21 MARCH 1941, Page 12

WISDOM FROM BISMARCK

Sta,—Recently reading a book published by William Heinemann, ion, by Sidney Whitman, German Memories, I came across the following statement of Prince Bismarck, which I think may be of public interest: " Prince Bismarck often made use of a saying to the effect that Europe would never, in the long run, tolerate the dominant hegemony, the dictatorship of any one single Power or person. The exact words employed by Prince Bismarck were in English:

. . Only, no cock-of-the-walk business ; Europe will not put up with it.' Europe as an entity would resent as derogatory, if not as intolerable, a situation in which it might come to pass that an individual would arrogate to himself the attribute of being the supreme arbiter of war and peace, the latter to depend upon his benevolent intentions periodically vouchsafed to the world as free gifts, to be received in an attitude of grateful humility."

Langdon House, Dawlish. J. HERBERT SANDERS.