In his speech to the Reichstag there is no mention even of the one definite benefit that the workers had a right to expect—­namely, a reduction of the hours of labour; but the threat of shooting “them in the back” reappears in a new guise.  William II warns the working classes of “the dangers which they will incur in the event of their doing anything to disturb the order of government.”

“My august confederates and I,” adds the Emperor, “are determined to defend this order with unshakable energy.”

Delicious to my way of thinking, this expression “my august confederates.”  Is there not something astounding about the use of the possessive pronoun in connection with the word “august,” implying sovereignty?  One wonders what part can they have to play, these confederates, led and dominated by a personality as jealous and self-centred as this “young Emperor.”

There is only one thing about which William II really concerns himself, over and above his blind passion for increasing the forces of Germany, and that is, other people’s morals—­the morals of working men or officers.  The devil has always had his days for playing the monk.

May 20, 1890. [5]

Do my readers remember my last article but one, written at a moment when the whole Press was singing the praises of William the Pacifist, on the eve of the day when The Times published its despatch, proclaiming the complete agreement between Tzar and Kaiser, the entente that assures the world of the peace that shall come down from William’s starry heavens?  It was then that I wrote—­

“Is there a single reason to be found, either in the traditions of his race, or in his own character, or in the logic of Prussian militarism, which can justify, any clear-thinking mind in believing that William is a Pacifist?”

Hardly had that number of May 1 appeared when the German Emperor made his speech at Koenigsberg!  In his cups, the King of Prussia reveals his true nature, just as a champagne cork flies from a badly wired bottle.  After giving expression once again to his animosity towards France, he borrows from us one of the famous dicta of Monsieur Prudhomme—­

“The duty of an Emperor,” he declared, “is to keep the peace, and I am determined to do it; but should I be compelled to draw the sword to preserve peace, Germany’s blows will fall like hail upon those who have dared to disturb it.”

Next, in the neighbourhood of the Russian frontier, he used the following provocative language:  “I will not permit that any one should touch my eastern provinces and he who tries to do so, will find that my power and my might are as rocks of bronze.”

Sire, beware!  The God of the Hohenzollern will prove to you before long that your power and your might, those rocks of bronze, are no more in His hands than a feather tossed in the wind; He will show you that a tricky horse can unseat you, regardless of your dignity, when you take your favourite ride, the road to Peacock island, with your august brother-in-law.