The sun., 1896-01-26
III

Prince William had Just completed his course
OF instruction In statec:aft under the immediate
care Of Bismarck, when his father. tho Crown
Prince Frederick. then in his ffty-sixth year.
was seized with mysterious illness (January.
1897. mysterious growth made Its appear
ance in his throat, and half dozen German
doctors came to the unanimous conclusion that
the patient was suffering from cancer. Mani
festy, no time was to be lost II tho ravages Of
the disease were to be stayed and the life Of tho
Grown Prince saved. An operation such as had
hitherto a. . rule. proved to be harmless and
successful In similar cases. was decided on: but
at the last moment an English specialist, DR..
Morell Mackenzie. was called In. and his
diet was that the Crown Prince was suffering
not from cancer. but from q more wart on ono
of his vocal cords. Thus 1t camo to pass that
the surgical operation which. II performed at
this stage. would in all probability have added
years to tho Princes life. was deferred. In tho
malignant nature Of tho malady Mackenzie re-
fused to believe until proof positive had been
placed before him by the microscopic analysis
Of tho famous anatomist, Prof. virchow. Ulti-
mately. even tho Mackenzie set of doctors all
acknowledged that tho disease was cancer.
There is every reason to believe that Prince
William shared the bitter feeling of resentment
toward the English medical attendant OF his
father which swept over Germany like q storm.
There was absolutely no ground, however, for
the imputation that the prince was at the head
or conspiracy to prevent his mortally stricken
father from succeeding to tho throne in tho
event Of Its becoming vacant bv the death of tho
old Emperor. Tho whole story Is pronounced by
Mr.. Lowe a baseloss fabrication. nor does he
deem 1t a whit moro credible becauseit was sub
sequently tricked out afresh in q malevolent
magazine article on tho bismarck Dynasty"
from tho pen of an anonymous but well-known
journalist to whom tho German Chancellor had
brusquely denied an interview. and who then,
with tho petty spitefulness peculiar to some Of
his tribe replied with torrent OF slander to tho
slamming of tho door upon him. There had
been unquestonably some discussion of the
question whether tho aflicted Crown Prince
should waive his right to ascend tho throne;
this question. however. had been raised by no ono
but tho Crown Prince himself. We have tho
authority of his biographer. Freytag. for say
ing that, long before he was finally stricken
down. tho Crown Prince In his gloomy mo-
ments, had repeatedly spoken of renouncing
the throne altogether in favor of his son. II
thus he spoke while as yet his body was whole,
how much moro must he have been inclined to
express himself in tho same sense when his
body had become unsound3 As q matter of
fact. he did then so express himself as 10 proved
by an official statement reproduced In the book
before us. There Is not an atom of proof that
Prince William himself was ever party to any
scheme for keeping his father from the throne;
though 1t is probable that he may have looked
upon his father as having been brought to tho
throne by b plot to deceive him TO his true
condition. and to place upon his head crown
which, in a certain contingency. he had dis
tinctly declared his determination to renounco.