THE MEMINISCENCES OF AN AMBASSADOR.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXI, Issue 9581, 4 August 1894, Page 2 (Supplement)

THE MEMINISCENCES OF AN AMBASSADOR.

Lord Augustus Loftus ha 3 published the second series of his "Diplomatic Reminis■Kf cences" (Cassell). They include & period 4 ; of the highest importance in the modern history of Europethat between 1862 and 1879. In the first of these years Lord Augustus was appointed British Ambassador at Berlin— post of greater difficulty than perhaps he or the British Ministry of the time imagined. Lord Augustus found the political atmospnere very loaded." An interview with Bismarck convinced him that the Prussian Chancellor was determined to force Austria either to concession or to war. On one occasion 1 Bismarck, who hadmadeuphismindforvvai, said on the question of war or peace, " Why, Atilla, after all, was a greater man J than your Mr. John Bright. He has left ■" a greater name in history. The Duke of Wellington will be known as- a great warrior, and nob as a pacific statesman." The chapter on the secret negotiations between France and Prussia after the war S/jof 1866 is very curious. Napoleon was % completely outwitted by Bismarck, who i: , played with him for a time, dangling Belgium before his eyes, but ib is clear without any serious intention of giving France any such compensation as she demanded, either on the Rhine or elsewhere. His game was to prevent a rupture, which would have been inconvenient ab that time, when the temper of South Germany was still uncertain. So he kepb the French Government ab play—la bee dans I'eau, as he expressed —allowing ib to draft socreb treaties for the annexation of Belgium v, without committing himself to any formal engagement. The same game was played for years after, when the question of the Hohonzollern candidature for the Spanish tnrono once more aroused the susceptibilities or France. L.ord Augustus has not much to gay of the war Oi 1870, which clearly he did not foresee any more than that sagacious foreign under-secretary who told Lord Granville on his accession to the Foreign Office that /- "the sky was serene—without a cloud l" This was a fortnight before the outbreak of . hostilities. As to whioh side provoked the • war ib is now useless to inquire. TechniReally and frankly ib was France, who after the withdrawal of the Hohenzollern should have - been satisfied. Bub clearly ib was Biamarck's policy, by appearing bo retreat, ' j to draw on bis antagonist.' War he must have felt was inevitable, and, if inevitable, therefore * for Germany, desirable. The P§French were 'quite as eager to fight as the : Germans, and even more confident as to ' the issue, so thab the event amply justified the adroit and audacious, though r somewhat dark and unscrupulous, policy of Bismarck. During < the> course of the war . ib was the business of,the British ambassador to preserve an equal balance be- ' ween the two parties, although . once or twice, he inourred Bismarck's serious displeasure, who . was angry, or affected to be angry, when Lord' Augustus was charged with the duty of looking after the French prisoners in Prussia. ;■ ' - : •;■ y . -y.