Before dinner I read further drafts, including a memorandum, in which the Chief explained to the King that it was impossible to demand from Favre, after the conclusion of the capitulation, the surrender of the flags of the French regiments in Paris.
We were joined at dinner by Count Henckel and the French aide-de-camp who was here yesterday. The latter, whose full name is d’Hérisson de Saulnier, wore a black hussar uniform, with yellow shoulder straps and embroidery on the sleeves. He is said to understand and speak German, yet the conversation, into which the Chief entered with zest, was for the most part carried on in French. In the absence of Favre and the General (the former was still in the house, but as he was very busy he had his dinner sent up to him in the small drawing-room) the aide-de-camp was more lively and amusing than yesterday. He bore the whole burden of the conversation for a considerable time, with a series of droll anecdotes. The scarcity of food in the city had become of late very painfully perceptible, but his experience would appear to have been more with the amusing, than with the serious, side of the question. He said that for him the most interesting period of their fast was “while they were eating up the Jardin des Plantes.” Elephant meat cost twenty francs per kilogramme and tasted like coarse beef, and they had really had “filets de chameau” and “côtelettes de tigre.” A dog flesh market was held in the Rue Saint Honoré, the price being two francs fifty per kilo. There were hardly any more dogs to be seen in Paris, and whenever people caught sight of one, they immediately hunted it down. It was the same with cats. If a pigeon alighted on a roof a view holloa was at once raised in the street. Only the carrier pigeons were spared. The despatches were fastened in the middle of their tail feathers, of which they ought to have nine. If one of them happened to have only eight, they said: “ce n’est qu’un civil” and it had to go the way of all flesh. A lady is said to have remarked: “Jamais je ne mangerai plus de pigeon, car je croirais toujours avoir mangé un facteur.”
In return for these and other stories the Chief related a number of things which were not yet known in the drawing-rooms and clubs of Paris, and which people there might be glad to hear, as for instance the shabby behaviour of Rothschild at Ferrières, and the way in which the Elector of Hesse transformed Rothschild’s grandfather Amschel from a little Jew into a great one. The Chancellor repeatedly referred to the latter as the “Juif de cour,” and afterwards gave a description of the domesticated Jews of the Polish nobility.
On Bohlen reporting later on that he had, in accordance with instructions, sent certain papers to “the Emperor,” the Chief observed: “The Emperor? I envy those to whom the new title already comes so trippingly.” Abeken returned from his Majesty’s and announced that “The matter of the flags was settled.” The Chief: “Have you also fired off my revolver letter?” Abeken: “Yes, Excellency, it has been discharged.”
After dinner read drafts and reports, amongst the latter a very interesting one in which Russia advises us to leave Metz and German Lorraine to the French, and to annex a neighbouring piece of territory instead. According to a recent despatch from St. Petersburg Gortschakoff has suggested that Germany might take Luxemburg and leave the French a corresponding portion of Lorraine. The geographical position of the Grand Duchy indicated that it should form part of Germany, and Prince Henry, who is devotedly attached to his separate Court, alone stood in the way. King William wrote on the margin of the despatch that this suggestion was to be absolutely rejected. The Chief then replied as follows: The future position of Luxemburg would, it is true, be an unpleasant one—not for us, but rather for the Grand Duchy itself. We must not, however, exercise any compulsion, nor take the property of others. We must therefore adhere to the programme communicated five months ago to St. Petersburg, especially as we have since then made great sacrifices. The realisation of that programme is indispensable for the security of Germany. We must have Metz. The German people would not tolerate any alteration of the programme.
Favre did not leave till 10.15 P.M., and then not for Paris, but for his quarters here in the Boulevard du Roi. He will come again to-morrow at noon.
The Chief afterwards joined us at tea. In speaking of the capitulation and the armistice, Bohlen asked: “But what if the others do not agree—Gambetta and the Prefects in the south?” “Well, in that case we have the forts which give us the control of the city,” replied the Chief. “The King also could not understand that, and inquired what was to happen if the people at Bordeaux did not ratify the arrangement. ‘Well,’ I replied, ‘then we remain in the forts and keep the Parisians shut up, and perhaps in that case we may refuse to prolong the armistice on the 19th of February. In the meantime they have delivered up their arms, and they must pay the contribution. Those who have given a material pledge under a treaty are all the worse off if they cannot fulfil its conditions.’”
Favre had, it seems, confessed to the Chief that he had proceeded “un peu témérairement” in the matter of the revictualling of Paris. He really did not know whether he would be able to provide in good time for the hundreds of thousands in the city. Somebody observed: “In case of necessity Stosch could supply them with live stock and flour.” The Chief: “Yes, so long as he can do so without injury to ourselves.” Bismarck-Bohlen was of opinion that we need not give them anything; let them see for themselves where they could get supplies, &c. The Chief: “Well, then, you would let them starve?” Bohlen: “Certainly.” The Chief: “But then how are we to get our contribution?”
Later on the Minister said: “Business of State, negotiations with the enemy, do not irritate me. Their objections to my ideas and demands, even when they are unreasonable, leave me quite cool. But the petty grumbling and meddling of the military authorities in political questions, and their ignorance of what is possible and not possible in such matters! One of them comes and wants this, another one that, and when you have got rid of the first two, a third one turns up—an aide-de-camp or aide-de-camp general—who says: ‘But, your Excellency, surely that is impossible,’ or ‘We must have this too in addition, else we shall be in danger of our lives.’ And yesterday they went so far as to insist that a condition (i.e., for the surrender of the flags), which was not mentioned in the negotiations, should be introduced into a document that was already signed. I said to them, however: ‘We have committed many a crime in this war—but falsification of deeds! No, gentlemen, really that cannot be done.’”
Bernstorff, it was mentioned, reports that he had informed the Conference that from this time forward he represented the German Empire and Emperor; and that the other members received this announcement with approval. Thereupon the Chief remarked: “Bernstorff is after all a man who has had business experience. How can he do such things? His wife—what’s her name? Augusta—no, Anna—will have a fine opinion of herself now. Imperial Ambassadress! I cannot lay much store by such titles. A prosperous and powerful King is better than a weak Emperor, and a rich Baron better than a poor Count.” “Such an Emperor as that of Brazil or Mexico!” “With a salary of 800,000 florins,” interjected Holstein. The Chief: “Well, that would be enough to get on with. They require no firing and no winter clothes.”