m the German
Confederation. The same reasons which impelled Protestant Prussia to
drive Catholic Austria from the Germanic Confederation are still in
large measure subsisting to-day, and I do not think that the
Hohenzollern has any intention of forcing the Habsburg into the
Confederation again, merely to obey the behests of the Pan-Germanists.
Prussia has no interest whatever in reopening the ancient dualism of
North and South, in re-establishing the two poles and antipodes,
Berlin and Vienna. _As a matter of fact, ever since 1870
Austria-Hungary has been far more useful to German aims in her present
dependent condition than if she were an integral part of the
Confederation._ In Continental politics as well as in colonial
politics, a disguised protectorate may be infinitely preferable to
virtual annexation. The protectorate of Tunis has given far less
trouble to France than the colony of Algeria. And for all practical
interests and purposes, Austria-Hungary has become a German
dependency. She has been drawn into the orbit of the Triple Alliance.
She follows the political fortunes of the predominant partner. She
almost forms part of the German Zollverein, in that her tariffs are
systematically favourable to her northern neighbour. _But above all,
Austria-Hungary renders to Germany the inestimable service both of
'civilizing'--that is, of 'Germanizing'--the inferior races, the
Slavs, and of keeping them in check. It is a very disagreeable and
difficult task, which Germany infinitely prefers to leave to Austria
rather than to assume herself._ And it is a task for which, as
Professor Lamprecht, the national historian, is compelled to admit,
the Austrian German seems far more qualified than the Prussian German.
And Germany can thus entirely devote herself to her world ambitions,
whilst Austria is entirely absorbed by her racial conflict--for the
King of Prussia!

For the last twenty-five years the process of Germanizing has been
going on without interruption. A bitter war of races and languages is
being waged between the Austrian German and the Magyar, between the
Teuton and the Slav. Of the Slav the Austrian Teuton wants to make
his political slave. To him 'Slav' and 'slave' are synonymous words;
and when we consider that the Slavs are disunited in language and
religion, and that they hate each other almost as cordially as they
hate the _Niemets_; and when we further consider that behind the ten
millions of Austrian Germa