Internet ^ Apotk A certain paragraph therein was to be toned down, in order to save the law, *  THE KAISER'S MEMOIRS Bismarck opposed the changePrince Bismarck opposed this alsoI real ized clearly that it was impossible for one human being to make a nation happyEven the Congress of Berlin in  was, to my way of thinking, a mistake, likewise the KulturkampfMoreover, the constitution of the Empire was drawn up so as to fit in with Bismarck's extraor dinary preponderance as a statesman ; the big cui rassier boots did not fit every manThat period, I said, had already passed into history and come to an end so far as our generation was concerned; the present had begun for us with the year  and the new Empire; our generation had drawn a line under the year ; we must build anew upon the foundations of the Empire; political parties must shape their course also in this direc tion and not take over from the past stuff that was outworn and, moreover, calculated to create dis cordBut the lord of the land must always bear in mind the welfare of the whole nation ; therefore, I went my way unswervinglyI took the liberty of observing that the opportunity to postpone such  THE KAISER'S MEMOIRS an understanding for a long time lay ready to hand in -, when the Russians might have been allowed to occupy Constantinople had this been done, the English fleet would have sailed in without further ado to defend Constantinople and the Russo-English conflict would have been onNotwithstanding this, I had dealings with many important men of the party and managed to interest them in practical collaboration for the good of allThis was especially true in relation to an industrial system lil^e the Belgian, which could, without hindrance, squeeze the last drop out of the human reserves of Belgium and pay * BISMARCK low wages, without feeling any pangs of con science or compassion for the sinking morale of the exhausted, unprotected peopleIn many matters the Center co-operated; at one period it possessed in its old leader, Wiadthorst, the keenest politician in the legislatureDuring his military service in line and guard regiments he had noted with an observing eye the court influences and ten dencies which had often worked to the disadvan tage of the officer corps in the old maison militaireIn this direction the circle of ladies of high position, jokingly known among the officers as trente et quarante on account of their age, also played a certain partThere was much trouble and fighting before I put through whaH wanted, owing to the fact that some of the big industrial * BISMARCK interests ranged themselves on the side of the Chan cellorTo sum up my conversations with the Tsar, the following remark by him is of importanceIf  BISMARCK I wish to have Constantinople, I shall take it when ever I feel like it, without need of permission or approval from Prince BismarckAfter this hide refusal of the Bismarck offer of Constantinople, I looked upon my mission as a failure and made my report to the Prince accordinglyIn many matters the Center co-operated; at one period it possessed in its old leader, Wiadthorst, the keenest politician in the legislatureThe English psychology and mentality, as shown in the pursuit constant, though concealed by all sorts of little cloaks of world hegemony, was to the German Foreign Office a book sealed with seven sealsHe succeeded in doing that for twelve years and his successors at the helm of the ship of state succeeded in doing likewise for twenty-four more yearsMoreover, from among the group of watchers, an infamous, organ ized compaign of slander was conducted in the newspapers against meI stood very close, especially in the second half of my reign, to an elderly Liberal deputy, whose acquaintance I made through Herr von MiqueL This man was Herr Seydel (Celchen), owner of an estate in eastern Germany a man  BISMARCK with two clever eyes, which gazed forth from a clean-shaven faceHe has destroyed the old friendship between us, sown distrust in the hearts of the Court and the Govern ment, and engendered the idea of a great injustice done the Russian army after its Woody  campaign, for which it wishes revengeThe Prince worked primarily with Russia, Austria, Italy, and Rumania, whose rela tions toward Germany and one another he con stantly watched overIn the course of a talk with one of them concerning the relations between the two courts, armies, and countries, which I had found undergoing a change in comparison with former times, the old General said C'est ce vilain con- gres de BerlinIn the course of a talk with one of them concerning the relations between the two courts, armies, and countries, which I had found undergoing a change in comparison with former times, the old General said C'est ce vilain con- gres de BerlinOn the con trary, I received direct instructions to offer Russia Constantinople and the Dardanelles (in other words, San Stef ano and the Berlin Treaty had been dropped!) My deep grief and sor row were all the greater because it was almost impossible for me to speak alone with my beloved fatherUne grave f aute du Chancelier
