, 1898-02-26
KAISER WILHELN AND THE GERMAN
"PUNCH"

Herr Johannes Trojnn. the editor of Klad.
derGddfsch. the Berlin Punch, was bought
up to day before tile Ninth Penal Chamber
ON the Charge of insulting the Kings Ma.
Jesty by publishing in lis paper, on Nov.
20 last, u c ,ricu'ure and inscription which
described III The Daily Ieie Jroph at the
tine.
Despite the evidence If tho artist called 10
give evidence as q specialist. and of the elo-
quent words Of tie defendants counsel. DR..
Won Gordon, the Court found Her Trojan
guilty and sentenced him to two months I'M
prlsonment in Il fortress, intimating that but
for the extenuating circumstances mentioned
ny the Public Prosecute, the punishment
would have been more severe. The judge
sad: Increased prOteC ion must be afford.
ed the person Of the Sovereign against de.
famations. The inviolabiIity Of tile head
of the State must shield him AGAINST all AZ.
tacks intended to diminish the rpspeok and
consideration due to him. in itself o cri.
tiolsm OF the Kaisat's words is permiasi-
Die, but III the case before ny we have a form
Of sltire and persihage which is inadmissible
Il is only this form that seems punishable.
Tho picture is a oarioature circulated with
intent to induce the readers t. laugh at the
koiser's words, and to say. If the Kaiser'a
view be correct ridiculous consequences would
follow" "Ihis is clearly IN insult
Herr Trojan, in his defence, submitted
that ne had not intend vi any insult by pub.
ltshlng the picture. 1t was u satirioal picture
directed, not against the Kaisor's words.
bat against those ortho Iox zealo's DESTROYS
of giving IL meaning to tho Imperial words
which lis Majesty hims If did not ascribe to
them. a criticism IF tn KAiser's words was
certainly intended. but tins criticism had
not exceeded the bounds of the permissible.
ComPare' with Whit had appeared in many
other plperS, his was tho mere milk Of a
pions WY Of thinking. lie submitted he
lad worked for thirty six years for Kladder-
ddGtsch. and that this paper WIS about to
celebrate the fftieth anniversary of its ex-
lstence. and had never before had to answer
so severe a charge. Frederick William ~.
Was 80 toni OF the paper that people used to
think he was q contributor to it. OverzeaI
IN prosecutions for high treason was now the
order OF the day. His Majesty liked to
speak direct to the people. and lie must
therefore be prepared to listen to an answer
from the people.
DR.. Won Gordon pleaded that the Kaiser's
words had, through their p~ointedness and
aoerblty, spread O. sentiment Of restlessness
amongst the people. From an Obie tive
point Of view there was no insult in the oriti-
Oistn; from a subjective standpoint the de-
tendant had not the remotsst idea of an insult.
By acquitting the defendant nobody would
be injured, least If all The Kaiser. 1t was
not desirable, That the free spirit of llumour
should be gagged, and that the person OF
the Monarch should be Withdrawn from
public discussion and lett only to private
conversatlon. lie moved for the a~couittal OF
his client.
The offence for Which Herr Trojan EaG
just been consigned to II fortress was the
publication of a cartoon, tho motive of which.
1t was declared, was to deride md SCOT at
Kaiser Wilhelm. 1t was nm allusion to some
words addressed by his Majesty at the foot
Of Frederick the Greats statue, Inter den
Lindan, on the occasion of the swearing in
Of the recruits of The regiments OF the Guards
quartered in Berlin. The devil was repro.
scented in hideous form, and in his tradition.
al suit Of sables, contemplating u knot in
his can1al oppendage, whilst at another
corner of the picture Alexander the Greot.
Napoleon l., and Leonidos were psrusinR and
smiling over " report of the Kaiser's speech
ont of a German Newspaper; and the Great
Frederik occupied the centre rIaca surmo,n