The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1896-11-15
THE KAISER'S FRIENDS.
AN ESTIMATE oFTHE MINUTES OF
VILLA H. or BERMANT,

the German Emperor appears as an autocrat.
directing the affairs Of the empire on his own
responsibility, free from tho influence o! others.
His personal relations with his official subordl-
nates and his court associates are so little
known. yet necessarily of so much interest to
outsiders, that an account of them by n compe-
tent observer will be welcomed. Such m nc
count is found In the Copenhagen Tlskner, and
n follows here:
AWAY with the Latin form =" spoke Emperor
William II. on Dec. q. 1890. to tho German
pedagoEucs. But, Notwithstanding his enthu-
siasm for the German language, the German
Emperor chooses Latin quotations. with evident
prediction. Care, ddsum ~ was already In
his youth his w~atchword. At q somew hat later
period he chose the more classical motto OF the
same sort: "Oderfnt, dMm metudnt." AS Em-
peror, William II. has frequently stirred con-
temporRneous society through additional Latin
quotations. "Sic roo, sic jubcO!" stands in his
weli-known vertical hand whiting under his
portrait. presented TO his Minister. Won Gas2ler,
following the at the time much discussed school
conference. In tho Golden Book " ia Munich,
the same characteristic chiroGraphy shows the
sentences: "Supremu lcr regis ro,untds." On
the picture which he sent the old Minister of
Justice, DR.. Friedberg, on the latter's soth
birthday, the monarch wrote: Memo me fm-
pune ~idcessit.' p gloria ct partial" begins
~ VI Nv hhiISEoI q ulOht lutSEohtluK lllDh
speeches. There breathes forth from the above
quotations 4 spirit of similarity. But the impe-
rial collection of citations is as yet minus the
one classical truism that above all others could
express oharaoteristicaily the real sentiment OF
the third Emperor over all the Germans; VA
humdni a me dlienum pu,e." ~ am frequently
misunderstood" remarked William III. recently
20 an old gentleman who endeavored to conS ert
him In favor Of parliamentism. and tia, not
withdrawing | don't will my thoughts at ALL"
Mayhap the German ruler should have said
instead: because | don't will my thoughts at
All He has been Emperor but siT years: Rut
there is ut hand material, rich and orerw helm
ing, such as the world never before has had ut
disposal regarding a historical persOnage; not
excluding that even concerning Napoleon.
Tho material which the Emperor himself and
II so rich that one is tempted TO say that 1t
verses on superabundancy. That SO many CON
SiSiauai,ty Of William ii. is in itsei: not so Very
remarkable; On the contrary, that has been the
cal personsEes. Historians, ct this Is1 late date
even. disagree about men like Hannibal and
.imss tribe too aasii 5ar aiSsnHrt.1 miiiiar slg Sisior A.
has recently declared that Alexander
III. was an incapable tactician. and that the
70 tile most rudimental teachings in strategy.
During tho last generation the weNtnercock Of
great Coraicah. The fault lies not so much
historians as with mankind. To Moltke
IL u Ilt htTlIO Oh having klltu u NY III on I
corning premeditated, deeply studied out plans
Of campaign. For The, General. says he. who
ton would tie himself down and give his oppo. |
free hands for action. This Mo!tkes;an
phrase has 'apsnt his to sn som ol hing;
1T one and the same time. n leader OF state Is n
human being who at different times. a tditierent
times OF the day. even, looks Mt matters through
eyer-changing optics.
The dihicultieb which his hero usually causes
the historian. through this common quality Of
being human, the chronirler Of events gets over
by the not intreQuent lack OF authentic
ana events around which the main Interest cir
.culates,. and by the aid OF which no then often
eITs OF II. aud sSs Wt9nE fhe sr fsISn a Of f0% W RGsi,1 pi il.
shows but one mo%entoSs happening but Bis,
details At the disposition OF historians. that 1t
becomes a hopeless task. almost. in this ocean of
multiplicity. to extract one version containing !
But it may be argued that the time is not ripe
for q history of William II. And that is true.
historians the truth OF Giesebrecht's saying that
Il IL never denied the conscientious thinker to
Of political economy and writers Of contempt
raneous history ask again and again the qlcs-
\ n, What can the world expect of William
rst men of The present day. ana for many rea-
,ons the man with whom the age concerns itself
The question which tho Germans have repeat
edly asked themselves of late Is whether the
ence Of irresponsible" persons. In OTHER
words. whether the official German Govern
institution is not virtually in the hands Of out
siders. This question arose almost Immediately
n noo n, BisnsrsG,; fali from e ,,s Grs So;;o L. was rs.
with their recurring Cabinet changes. Az a mat
ter of fact 1t Is q que-tio that concerns not only
Germany. hut the whole world. That was made
notably plain recently through the tilt between
Gen. Hahnke. the head of the Emperor's mill
OF War. Bronsart Won SchellendorT, and Chan
eellor Hohenlohe on the other. The contention
was anent the reform OF the military code OF
Prince Bismarck. during the early reign of
lor. but his personal friend. As log as the Ger
man Iron Chancellor WAS in power none would
s shroMn. the Ss p@si his fsil t al m aS spq hsye be !, o ,bsi
the catastrophe bad been unavoidable. That "a
personality like bismarck did not toppls over
morning in March, 1900, when Emperor Wiz
mandlng to know what had been discussed be-
tween him and .Windthorst during the night.
was denied a satisfac,9ry, answer by Bismarck.
was but the drop needed to hll the cup to over
flowing; Blu, lust as much as Bismarck 70 the
true Is It that Emperor Williams determine
ton to dismiss the founder OF the German En-
Pee Count M BIZ Bi sraSsn ''f hsd been Prince willtam,.
POLITICAL teacher and %fatherly friend. When
the Chaneeil9r IN February. 1888. made hi.
Prince made conspicuous In "a pronounced man
nsr his admiratinn and spErobation of Bis
NV uhu mn ItFEaEuleaN III u
strongly marked anti -marcki ian feeling pre-
yailing at the court In Charlottenburg at tho
time. tho heir to the German throne. on tho
Chancsllor's I'D birthday, propo.ed n toast in
honor of Bismarck. whom he addressed as the
actual standard bearer of the empire" Not
until William II. had assembled the throne did
the contrast between the ill then absolute
Chancellor and the young Emperor. who
wanted to act a. his own Chance Tor. come TO
the fore. But as late ms Dec. 30. 1889. when OBJ
,sryinE GoSr,ieFS ipretoia The gstnerinE TEN:
heartfelt congratulations in terms thai pre-
saged anything but u Twentieth Of March.
Mark the closing wolds Of this message: 81 am
fully aware what n large share in the obtained
results are due tn your energetic devotion. and |
pray God that lie, IL nv heavy and responsible
mission as ruler, for many years to come will
preserve me- your faithful and tried counsel.
During Bismarck's contest with the court the
immediate surround ngs of William II. felt AN.
prehensIve that the Chancellor. in order TO
maintain his POSITION, woula appeal to The peo-
pie and set IN motion a far'reach nG movement
against the new En- peror in case the latter
should act rs his own Chancellor. The En-.
peror. however. hardly shared this fear. When
bismarck failed to send In his resignation vii.
liam IL sent for it,, But there is no dount that
only after many battles with himself did the
young Emperor resolve 10 remove The man