Prof. Bryce, of Oxford, has spoken of Germany as "the central country of Europe, the state which dominates continental politics, the nation which does the largest part of the intellectual work of the world." The remarkable preëminence of German scholarship in the world of learning is best appreciated by those most familiar with the state of scholarly thought throughout the world. Germany's preeminence in the realm of thought, due to the extraordinary activity of the German university world, and to the direction given to this activity, has long been acknowledged; and under existing conditions bids it fair to be maintained.

Germany's preeminence in the political world is of more recent date. During the Franco-German war of '70-'71, there was a remarkable development of the national consciousness. The dissevered principalities of the German-speaking peoples, under the influence of a supreme emotion, were welded into a nation, and William I was crowned emperor of Germany in the palace of Versailles. The pressure of constant danger from without has transformed this emotion into a duty; and the dream of German unity, so long but a beautiful dream, is now a reality, and its preservation a national passion. Germany, for centuries the battle-ground of the nations, is now the home of a proud, imperial race, conscious of a destiny. Eminent in art, in music, in schol

-Othello.

-Macbeth.

-Othello.

arship, and in politics, this home of the reformation, this birthplace and cradle of the ideal philosophy, reunited, born again, filled with new hope, and animated with new courage, is destined to play an important role in the progress of civilization during the coming century. The intelligent student of the progress of the world must then, perforce, keep in touch with the course of affairs in Germany.

The city of Dresden represents some phases of German culture and life perhaps better than any other German city. While Berlin is the center of the political life, and while no one city can be said to be the center of the university intellectual life, Dresden may be regarded as, on the whole, the center of the artistic life. Most Germans rank the Dresden opera as the best in Germany, and the great Italian art critic, Morelli, has characterized the Dresden art gallery as "the richest and most brilliant picture gallery that exists." So many and so superior are the attractions of Dresden that many English and Americans reside there, if not permanently, at least for some years or months. Indeed, one portion of the city is known as the American quarter, and another as the English quarter. Besides these permanent foreign residents, thousands of foreigners annually spend some days or weeks in Dresden, mainly in its noted picture gallery. In fact, if a friend were lost in Europe, and one had no clue to his whereabouts, perhaps the

most certain means of finding him would be to take a seat in the Dresden art gallery and await his arrival.

During the past six months, some 159,000 strangers registered their names in the police record of Dresden, to say nothing of Dr. Albert Shaw, of The Review of Reviews, and his bride, who visited for several days, but neglected to give in to the police his family history, age, color of hair and eyes, religion, father's religion, and occupation, where he came from and where he is going to next, and such like means of identification whereby the German polizei are enabled to preserve order, and restore lost luggage to its owners.

Perhaps the greatest gala days Dresden has ever known, occurred at the celebration, on October 22 and 23, of the fiftieth anniversary of the entrance upon military service of His Majesty, Albert, King of Saxony, at which were present the emperor of Germany and a score of princes of Germany and of Austria. It was not an exclusively Dresden festivity. The interest of all German-speaking people was aroused, and the leading publications of Germany and of Austria contained biographies of King Albert and congratulations to him and to Germany for a career which has reflected honor upon both. Special trains from every direction brought thousands of spectators, and the city in holiday attire presented indeed a brilliant spectacle. The festivities, which had been months in preparation, were arranged according to the following program:

OCTOBER 22.

1. Morning, music by the military band of the body guard.

2. 9:00 a.m., Divine service in the military camps.

3. 11 a.m., reception of deputations in the palace. (Full dress.) Nine of these deputations. 4. 12 noon, breakfast to the princes and their families.

5. 5:35 p.m., arrival of His Majesty, the German Kaiser.

6. 6 p.m., state dinner in palace.

7. 9 p.m., play in the Hoftheatre. Simultaneously, demonstration by the citizens upon the theater platz.

8. 10 p.m., demonstrations by military and civic societies.

9. 11 p.m., departure of the kaiser and following this, a reunion of veterans.

OCTOBER 23.

1. 10:30 a.m., reception of deputations in the palace.

2. 12:00 noon, parade of the princes; inspection of the barracks, and breakfast in the officers' quarters.

3. 5:00 p.m., dinner at the palace to the princes and the military comrades of the king. 4. 9 p.m., court ball.

The streets had been densely filled all day, but the arrival of the kaiser made progress impossible in the portions of the city along the line of march. At the palace, the kaiser, after a reference to King Albert's relations to the great Moltke, and to his participation in the war of '70-'71 in which he had "fought for the honor of our fatherland and the unity of the empire," presented to him a baton with warm words of praise to the "only living great commander-in-chief of that great time, to the last Knight of the Iron Cross with the Grand Cross." The king in accepting the staff emphasized his joy in seeing an emperor at the head of the German army, and expressed his readi ness to draw sword again, if need be, "which, God forbid," in defense of German Right and German security.

