MY RECOLLECTIONS OF WILLIAM 11-1879-1903 241 



King of Prussia and German Emperor is a thorn in the 

 side of the Roman Curia; he knows, as every thinking 

 German knows, that, with the possible exception of the 

 British monarchy, no other is so hated by the Vatican 

 monsignori as his own. He is perfectly aware of the part 

 taken in that quarter against his country and dynasty 

 at all times, and especially during the recent wars ; and 

 yet all this seems not to influence him in the slightest as 

 regards justice to his Roman Catholic subjects. He does, 

 indeed, resist the return of the Jesuits into the empire, 

 his keen insight forbids him to imitate the policy of Fred 

 erick the Great in this respect, but his dealings with the 

 Roman Catholic Church at large show not merely wisdom, 

 but kindliness. If he felt bound to resist, and did suc 

 cessfully resist, the efforts of Cardinal Rampolla to un 

 dermine German rule and influence in Alsace and Lor 

 raine, there was a quiet fairness and justice in his action 

 which showed a vast deal of tolerant wisdom. His visits 

 to the old Abbey of Laach, his former relations with 

 its young abbot, his settlement of a vexed question by 

 the transfer of the abbot to the bishopric of Metz, his 

 bringing of a loyal German into episcopal power at 

 Strasburg, his recent treatment of the prince bishop of 

 Breslau and the archbishop of Cologne, all show a wise 

 breadth of view. Perhaps one of the brightest diplo 

 matic strokes in his career was his dealing with a Vatican 

 question during his journey in the East. For years there 

 had been growing up in world politics the theory that 

 France, no matter how she may deal with monks and 

 nuns and ultramontane efforts within her own imme 

 diate boundaries, is their protector in all the world be 

 side, and especially in the Holy Land. The relation of 

 this theory to the Crimean War, fifty years ago, is one 

 of the curious things of history, and from that day to 

 this it has seemed to be hardening more and more into 

 a fixed policy even into something like a doctrine of 

 international law. Interesting was it, then, to see the Em 

 peror, on his visit to the Sultan, knock the ground from 



II. 16 



