LEADING ARTICLES. 



599 



of the voice and the manner ; and that 

 also IS illinninatmg as to the careg-, for 

 the greatness of Lord Strathcona's 

 achievements ha\e been won by a sin- 

 gular combination of strength 'of will, 

 tenacity of purpose and an indulgent 

 and sympathetic attitude to all men, to 

 all creeds, and to all situations. Like 

 Carlyle's wife, he has been invincible 

 because he has so often been gentle; it 

 was gentleness concealing strength, as 

 many people ultimatel)- found out. 



PRESIDENT WILSON. 

 The 7 rciisiiry opens with a character 

 sketch, b\- Mr. John Garrett Leign, of 

 the President of the United States. 



Dr. W^jodrow Wilson's presidenc\- of 

 Princeton was rem.arkable for the ver}- 

 characteristic which he is introducing 

 into politics, remarks the writer. That 

 is to sa\-, he fought for makmi'" univer- 

 sity life a training in moral discipline 

 and in the acceptance of responsibilities. 

 lender him education " drew out " the 

 very best of the character of the stu- 

 dents. Again, as Governor of New 

 Jerse}', he showed the urgent need for 

 higlier ideals and cleaner methods. A 

 remarkabl)' strong man, with a singular 

 tenderness of heart, his speeches ha\e 

 merel}' gixen the world to understand 

 that he is determined to cleanse Ameri- 

 can public life of influences which haxe 

 been disastrous to politics. That he has 

 no party behind him is claimed by one 

 of his friends to be an advantage, for 

 at this time the American n.ition is in 

 need of a deepening of the spirit which 

 is hardl)' possible under a close part}' 

 system. 



President Wilson stands for some- 

 thing of the old austerity of Xcw Eng- 

 land. He combines the sweetness of his 

 old \"irginia with the hardness of old 

 Massachusetts. The writer suggests that 

 the austerity which Mr. Wilson will in- 

 troduce into public life, at a time when 

 all that is best in English life is look- 

 ing for a revival of austerit}', will tend 

 to make a spiritual bond between the 

 United States and England. Alread\- 

 the President has declared himself in 

 favour of the closest understanding be- 

 tween the English peoples, and if Ine 

 American.-^ can claim Mr. HrNce as a 



child of both nations, England may 

 claim Mr. Wilson as another sympathetic 

 l)ond. In America there are many acute 

 social problems to be faced, and no 

 doubt the new President will face them 

 with the real Christian temper. At the 

 i)resent moment there is a fierce agitation 

 against the low wages ])aid to girls and 

 the consequent moral dangers. One of 

 the President's daughters has thrown 

 herself with enthusiasm into this agita- 

 tion. 



THE EMPRESS FREDERICK. 



Rumour is a lying jade, and the ran- 

 cour with which " {patriotic " Germans 

 attacked the Princess RiO}-al during her 

 life has recently been revived by the 

 veteran ])oet, Gustav Freytag. The poet 

 was for many years in high favour at 

 Court, and has published his own love 

 letters, which contain many astounding- 

 references to the Emperor Frederick and 

 his Consort. This has moved Professor 

 Leinhaas to write an article in the Kine- 

 tccnth Century. From the extracts 

 quoted b)- the Professor it is pretty evi- 

 dent that the poet Freytag is inclined to 

 picturesque phrasing and inuendo which 

 suggest many interpretations. The Pro- 

 fessor does not mince his words, and 

 straightly charges Fre3tag with ignor- 

 ance, ingratitude and general malevo- 

 lence. The circumstances which gave 

 foundation to the misunderstandings are 

 set torth \er\- ])lainly: — . 



Anyone wlio wishes to judirc the Empress 

 Frederick fairly must alway.s keej) in view- 

 that siie was an Englishwoman, it not by her 

 parents, still by lior training and all her im- 

 pre.s,sions from Jiei- cradle on\^•arcls. The 

 Kiiijilish nev(>r lose their nationality, and con- 

 serve their Kiiglisii minds into old age; 

 national pride requires this. Germans are 

 very different in this respect, and easily ape 

 anj' other nationality. It would be wrong 

 to deny to an English princess what we pre- 

 sume as obvious in our (Jcrm.in princesses; on 

 a foreign tlirone tiiey are expected to remain 

 absolutely (Jtunian. Why sliould we then l)e 

 so hostile to an Knglish prinoo.ss;- Suroly 

 enough German priiu-esst^s ha\(> sat on foreign 

 tliroui's, and still do; also English )irincessi^s 

 on (Jerman thrones. Tiu^ Em])ross Frederick 

 was English, aiul riMuainiHl such to her death. 

 I nnist, ii()\V(>^\'i>r, t^xpressly insist on this- 

 iliat sh(^ loved her new eountiy with a full 

 ii(>art. and always strove to work for it. I 

 admit atoiice that in (Germany she often gave 

 the impression of pi-eferring England to her 

 iii>w home, but those who stood nearer know 

 tliat this id(\i was false. The contradiction 

 is ex[)laiM(Ml by tlie fact and 1 lay great 



