between us and Russia.  I mention these matters in order to explain to you the origin of our treaty with Austria, which was published a few days ago, and to defend the policy of His Majesty against the reproach of having enlarged the possibilities of war for the German empire, by adding to them the chances which may befall Austria without any fault of her own.  I am, therefore, going to describe to you how it happened that our traditional relations with Russia, which I had always and very gladly fostered, became so altered that we were induced to conclude the treaty published day before yesterday.

The first years after the French war passed in the best of friendship.  In 1875 there suddenly appeared the inclination of my Russian colleague, Prince Gortschakoff, to work for popularity with France rather than with us, and to make the world believe, by means of certain artificially created events and an interpolated telegram, that we had harbored the idea, however remote, of invading France, and that his intercession alone had saved France from this danger.  This occasioned the first estrangement between us, and led to a serious discussion between me and my former friend and later colleague.  All this time and subsequently we were still clinging to the task of maintaining peace among the three emperors, and of continuing the relationship begun by the visits of the emperors of Russia and Austria here in Berlin in 1872, and the subsequent return visits.  We were succeeding in this, when in 1876, before the Turkish War, pressure was brought to bear upon us to choose between Russia and Austria.  This we refused to do.  I do not deem it advantageous to discuss the details.  They will be known some time.  The result of our refusal was that Russia turned to Vienna directly, and entered into an agreement with Austria—­I believe it was in January, 1877—­concerning the possibilities of an Oriental crisis, granting her, if The crisis should take place, the occupation of Bosnia, etc.  Then the war took place, and we were very glad that the storm raged further south than it had threatened at first.  The war was definitely concluded here in Berlin by the Congress, after the preliminaries had been settled by the peace of San Stefano.  The peace of San Stefano, I am convinced, was not more risky for the anti-Russian powers nor much more favorable for Russia than the subsequent congressional treaty.  The stipulations of San Stefano were realized, one may say, of their own accord later on, when the little state of East Rumelia, with only 800,000 souls I believe, joined Bulgaria and thereby reestablished on its own responsibility the old San Stefano frontier, although not quite exactly.  The damage, therefore, which the Congress inflicted on the agreements of San Stefano was not very considerable.  Whether these agreements were masterpieces of diplomacy I leave undecided.  We had then very little desire to mix in Oriental affairs, just as we have today.