAN DIPLOMACY.

THE TOLL SIXCE BISMARCK. How Berlin diplomacy, divorced from Bismarckian principles, forced Kurope into an anti-German League is well told by Mr. G. H. Perris. The history of the Triple Alliance, he says, exhibits with tragic clearness the decay of statesmanship in Berlin during the reign of the present Emperor There was no more moral scruple under the Iron Chancellor, but there was infinitely more intelligence; and the present calam. tty is the result of lack of brains even more than lack of moral scruple. After the defeat of Austria in 1860, Bismarck insisted that no territory must be taken from her. So France looked in vain to Austria for help four years later. Then he set himself to ensure and re-ensure Germany's future. In 1872 the three Emperors were drawn together into a friendly compact; and in the following year Italy was brought into the union. France wa3 thus completely isolated. Some coolness with Russia followed the Tsar's intervention in 1875, together with Queen Victoria, to prevent a new attack upon the Republic; and at the Berlin Congress in IS/8 Bismarck helped to rob Russia of the fruit of her victories over Tur'key, and started a rivalry of Russia and Austria in the Balkans, which was to give Germany constant opportunities of profitable interference. But it remained an essential part of his policy not to quarrel with St. Petersburg; and when the alliahce with Austria was made (October, 1879), lie expressed regret that he had been compelled to "choose between two friends." Within five years, indeed, he had goti Germany, Austria and Russia secretly! united in an agreement by which each promised benevolent neutrality in case the other was attacked. Meanwhile, France had been placated Dy an invitation to occupy Tunis, and 'England by advice to hold on to Egypt. These were the sort of strokes in'which Bismarck excelled and delighted. England in Egypt meant England and France at loggerheads; Fiance in Tunis meant FrancoItalian bickering. "Will you., come into my parlor?" said the spider to the fly. Italy entered the German parlor on May 20, 1382.

'Bismarck played with incomparable* skill upon the ancient instruments of diplomacy; but lie knew little or some of the strongest, especially the economic, forces of the modern world. In 1888 the. first Bussian loan was placed on the* French market. The Franco-Russian. Alliance duly followed. It was the first serious Mow to the elaborate structure whose citadel was Berlin. The second blow fell in 1890, when the present Kaiser dismissed the founder of the new German Empire, and started out upon a personal policy of naval and colonial expansion, in which the essential idea was the joint mobilisation of military and financial power. How, one by on& Italy was reconciled with France, England with France and then with Russia, and Russia and Fiance with Japan, weii all remember, i