Show THE INSULT TO EMPRESS FREDERICK visit to and compulsory exit from france of empress frederick mother of the present german kaiser constitute an important episode the circumstance may lead to serious senous european complications and possibly to a gigantic war at the very least the result will be strained relations between germany and england on the one side and france on the other other the mission of ther empress to paris was to make arrangements for the representation resen tation of french artists at the approaching berlin exposition her arrival at the french capital produced no friendly demonstration but quite the contrary instead of waiting upon the royal personage himself president carnot delegated a subordinate to attend to that formality this was an unqualified indignity alto to begin with because it meant that her presence in paris was unwelcome the public journals took the matter up and intimated plainly that the empress could not do a better thing than get out of paris at the earliest practicable date the artists who favorably entertained the ostensible object of her visit were also abused without stint of course there was no alternative for the lady but tole ave especially as she was advised by very high authority that such a course was the best she could take here presence in paris was not even afree free from personal danger to herself an indubitable evi evidence deuce of this fact was exhibited by the parisian authorities furnishing a a force of men to protect her on the outward journey the effect of this affair upon germany and upon queen victoria to is apparent already the mother of the kaiser as well as the representative of ge germany many in a pacific capacity and the daughter of the queen of england has been grossly insulted in one and the same person A greater indignity could scarcely be offered in private life than for one person to say to another get out of my house bouse or 1111 1 throw you out in the case in point the insult offered to empress frederick to is magnified and intensified a thousand fold it is treatment of a similar kind on a gigantic scale the result is that the emperor of germany has bai begun reprisals by continuing the law making the obtain obtaining inor of passports in alsace and lorraine compulsory while the queen of england to is exasperated and incensed at the insult to her daughter the relationship tion ship being so close as aa to amount to an indignity to herself the whole affair seems to be involved in diplomacy as it is difficult to understand why empress frederick was war sent to paris on such a mission as that undertaken by her unless it was to test the sentiment of france toward germany if that was the object it has been strikingly attained there is no need to be mistaken in relation to the character and intensity of feeling of the french against the germans in the event of a collision the diplomacy of the selection of empress frederick as the object at which the anti german sentiment should be directed is apparent as in that way it places england in such a position that even if she should take no active part in a war between germany and france her sympathy would at least be with the former if the two should unite against france the latter would go down in double quick time unless russia should corner come to the rescue in that event a war of surpassing magnitude would shake europe from centre to circumference war may not be the immediate result of the recent significant incident but it will contribute to hastening an eventual conflict as it is highly improbable that germany and france can long maintain a mutually pacific condition in the face or of the warlike spirit entertained toward each other by the peoples of the respective countries |