An Austrian Diplomatist in the Fifties. By the Right Hon.
Sir Ernest Satow. (Cambridge University Press, Is. 6d. net.)— Hero we have the "Redo Lecture," delivered on June 13th last. It is founded on Hiibner's "Souvenirs d'un A.mbassadeur." Hiibner (1811-1892), after some years spent in the Diplomatic Service of Austria, went to represent that country at Paris in 1849. For several years from that time he was behind the scones of European affairs, and in his book he records his experiences in the events which culminated in the establishment of the Second Empire, the Crimean War, and the War of Liberation in Italy,— not in the least a war for that liberation, but having that result. We may note, by the way, an incident which has a curious relation to recent events. Towards the end of 1852 Omar Pasha at the head of a Turkish army occupied Montenegro. Austria demanded instant evacuation, and the Porte gave way. Hiibner would have regarded any other course "as diametrically opposed to the tradi- tional Austrian policy,—namely, to treat the Sick Man gently, and try to keep the health in his body rather than to administer blows that might ruin his constitution and produce a collapse." How about this "traditional policy" now ? Sir Ernest Satow holds, we see, a decided opinion that the Crimean War was a necessity. To have left Russia to work her will on Turkey would have been a great mistake, and Austria was resolute not to use force in putting pressure on the Emperor Nicholas, who would certainly have disregarded diplomatic representations. We need not follow the writer any further. If he does not tell us anything absolutely new, he puts the case in a very clear and instructive way. We cannot forbear quoting what was probably the smartest thing ever said by the Third Napoleon. Nicholas would not address him as "Brother," but used the phrase "Good Friend." "Thank his Imperial Majesty," said the Emperor, "for the expression 'good friend' of which he has made use, for one has to endure one's brothers, and one chooses one's friends."
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