The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1898-07-09
EMPEROR WILLIAM.
Poultney Bigelow sketches the S'on-
arch's Character.

arch's Character
Poultney Bigeiow writes for the july
Century an article on "Ten years Oh
Kaiser Wilhelm" Mr.. Bigelow says:
1t is one great source of the EN-
peror's power that he knows person
ally not merely all his brother soVe-
reigns. but every man OF ofhciai I'M
portance in his own country. Ihere
not n proyince in Germany with which
he is not familiar and his memory Ior
names and faces Is so great that TOT
him TO see a man once Is TO know MN
for the rest OF his life. In tms
knowledge OF his country ne sur
passes any of his predecessors on the
pr,ssian throne. and of all his con-
temporary sovereigns 1t Is safe 10
saw that Queen Victoria knows less OF
Great Britain than her grandson KNOWS
of his country, and in the case OF Aus
tria and Russia 1t is equally true.
This is not such trifiing matter as IL
might appear. 49,
Tn spite of much evidence TO the
contrary the emperor Is not tyrant'
nor has he manifested desire 10
WELD power for the mere purpose OF
making other people uncomfortaDie.
He takes a positive delight IN nearing
good things said or done by others. he
does not fail to read what Is saiu
against him.
when the late William Walter Phelps
was the American representative In
Berlin. Mark Twain" happened 10 pe
| in town. Mr.. Phelps having INFORMED
me that he had taken no steps 10 let
| the emperor know of this, j, of course,
| pointed out to our minister-what
knew TO be the case-that the German
| Emperor knew by heart the works OF
| our great humorist, and would % most
| happy of an opportunity TO talk WIN
/
| i'm thinking that II was not his business
| to do anything in the matter. seeing
/ that MIR. Clemens was not present III
| any official capacity. Next day was
| leaving for America, but that evening
| had an opportunity of telling tne
| emperor that Mark Twain was In
town. The moment he heard this ne
clasped his hands at the good news.
| and called out to his wife, who was at
| the other side of the rooms: "Auguste,
| Auguste here is good news! what 90
| you think? Mark Twain is In town.
and then he eagerly inquired ABOUT
him. But when he learned that MIR.
phelps had not seen fit TO arrange a
| meeting at once, he frowned In a sig
nificant manner. OF course, Mark
Twain was Immediately invited to
meet the emperor at luncheon ana
| both enjoyed the meeting.
| II would be. think, within the mark
| TO say that I'm the last ten years the
| emperor has conversed at length Win
| every eminent American or Englishman
| who has passed through Berlin.
| have never heard OF such meeting
| but that the visitor has been strongly
| Impressed by his imperial host 8
specialized knowledge. In the midst or
| the rush of festivities at kiel in 1879,
| the emperor found time TO dine on
board the flagship New York OF the
American squadron. Her captain tolo
me afterward that tneir imperiaz nus.
STAYED until 2 o'clock In the morning,
and during his stay extracted from
: | them every manner of information.
He closed his visit by testing the
| capacity Of the crew for manning snip
and putting out fires at the shortest
possible notice. wnen Manan .,oe puo.
OF Sea Power" the emperor at once
, | read it, and sent him cordial tele-
! gram acknowledging the Indebtedness
e | of himself and his officers for the les.
? sons taught therein. ! have no doup'
r that the strenuous enorts now Ue'ne
| made to strengthen the German navy
. | have received great encouragement
!, from the study of this American work
Personal government can be easily
abused. but il il distinctly advantage
Gus for a state so dependent upon II!
: military prestige as Germany. ror
l. | century. at least, the foreign relation
of Russia and Germany have been mod
e if,ed. even controlled, by the occasiona
J, | personal conference OF the two sover
!, eigns Immediately Interested. With TN
Russian Car the emperor can spear
? | distinctly and without fear or nj
words being nullifed by congresses
| parliaments He has achieved alon
q | bv n few words with the czar importan
: concessions in China which Will lead I
y | other concessions more important still
D. IL he could arrange his relations wit
g England through his grandmothe
\, alonc. 4 have no doubt he would ono
e more regard himself as bound up wit
II English interests. As II is. he Is boun
TO be misunderstood; Tor persons
government in England disappeare
along with the head of Charles 1. Tw
"A wears ago I published my history Q
}: ssThc German struggle for Liberty.
n which was regarded by German con
seryatiye papers as an impious attac
upon monarchy I'm general and the EN-
rcror's ancestors I'm particular, IL wa
8 nothing OF the kind. but merely Tn
,e Abatement of certain well establishe
st facts from an American point of view
NV friends predicted that the empere
,vo,id drop the book into his waste
manor basket with q curse upon n
IN | author Instead Of thia. he read l
according To his own statement. iroI
M beginning to end. pointed out fault
- from his point of View and obN louSl
Thought NO worse OF me Tor ,,,s my 'ask -
y "Whu. Mans Africa I'm which ! ha
~ Ia sneak OF his relations to the Tram
xaal in "A manner fai from compl
& ,,.pt,,rV Atain he sent word fo "
az ,bai he had read the book with int
=. est and pleasure. These two ltt
III episnces dispose cf the rerpetuaily r
p.atcd siandcr that he can cndu
4 .l.. md rfllI IF "A