The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1892-04-21
a German View OF william II.

The leading article In the Contemporary
Reriem for April is an estimate OF the char
acter and mental condition OF WILLIAM H..
King OF Prussia and Emperor OF Germany.
We are not surprised to hear that the article
has given great offence to the young ruler
and has been prescribed in Prussia. Tho
author does not sign his name. but he Is
evidently German. and as clearly person
extremely well informed. The opinions
which he expresses are virtually identi-
cal with those arrived at by disinterested
American observers. and he does not hesi-
tate to describe the young Emperor as tho
victim OF that form OF cerebral disorder
known as folie dee 0randews or megalo-
mania.
1t is pointed out that the notion that
WILLIAM II. Is u man OF superior abil-
ity was due partly to the dismissal OF
BISMARCK. an act whose real Significance
time only could disclose According to
the success or failure OF the attempt to i'm
prove upon the veteran Chancellor. the oct
would be pronounced proof Of creditable
frmness or stupid wilfulness. Tho dis
position. however. to take the young Kaiser
ut his own valuation was due mainly
to the newspapers. and therefore In
calling the representatives OF journalism
20 Press Bengein" tpress youngsters). he
seems to have been both Ingrateful and
unwise The press has knack OF unmak-
ing its idols. and It is quite capable OF un-
making tho young Kaiser. 1t is certain
that even such patriotic and monarchical
papers as the KJtnische Zeit,tng and the
Munchner Alt6emeine Zeiuno have re-
fhntr {nr rt I,l
and that such a periodical as the Preussicte
Jdhrbucher allows Prof. DKLBRUcK to say
in the March number. apropos Of the En-
peror's wild utterance ~ tho Bran
dcnburg banquet: The speech itself
may be forgotten. but the traditional
sentiment that has been drowned
by it is lost forever" There is no
longer one serious and thoughtful man
in Germany who does not regard the men,
tai calibre and equipment OF WILLIAM II.
with mixture Of contempt and apprehen-
sion. In the judgment OF the writer in the
Contemporary his whole intellectual stock
in trade consists mainly OF the gift OF
grasping quickly the merely superficial as
poets OF many things. For instance. he has
not read q book in years. yet there Is in
him q specious. plausible afYectation OF &C.
simultaneously with literature. The CLAM
our OF his Ghallow many-sidedness dazzed
the Berlin reporters and foreign corre-
spondents OF the typo OF the enthusiastic
American. who. after being the Emperor's
guest Mt tho manDuvres. wrote homo that
another FREDERICK tho Great had come.
Such a comparison would now excite q
laugh In Germany. Nothing. however. can
shake tho Emperor's own faith in his om-
niscience and omnipotence. His vanity is
impenctrable. and the naivetG OF his pose"
on all occasions is superb.
According to tho writer in the Conlcmpo-
rary. tho most ominous joint product of tho !
Emperor's vanity and superfciality is the |
-" GrGsscnwuhn" tmegalomania). which lie |
seems to DO developing at an alarming rate.
1t seems that this specific form OF cerebral |
arrangement. the diseased estimate OF the |
relative proportions OF things. Is so to
speak, u German disease. being US common
among badly balanced creatures in Ger
many as tho spleen is In England. 1t is |
this mogalomania on the part Of their ruler
which causes the deepest anxiety to Ger |
mans, because it is feared that IL will lead |
to some irreparable exhibition OF want OF |
tact. and thence to war. We arc told that |
intelligent onlookcrs argue in this way; |
vanity Is ut the bottom of all the young |
sovereign's outbursts; but finding that no |
is unable to gain by peaceful prodigIes the |
premature Immortality he thirsts for, his |
restless. nervous irritability will increase
and degenerate into reckessness: and then
his megalomanin may blind him TO the dau-
gers he and his unlucky country must Gu
counter on the warpath. This danger Is
augmented by the fact that there is a party
In Berlin eager for war with Russia. and
convinced that the sooner tho struRgle
comes the better