19. Essays from "Deutsche Wochenschrift"

The Week of May 3-10, 1888

The Taaffe ministry had a difficult time last week. The governing party acted as if it had no ill will to deny Mr. von Gautsch the teaching budget. It could easily have come to that if the opposition had not shirked its duty. However, the majority of the German-Austrian Club went over to the pro-government camp and thus saved the Taaffe Ministry, or at least the Minister for Culture and Education. However, it is very doubtful whether the cabinet will be able to enjoy its victory. The Liechtenstein school application and the Spiritus Act will apparently still cause the government a lot of trouble, and it remains to be seen whether the cabinet will be able to cope with them in the future. There is little to be said about other events in the Austrian parliament. The thirst for scandal is increasing from day to day. One committee of disapproval follows another. This is the activity of the Austrian House of Representatives, for which the people will know little gratitude.

The great disgruntlement that the appointment of General Bogdanovich has caused in the German Empire continues. While in Germany they avoid any occasion that could somehow offend the Tsar's sensibilities, in Russia there is little understanding for a similar concession. It is understandable that this appointment of General Bogdanovich, which is at least untimely, has given fresh impetus to the Boulangist movement in France, which seemed to be on the wane of late. The republican papers are now launching a campaign against the ministers Lockroy and Freycinet, who refused to sign the manifesto of the deputies and senators of the Seine against Boulanger. The declaration of the Council of Ministers that Lockroy and Freycinet did not have to sign the manifesto because the Ministry was in solidarity in all its actions and Floquet's declarations in Parliament on Boulangism were sufficient, apparently made little impression. The first edition of Boulanger's book "L'invasion allemande", in which he "analyzed and studied the events and men of 1870", is due to be published in the next few days. 2½ million copies of the book would be distributed free of charge.

Now England is also arming. The Minister of War, Stanhope, has introduced a bill to improve national defense, which was adopted by the House of Commons at first reading. Everywhere in Europe people are bowing to the iron commandment: si vis pacem, para bellum.

The Italian Prime Minister has thoroughly shone a light on the "irredenta" on the Apennine peninsula. In a significant speech, he emphasized that Italy was allied with Germany and Austria, but only because this was in Italy's best interests. Crispi also admitted that in addition to Italy's alliance with Germany and Austria, there was also an alliance between Italy and England.

Everything is quiet on the Balkan peninsula. Prince Ferdinand of Bulgaria arrived in Tirnova and was received with enthusiastic cheers. At a banquet organized in his honour, the Prince gave a speech in which he referred to Bulgaria's moral strength, which gave him hope that it would soon become independent of all harmful foreign influences. "This strength instills in me," the Prince concluded his speech, "a strong confidence in Bulgaria's bright future."