Bennington semi-weekly banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 1894-1902, 1894-11-20
ONE ON THE KAISER.
THE GERMAN EMPEROR REBUKED
FOR PETTY THlEVERY.

the Young Ruler.
The German emperor reprimanded for
petty thieveryl Impossible, you say, but
I saw it done and in his own capital too.
1t was in 1898, at the memorial banquet
held in honor of the late red prince"
Frederick Charles of Prussia, the con-
queror of Metz, at tho kaiserhof in Berlin.
Many of the heroes of 1901 were there
-generals now retired or on the eve of re-
firing; Blumenthal, the tactician who di-
rected the impetuosity of Unser Fritz into
channels that led to success; Won Pape,
commander of the guards, and princes of
the houses of SAKE and of Hohenzollern.
Among the comparatively new" men
so styled because the young emperor
raised them to their high office-Count
Waldersee was the most conspicuous. This
general, who by his marriage to the en-
press aunt, tho Princess of Noer, nee Miss
Lee of New York. entered into some sort
of relationship with his sovereign, is the
only man on earth privileged to treat his
imperious majesty in familiar fashion. II
is said that the emperor sometimes be-
slows on the count the epithet of uncle, s"
coupled with the hearty thou, &" that term
of endearment which the royal Hohenzol-
lerns have made their own since the days
of Queen Louise.
On this occasion the official programme
was over, and the gentlemen slipped their
coffee while conversing quietly. The en-
peror had invited Chancellor Won Caprivi
to his side for a private confab The two
seemed to be engrossed in their subject
and Waldersee, sitting opposite, felt lonely
and perhaps little bit jealous too. Sud
denly the count was seen to unfasten a
golden pencil from his watch chain, mark
one Of the menu cards and hand it to the
servant behind his chair with directions
The man bowed and a minute later pre-
scented the card on silver salver to his
majesty.
The emperor has habit Of decorating
his menu cards with all sorts of drawings,
and on taking the pasteboard from the
servant probably assumed that one Of his
friends, as he styles those admitted to his
circle, was submitting a new idea or motto
suitable to the occasion. After reading the
marked passage, however, he at first looked
surprised, then Redeemed. He thrust his
hand into the side pocket Of his hussar
jacket and appeared annoyed.
Count Waldersee had expected this.
Your majesty was caught in the act, I"
he cried. "This means fine or imprison-
ment as sure as there are judges in Ber-
lin"
But the kaiser apparently did not relish
the joke. His face wrapped in unusual
severity, he turned to the servant, saying:
81 beg Major Won Moltke-at once"
The adjutant reported, bowling low,
when William caught him around the
neck and whispered to him. Moltke then
went over to Waldersee, and, standing up
right, military fashion, reported as fol-
lows: THE kaiser presents his compli-
ments to his excellency his uncle, submit
ting that the general, in spite Of his lofty
notions, might be tempted to appropriate
some dessert, il he had seven boys at home,
or one for that matter. But, not being q
father, his majesty says, Count Walderseo
utterly fails to understand the situation. I"
The message Il have given it literally
preserving it's quaint official style) was de-
livered with telling effect, while the dis
tinguished audience, that had noticed the
incident sat breathless. Then William
broke the spell by reassuming his jovial
attitude.
IF my distinguished relative" he said,
with bonhomie, ''had voice like Eulen-
burg, would order him to sing from
'Giro1e- Girofla:'
'In mir seht ihr den Water
Was moeglich war, dass that err
The passage on the menu card read as
follows:
"Guests are requested not to take des-
sert from the table. Hotel Keepers regu-
lations, section IA"
OF course it had no business on tho bill
Of fare of great banquet, and an imperial
one at that. The hotel man said after
ward, apologetically that it was the stu
pid printers fault but there it stood out
in bold long primer, threatening the dire
things Waldersee had announced as tho
penalty fitting the crime of crowding one's
pockets with sweetmeats at the caterers
expense And" he continued, Ibis mai
esty is an old offender in that respect"
The mightiest monarch of the age re-
Numbering the little sweet tooth, " seven
of them, in their brass cribs at home Just
after delivering world stirring eulogy to
the memory of a victorious ancestor, who
assisted, sword in hand, in the reshaping
of Europe by three bloody wars!
HE is not normal" the critically in
clined Berliners say. That is a standing
phrase and rebuke with them. 1 have
often tried to get at the exact meaning, in
German, of the term, and after consider
ing the many sided opinions volunteered
must perforce conclude that normal"
and commonplace" are synonymous with
the people of the kaiserstadt, who, in spite
of their Wanted progressiveness, have an
almost bigoted way of "shying" at things
surprising their individual possibilities.
The kaiser is always ahead Of popular
thought. He is rapid thinker, and hav-
ing settled a matter in his mind he acts
with surprising promptness.
Another thing about this emperor that
startles and almost frightens the placid
German mind is his pronounced individ-
uality-some call 1t his laundering for no.
toriety-in all matters of public or private
concern. He has introduced novelty after
novelty in the administration of state af-
fairs and has labeled almost every one Of
them with the autocratic motto, "Suprema
lex regis voluntas' 1.-THE kings will is
the highest lava definition Of his Office
that is at once offensive and untenable
under the constitutional regime of Prussia
and Germany.
heard Count Waldersee's opinion ON
this subject.
1.-THE kaiser" said the strategist and
| diplomat, lis too proud and too conscien-
tious ever to overstep the limits Of his
| power but at the same time he considers