Vi dient zur Behandlung bei E-problemen .. Hence the Foreign Office was noth ing but an office of the great Chancellor , where work was done according to his directionsBISMARCK'S LABOR VIEWS Bismarck was not a foe to the laboring classes on that I wish to lay stress, in view of what I have previously saidPrince Bismarck did not agree with this judg ment of his Congress, concerning the results of which he, as the honest broker, was so proud ; he remarked earnestly that he had wished to pre vent a general conflagration and hacj been com pelled to offer his services as a mediatorLater on I spoke often with the Prince about the colonial question and always found in him the intention to utilize the colonies as commercial ob jects, or objects for swapping purposes, other than to make them useful to the fatherland or utilize them as sources of raw materialsAgitation and rebellion, he believed, should be severely sup pressed ; by force of arms, if necessaryI, however, wished to win over the soul of the German workingman, and I fought zealously to attain this goalI added that, otherwise, I was her loving grandson, who would always be grateful for any advice from his grandmother, who had derived so much ex perience from her long reign; but that I was, nevertheless, in matters affecting Germany, com pelled to retain my freedom of action ; the visit to StThis conflict between the Chancellor and me arose became of his belief that the social problem could be solved by sfevere measures and, if the worn cpaae to the worst, by means of soldiers ;  BISMARCK not by following principles of general love for mankind or humanitarian nonsense which, he be lieved, he would have to adopt in conformity to my viewsFrom that day onward my relations with the Queen, who was feared even by her own children, were of the best imaginable; from that day onward she never treated her grandson except as a sovereign of equal rank with herself  On my first journeys I was accompanied by Count Herbert, as the representative of the For ay THE KAISER'S MEMOIRS eign OfficeWhatever one's attitude may be toward Bis-  I understand perfectly your line of action ; the J*rince, with all his greatness, was, after all, merely your employee or officialHe had to do with many men, in all social strata and all walks of life, by all of whom he was revered and esteemed, and he was treated by me likewise with friend ship and gratitudeI summoned a Crown CouncilHIS ATTITUDE TOWARD PARTIES The later periods of my reign proved that I was not hostile to any party, with the exception of the Ultra-Socialists; also, that I was not anti-LiberaL My most important Finance Minister was the Liberal, Miquel; my Minister of Commerce was the Liberal, Moeller; the leader of the Liberals, Herr von Benaigsen, was Chief President of Han overWhat he wished occurredPour les  BISMARCK rapports entre nous deux, mon chcr Guillaume [this was the first time that the Tsar so addressed me], la chute du Prince aura les meilleures con sequences, la mefiance disparaitraThat is equivalent to saying that, reckoning from the time of the Berlin Congress, he played a superior diplo matic and statesmanlike game for twelve years (-)The commanders of the troops which were sum moned immediately made reports on the situation as they had found it Among these was one of my former barrack comrades, belonging to the Hussar Guard Regi ment, ron Michaelis by name, who was famous as a wit He rode, alone and unarmed, among the striking crowds of workers, who the early spring being remarkably warm were camped upon the hillsides, and soon managed, by his confidence- inspiring, jovial ways, to set up a harmless inter course with the strikersOn that occasion   THE KAISER'S MEMOIRS the Prince remarked, in astonishment, Another world, a new world  This point of view also showed itself on the occasion of the visit of Admiral von Tirpitz at Friedrichsruh, at the time when he wished to win the old Imperial Chancellor over to favoring the first Navy billI answered that I could not square such a course with my conscience and my responsibility before God, particularly as I knew perfectly well that conditions among the laboring classes were bad and must be bettered at all costsAs for me personally, I have the of recalling that Bismarck intrusted to me in  the very delicate Brest mission, and said of meSome day that man will be his own Chancellor/' This shows that Bismarck must have had some belief in meBismarck was the one man who could juggle five balls of which at least two were always in the airWith Prince Bismarck I had stood on very good and trustful terms ever since my assignment at the Foreign OfficeHere is an example to show the attitude of the Cabinet toward me in those Bismarck days: The question came up of renewing the Socialist law, a political measure devised by Prince Bismarck for fighting socialismAnd therein lies the weakness in the superi ority of great menThrough them I could become thoroughly informed on all agra rian questions and learn where the fanner's shoe pinched him
