Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1902-02-01

Navigator" as loyal Germans love to
style him, who will soon visit the Unit
ed States as the personal representa-
tive of Emperor William at the launch
ing of the kaiser's new yacht, has been
from his youth the most popular of
HOhenZollern princes. He is the sec
Ond son of the late Emperor Freder
lex, the only brother of the present
kaiser, and was born OH Aug. IA, 1862.
Henry is the. sailor prince of the i'm
perial family, and, like most sailor
princes, he has always held high
place in the affections of his people.
- There are loyal Germans today who
regard Henry as the most talented
member of the HohenZollern family.
With his father, whom Germany idol
lied as "Unser Fritz" Henry was al
ways a favorite son, and during the
long, painful illness of the emperor
Prince Henry was untiring in his filial
devotion. He personally is unlike his
brother, the emperor, in many ways.
In appearance he is not quite so tall,
but he has the strong, we'll knit figure
of young man in perfect health, says
the New York Herald.
Members of the American reception
committee whose German may not be
so fluent as they could wish will find
that the sailor prince can meet them
on even terms with as polished Eng
lish as their own. His English moth
er is largely responsible for that. But
lie is a linguist of no mean attain
ments, and in cruising about the earth
he has picked up the vocabularies Of
many strange tongues in addition to
those that usually form a part of the
educational equipment of q well in
structed European prince.
Prince Henry is a born seaman. He
IS never more happy than when on the
quarter deck OF his flagship. But he
is also Il keen student of men and af-
fairs and has loved to indulge in such
inland journeys in strange and distant
countries as his sailor duties would
permit. Less than forty years old, he
is an admiral of the German navy, and
sailor folk say that he has fairly won
his naval rank wholly apart from his
princeIy origin.
In questions Of state his views are
consulted, and they are usually consid-
cred sound even by his somewhat i'm
petuous imperial brother. Prince Hen
~ plays the violin fairly well and is
the composer of the really fine "Preus-
senmarsch," which is deserYedly pop
ular throughout Germany.
In May, 1858, Henry took to Berlin
us his wife PriHcess-frcfIeT-
daughter of the Grand Duke Louis of
Iesse and of his consort, the Princess
Alice of England. She is four years
younger than her husband. Both are
grandchildren of Victoria
Prince Bismarck had opposed the
match on the ground that the high con-
tracing persons were first cousins.
Prince Henry declared that unless he
could wed Irene he would remain Il
bachelor for life, and the threat had
the effect of bringing his elders to
terms speedily.
In the spring of 1884 he was in Lon
don, where his royal grandmother,
Queen Victoria, always gave him a
warm welcome, and the sailor prince
was always popular among nation Of
sailors. But neither of these facts pre-
vented Z dastardly attempt upon his
life While he stood in one of the up
per rooms of the PaddingtOn railroad
sta ton u dynamite bomb was exploded |
III q cloakroom of the Victoria station !
and wrecked that building. Dynamite |
was also found similarly placed in the |
Paddington station directly beneath |
the apartment in which the Prussian |
prince stood. The plot failed, but Hen |
rvs escape from death or serious in |
jury was considered marvellous.
Prince Henry became an internation- |
al figure when in the winter of 1897 !
Emperor William announced that his /
brother, now an admiral, would be sent |
in command OF Il squadron to look /
more carefully after the interests of |
Germany in Chinese waters. Arriving |
at Kiaochou in the spring of 1898, |
Prince Henry went thence to Picking, |
where a brilliant official reception /
awaited him, and the Chinese govern |
ment made every possible effort to APP
pease the dreaded wrath of Germany's |
''war lord" Henry enjoyed the rare 1
distinction of being theN only foreign |
prince ever honored with n personal /
audience by the emperor and the en-
press dowager of China.
Prince Henry has often been a con-
spicuous figure at the launching of /
German and other vessels. In 1899, /
before he left China, he attended as a
guest the launching Of trading YES
sci \ plank fell from the rafters of
Il shed under which the royal German
guest was standing, INJECTING upon the |
princes scalp an ugly flesh wound.