At the "gala table" at 6 p. m., at which plates had been laid for 340 guests in three rooms, the entire service, in the room in which sat the kaiser, King Albert, and his most illustrious guests, was of gold and Meissner porcelain. Costly porcelain vases, which were properly works of art, adorned the tables, while the treasures of the royal vaults (the Grüne Gewölbe), art works wrought in gold, were heaped up in picturesque confusion, varied by banks of orchids. The total effect was rich in the extreme, inasmuch as the collection was not merely a display of wealth, but was the artistically arrayed art treasures of the artistic city of Germany.

The play, the Feuertaufe," in the Royal Opera House, had been composed for the occasion by Dr. Koppel-Eldfeldt, director of the opera house. It repre

sented an actual occurrence in the early military service of the king, when he received his "Feuertaufe" (baptism of fire) "Auf den Düppeler Schanzen" in battle with the Danes. The military nature of the whole celebration and the military character of the play were further empha sized by the military bearing and dress of those who would, as a matter of course, be honored with invitations by the minister of war, through whom alone entrance was possible. The parquet was filled

with military officers in the most elaborate of military full dress, bright with gold lace, and further adorned with the medals for signal bravery won by the survivors of many a hard-bought victory in the many great battles through which German unity has been finally achieved. The first balcony on both sides of the king's box, in which sat the kaiser, was filled with the more distinguished guests in their robes of state, while the balconies above were occupied largely by the wives and daughters of the officers, in full dress, with beaming eyes and eager faces, their hearts responsive to the spirit of the impressive occasion. The lights indeed shone on fair women and brave men. It was, truly, as brilliant an assembly as one could well hope to

see.

The chords of old memories were touched in many a heart, and the air was electric with patriotic enthusiasm, which burst forth into one spontaneous and universal "hoch" at the skillfully arranged climax. When the actors upon the stage shouted "hoch" for King and Fatherland, the high-wrought enthusiasm of the audience broke the bonds of custom, and moved by one impulse, all rose to their feet and cheered to the echo, and then joined with the actors in the Saxon hymn and Die Wacht am Rhein. It was no longer a play to which the audience was listening, but a chapter out of the history of the struggle for a united Fatherland, a struggle by which Germany has in the present generation been so profoundly moved.

Gazing upon this brilliant military spectacle, and recalling the terrible hu. miliations imposed upon Germany by Napoleon in his days of power, one could understand the deep-seated, passionate, present purpose of Germany to maintain an army superior to her rivals, at whatever cost, and to make impossible such humiliations in the future. This military spirit is to them but another name for patriotism, and he who would endanger this dearly-bought treasure of national unity is "an 'Ebrew Jew" and a traitor.

The demonstrations of the veterans and citizens, following the play with illuminations of the bridges and the banks of the Elbe, can be imagined better than described. Nor is it necessary to describe in full, the events of the following day. I will give merely the impression

formed of King Albert personally at the court ball. A soldier by choice and by profession, a soldier distinguished among the great soldiers of the past fifty years, King Albert is in manner mild and suave. Moving about among his officers, chatting familiarly with old comrades, accepting benignantly the graceful courtesies of the young ladies at the ball, bear. ing his honors modestly, he seemed as a father among his people. During these festivities, he has been honored as a soldier and as a man, as one who has earned the gratitude of his people, and not simply occupied a position to which he was born. In thus describing sympathetically that which I have seen, I do no violence to my Republican principles. "Truth," as Bacon said, "is the daughter of the time." Our form of government suits us best. We should not, on this account, be incapable of appreciating the value to them, for the present at least, of the form of government under which one of the most enlightened people on earth choose to live.

I have described briefly some of the festivities of this notable celebration; but, far more significant than the outward displays, was the spirit shown; and this spirit can be felt by the spectator better than it can be described. The military nature of the celebration would in itself give a military tone to the festivities. Yet, after making all allowance for this fact, the intensity of the military spirit was a revelation to one who seldom sees a soldier in his native land. I must confess to a growing appreciation of the situation of Germany, surrounded as she is by enemies. Remembering the past history of Germany and the depths of humiliation through which she has passed, one can but respect the intensity of the purpose of the German people to maintain their present military superiority at whatever cost. However one may deplore the epidemic of militarism in Europe," this military spirit is in Germany, in their own minds at least, closely allied with patriotism, and it is far more than an unworthy manifestation of national vanity. Germany desires no wars, and will welcome the "Parliament of man, the federation of the world," but Germany will not again willingly become the battle-ground of Europe. The tremendous burdens im