St. Paul daily globe., 1889-08-02
GERMANY's DULL COURT.
Aristocratic Society--Berlin With
Some New Gossip About tho

Aristocratic SOciety-Berlin With
Some New Gossip About tho
Kaiser.
Berlin Letter to the Philadelphia Telegraph.
fear me that our newly appointed
minister to Berlin will not find his new
post as delightful as are some others of
the diplomatic positions in Europe. The
German court, for long years past, has
been noted for its extreme dullness
from social point of view. This was
natural while it was presided over
by an octogenarian emperor and
his aged spouse, the former being
moreover altogether soldier and car
ing for nothing but the army. There
was promise of better things when the
Emperor Frederick came to the throne.
He, as we'll as his accomplished wife,
took great interest in literature and
art, and under their auspices the Ger
man throne would have been sur
rounded with all that Germany could
William III. will only continue the ira
ditiOns of his grandfather, leaving his
wife to look after his children and to
knit stockings.
The strange, barbaric sovereign, half
savage and half martinez, is immensely
popular In his native Prussia. As Queen
Anne chose as her motto the words,
Entirely English" so does he set forth
by his manners and his actions that ne
is altogether German. Yet he has not
the grandiose physique appropriate to
the palt that he desires to play. He is
short of stature, being decidedly below
the middle height, in strong contrast to
those magnificent specimens of Stalwart
mo m l,nn foth thar
father. He does everything in his
power to conceal this peculiarity. He
wears boots with immensely thick soles
and high heels, and also a lofty he'll
met SurmOunted by an eagle. which
adds at least two feet to his stature. He
manages very adroitly to conceal the
pOWerleSSneSS of his paralyZed hand
and arm. When in uniform he always
keeps it resting on the pommel of his
sword, and when he is at the table he
lifts it with quick movement and
places it beside his plate. He serves
himself at meals with great dexterity,
making use of an apparatus invented
for him by German sayant, and COM
posed of a gold knife and fork joined
together in such way that they can be
great detestatiOn of the French
nation. and of all things per.
tanning to France, does not pre-
vent him from being an admirable
French scholar. In fact, when he re-
Gently paid visit to Italy, he was COM
PEELED to use that language altogether
while cOnverSing with King Humbert,
as his royal host did not know one
word of German, and the imperial
guest was equally ignorant of Italian.
This fact created a good deal of amuse-
ment among the foreign diplomats, who
were we'll acquainted with the young
emperor's virulent FrancophObic ten
dencies. He is master of the art Of
mise-en-Scene SO far as his own move
ments are concerned. He delights in
rounded by the standard-bearers of the
infantry with their waving flags, and
followed by those of the cavalry with
their flags also displayed.
1t is hoped by the lovers of music in
Berlin that he will do something to re-
vive the vanished glories of the Imper-
ial opera house. These have long since
fallen into decaderce, and the chorus,
orchestra and troupe, once famed as
one of the finest in all Germany, are
now decidedly one of the worst. This
is chiefly owing to the influence of the
old Emperor William, who in the last
years of his life, though he always kept
up his habit of going to the opera, cared
for nothing but the ballet, especially if
the dancers were pretty and finely
formed. But SO far bis grandson has
evinced no intention of interesting him.
self in anything so unmilitary as operas
or singers. He is a great admirer of
Wagner music, L am told, and wrote
very polite letter to the deceased CON-
poser's widow on the anniversary of his
death, but he has limited to that action
all his demonstrations of musical tastes
or sympathies.