Reconciled

On January 26th there occurred in Berlín an historical event of the greatest importance, the reconciliation of Emperor William II. and Prince Bismark, the man whose intellect wrought out the Germán Empire. Four years ago he and the young Emperor quarrelled and Bismark was evicted from office and from that day until last Friday the two men have never met. The estrangement has always been the source of deepest regret to the German people, who fully recognize the incomparable services of the man of "blood and iron" in organizing the disjoinedand jealous Teutonic forces into an indissoluble union. For more than forty years the genius of Bismark was the one indispensible element in the development of Prus. sian autonomy, and it was his master spirit that conceived the grand scheme of Germán unification and his directive hand that so shaped events as to lead to the transformation of the union into the Empire under the unequivocal leadership of Prussia. So great vere lus services to the Far.herland that his people overlooked or forgot his arbitrary and despotic methods, and his personality became enshrined in the affections of his countrymen. Owing to this feeling of reverence for Bismark, the Germán people have never been able to quite forgive William for the slight put upon their idol, and henee have never given the Emperor the full measure of their confidence and affection. A realizing sense of this lack and a keen appreciatie n of the value of an enthusiastic national spirit, rather than any change of sentiment toward Bismark, is probably what led the Emperor to seek a reconciliation with his most powerful subject. If such was his purpose in seeking to pacify Bismark, his object has evidently been accomplished. Everywhere the people showed their satisfaction by turning out en masse to welcome the Prince, and later in the üay when William went out for a drive they gave him an ovation, and when Emperor and Prince appeared together on the return to the station, after the visit, the people were wild with enthusiasm. This gracious act on the part of the Emperor will have a considerable influence upon the aational spirit and will tend to rearouse enthusiasm toward himself.