20. Essays from "Deutsche Wochenschrift"
The Week of May 11-16, 1888
Emperor Frederick's health is improving again from day to day in the most gratifying way; Prince Bismarck has left for Varzin.
A few days ago, the budget debate in the Austrian House of Representatives entered calmer waters. The crisis rumors that have repeatedly surfaced recently have now also fallen silent. Hardly anyone took them seriously anyway. As was to be expected, the Poles have completely bowed to the advice of Grocholski, the "smartest man", and have more or less withdrawn from the spirit issue. Prince Liechtenstein also had to agree that the first reading of his school proposal would be postponed until the next session. On the other hand, it is reported that the Minister for Culture and Education, so much pampered by the opposition, is busy preparing a new law on elementary schools. Truly, the elementary school should not complain that too little attention is being paid to it. The lex Liechtenstein, lex Lienbacher, lex Herold and lex Gautsch, all aim with their peculiar care to crush the poor elementary school. Evening meetings will be held in the next few days to deal with the masses of unfinished work. There is also talk of the necessity of continuing the session into the summer months. On 13 May, the monument to Empress Maria Theresa was ceremoniously unveiled on the magnificent square between the two court museums in Vienna in the presence of the imperial couple; the following day, Franz Josef personally opened the jubilee exhibition organized by the Lower Austrian Trade Association in the Prater and the Rotunda to celebrate the fortieth anniversary of the reign.
England has finally emerged from the reserve of a silent observer. On the 14th of this month. a deputation, the members of which are among the most distinguished personages in the country, went to the Secretary of State for War, Stanhope, to request him to take the necessary precautions for the defense of the country, and an appeal is at present circulating among the merchants, bankers, and other leading circles of the City, requesting them to take part in a great meeting, to take part in a great meeting, the object of which is to ascertain England's present state of defense by land and sea, as a war with a foreign power is not impossible in the near future, and the present policy of defensive measures can no longer continue.
England, however, was not so much aware of the danger of war from Russia as from France, which, once Boulanger realized his ambitious plans, was more likely to attack the unprepared island kingdom than the well-armed German Empire. Yes, Boulanger and no end! He celebrates triumphs wherever he appears. At a banquet in Lille, he gave a speech in which he pointed out the impotence and incompetence of the Chamber, which was composed of 500 sovereign non-taxpayers. He called the deputies the authors of the colonial wars, swindlers, railed against the constitution, accused the people's representatives of defrauding the people and clumsily flattered the voters. In Douai, he complained that the constitution did not provide any means of removing the president. That is clear enough.
Prince Ferdinand of Bulgaria returned to Sofia on the 16th of this month from his journey, which was a continued chain of warm and enthusiastic ovations for him.
King Milan of Serbia arrived in Vienna on the 14th, where his wife has been staying with the Crown Prince for several days.