The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1904-09-08
G ERMANY'S CROWN PRINCE.
Whose Engagement TO Duchess
Cecilia Has Been Announced.

1857. Inc DucheSS was born sept ~,
1855.
Duchess Cecilia is the youngest
daughter of the late Grand Duke. She
is said to be very German hooking"
and much more like her father than
her elder sister, Duchess Anastasia,
who resembles her mother.
Crown Prince Frederick William is
the eldest son of the Kaiser and has
received a thorough military education
under his fathers direction with a view
to the responsibilities of empire.
Until the coming of age of the Crown
Prince in May, 1900, when ne was Is,
an event marked by special festivities
in Berlin and general celebration
throughout the Fatherland, compare
lively little had been seen of him IN
public, but all that is known tells of a
strong and sturdy character He in
he~its positive characteristics from
both parents, having the sweet tenn
per and sympathetic manner of the
Empress, combined with the serious
ness of his father. From earliest child
hood the Emperor was in the habit of
making a companion of his eldest son,
and this led to the chid's brain devel-
oping early and to his being of a much
more thoughtful disposition than his
next brother, Prince Eitel Fritz.
AS the Crown Prince grew older he
became still more the companion of his
father, who spoke to him about the
weightiest questions and taught him
to think for himself. The consequence
of this training is that his Imperial
Highness has much more compre-
hensiVe knowledge of what his duties
are, and will be, than most princes
have at his age.
From his mother he received a care
full religious training, and his devotion
to her is one of the best traits in his
character. At the military academy
in Ploen the Crown Prince was happy
and made many friends. There are
many stories told of his love for
simple life and his anxiety to dispense
with state as much as possible He
thought nothing of carrying parcels
through the street, and on one occasion
went with a large packet to the wife
of one of the attendants, saying that
it was a present from mamma At
a musical party he had once forgotten
his music and before he could he pre-
vented he had himself gone to bring it.
His, simple kind-heartedness and pleas
ant manners have made him popular.
His greatest pleasure is i'm music, and
he is skilled performer. When at
home the Empress often arranges must
cal evenings, and also, what gives the
Crown Prince immense pleasure, small
dances. OF late years the Crown Prince
has shown an ardent interest in theat-
ricals and discrimination in his judg-
ment of new plays.
The Crown Prince is not fond of
talking English. and it is said that
when staying with the Empress Fred
erick he was always much put out by
the fact that his grandmother insisted
on her grandchildren always speaking
to her in her mother tongue. He is,
however an excellent linguist and
speaks French. English and Italian flu
emily.
Some time ago it was reported that
the Prince was in love with Miss Gladys
Deacon, a beautiful Boston girl.
Prince Williams military career be-
gan at the age of 10 years. In 1892 he
received the appointment as lieutenant
in the First regiment of Foot Guards,
the Grenadiers of olden times, where
his service started in the "Leibkom-
pagnie"-that crack company to which
princes of the royal blood have been
assigned for generations. The debut
was made at the grand parade in
spring, when the Chown Prince passed
in review with his regiment before the
Emperor. An interested spectator was
Princess Wilhelmina, now Queen of the
Netherlands, who at the time was
visiting the Berlin court with her moth
er, the Queen Regent. The young fell
low had a hard time of it, for the
First Foot Guard is composed of the
tallest men in the Kingdom of Prussia
and their strides are long, but the
Prince kept up with them bravely and
acquitted himself with credit, to the
admiration of the distinguished onlook-
erS.
His advancement in the military
service has now brought him the rank
of captain. At the same time he holds
honorary commissions in various Ger
man regiments, including Bavaria, Sax
ony and Wurtemberg, as well as in
Russian and Austrian regiments. He
is, furthermore, honorary colonel of an
Austrian regiment of hussars, a dis
tinction conferred on him while attend
ing the maneuVers in Hungary in COM
pany with his father.
Having passed through the Military
Academy, where he graduated one of
the first of his class, the Crown Prince
served a short time with his regiment
at Potsdaln and then entered the uni
versity at Bonn in the spring of 1901,
His naturalization was performed with
great ceremony in the "Aula," the
adorned with flowers and palms for
this extraordinary occasion.
The Emperor attended in person; with
HIM host of statesmen, courtiers and
high army officers, all the professors in
their official robes and delegations of
students shining in multi colored
sashes and rallish caps. The imposing
register was placed upon a table. un-
der a canopy of palms. Here the
Crown Prince inscribed his name and
solemnly affirmed his willingness to
abide by the laws of the university.
For the evening a "commoners, as
the festive gatherings are termed, had
been arranged by the students, and
there the Emperor introduced his son
ana heir to the large dssemblage In
pretty speech.
ut is my desire" he said, that my
son, whom l now place i'm your midst.
may enjoy as happy a time as was
vouchsafed TO me when | was a stu
dent And when the foaming goblet
passes around and a gleeful song
bursts forth, then your minds many
thoroughly enjoy the delightful mo-
ments, as will seem BETTING for Ger
man youths But the spring from
which you draw, may II be pure and
clear as the golden juice Of the grapes,
be It deep and noble as the Father
Rhine"
A new perspective opened to the
young Prince at Bonn, the beautiful
city on the Rhine, with it's interesting
historic environments, its magnificent
scenery and the gay student life What
a change from the close confinement
IN the precincts OF the school at
Ploen and the rigid discipline of mill
tary training. A commodious villa