Uneasiness in Germany

Pacific Press Publishing Association · Mountain View, California · Jul 12, 1910

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 37, No. 27.

Uneasiness in Germany

GERMANY has a military uneasiness not alone over England, but over her ancient rival Austria-Hungary. As one correspondent has expressed it, Germany and Austria-Hungary are partners, and Emperor William naturally wants Germany's partner to be an efficient one, but at the same time he wishes it distinctly understood that Germany is the head of the firm; but Austria-Hungary's progress has been so astonishing of late that he is becoming afraid that she will become the dominant factor. Of the aged emperor Franz Joseph he has no fear; but he will not live much longer, and his nephew and successor, the archduke Franz Ferdinand, is another matter altogether.

When he comes to the throne, Austria-Hungary will have as ambitious a ruler as ever Germany had, whose ambitions for the Teutonic race will be confined not to his own realm but to the whole German people. That he has a will of his own was shown in his marriage beneath his rank. He is said to be a Jesuit of the Jesuits. He has remarkable gifts as an organizer, statesman, soldier, and diplomat.

He now has as an object the securing of the Turkish port of Salonica as Austria-Hungary's outlet to the Mediterranean, and the seizing of Bosnia and Herzegovina was a step in this direction. He accomplished it with the assistance, but against the wish, of Germany; and as the correspondent puts it, "If things go on like this while the archduke is only heir to the throne, William is asking his ministers what he will do as kaiser."

For one thing he means to make Vienna the most important capital in Europe. He means to restore, we are told, the ancient glories of the empire over which his ancestors have ruled for seven centuries; he means to be the foremost monarch in the Old World, the arbiter and dictator of European politics. The correspondent further says that the archduke means that his reign shall mark the Turk's final expulsion from Europe. Until he has planted the Austrian flag on the banks of the Bosporus, and created an Eastern Empire of imposing magnitude and power, he will not consider his life's work accomplished. Certainly the European outlook is not by any means settled. Its surest horoscope is found in the prophetic Word.