Leading Articles in the Reviews. 



441 



Socialists of the district associations numbered 

 on June 30ih last 970,112, of whom 130,371 

 were women. More striking still is the success 

 of the party press, but the women's movement 

 in the party, notwithstanding brilliant progress, 

 is still in its infancy, so to speak. From 37 the 

 number of Socialist Deputies in German State 



parly was able to spend over a million marks 

 (£:50,ooo). 



The Kuiscr and the Swiss President, at the 

 Swiss Mancruvres. 



I'arliaments rose during the year lo 245. Only 

 the other day the Principality of Sihwarlzburg- 

 Rudol.stadt ilected through its Diet a Socialist 

 President, Ikrr Winter. The last General 

 Election raised the number of Socialist members 

 in the Rfichsf.ng fo iin. For ihe F.lfrfinn the 



THE KAISER. 



The Chautauquan for September contains a 

 sketch of William II. by Arthur E. Bestor. He 

 says : — 



The most striking figure in the modern political world 

 is William II. with his frank self-assurance, his 

 strenuous energy, his political genius, his indomitable 

 will, one of that great family of rulers who have 

 made Prussia the strongest Power on the continent of 

 Europe, and have now made Germany one of the great 

 nations of the world. He is commander-in-chief, and 

 he has used every means to bind the army 10 himself. 

 It is said that he knows personally one-half of the 

 .;5,ooo military officers. No one has a greater know- 

 ledge of the German navy, indeed of the navies of the 

 world. But, after all, the real source of his strength 

 is to be found in the belief which the people have in 

 him. Personally he is the embodiment of all the driving 

 forces of German life to-day. He fires the imagination, 

 he sounds the keynote for advance along all lines. It 

 is this ability to make himself the leader of the German 

 nation that enables him to impose his will upon the 

 Empire. He is one of the most versatile of men. It 

 is true that the Emperor has been accused of being 

 a kingly dabbler in everything and master in nothing. 

 Bismarck characterised the Emperor in this language 

 in 1891 : " I pity the young man ; he is like a young 

 fox-hound that barks at everything, that touches every- 

 thing, and that ends by causing complete disorder in 

 the room in which he is, no matter how large it may be." 

 .\othing is too large for his investigation, nothing too 

 small for his attention. Every scientific discovery, 

 every new invention, every change in educational theory, 

 every new development in art or literature receives his 

 attention. He is everywhere seeking new ways of doing 

 things which may become useful for the development 

 of German influence or culture. The Emperor has been 

 described in many different ways, but the characterisa- 

 tion of the late William T. Stead, himself one of the 

 world's great journalists, is unique and interesting. He 



ills the Kaiser a " latter-day journalist born to the 

 imrple." He certainly has the journalistic craving for 

 novelty and picturesqueness ; he likes to be continually 

 before the public; he has the ability to say striking 

 ihings. 



The writer describes Willi.ini 11. as distinctly 

 a modern man, who makes use of all the 

 machinery nf modern civilisation. But with all 

 his modern ideas the Emperor is more than any 

 other man of his lime a media?valist in his ideas 

 of the kingship. One would have to go back to 

 Charles I. of England lo find a man who 

 believed so strongly in the divine right of kings. 

 On the naval question the writer observes : — • 



It is perfectly evident that the only Power against 

 which the new navy i> likely to be used is Great Britain. 

 To this danger Englishmen have recently become 

 thoroughly aroused, for it is not merely that England 

 would lose prestige in an unsuccessful naval war, but thai 

 her whole Imperial policy, and even her very existence, 

 is dependent u|X)n her mastery of the sea. It is sur- 

 prising how many men in Europe testify to their belief 

 that w;ir between the two countries is inevitable and 

 near at hand. The subject is discussed not with bitter- 

 ness, but with a ■■iirl <if linalitv which is far more 

 ■iignifirant. 



