The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1904-03-05
GERMAN CROWN PRINCE.
Interesting Sketch of the EmperOr's
Heir.

| GermanyS crown Prince has been
| brought prominently into public notice
/ through the recent illness of his
| father, the Kaiser for when it became
known that William II had been oper-
| ated on for growth in the throat,
| which might be canceTous, all the
world began specializing seriously
| about the character of his successor.
| The Kaiser has now recovered, but it
| is nevertheless known that his health
is poor and that he has small chance
| of reaching a ripe old age. There are
many who are convinced that, in spite
| of official assurances to the contrary,
| the Kaiser already carries within him
| the seeds of the terrible disease that
killed his grandfather, father and
mother, and that a not very distant
future will reveal this to the world
The result is that the Crown Prince
is being watched with an interest
which nobody felt in him so long as
his versatile father seemed young and
| healthy. The Kaiser has invariably
taken care that his eldest son, like all
the other men of the Hohenzollern
family, should remain in the back
ground. The Kaiser is an imperious
man, extremely jealous of rivals for
public interest in his own country, and
the princes of all the branches of the
house of Hohenzollern have been made
to feel this keenly. Consequently,
when public chroniclers begin to sum
up the knowledge of the German
Crown Prince at their disposal, they
find that this youthful royal highness
Is, to use sporting term, a very dark
horse indeed. Considering his impor-
lance to the German empire and to
the world in general, 1t is surprising
how little has been aScertained and
published about the character, tastes,
pursuits and passions of Crown Prince
Frederic William, and disappointing
that such details as have leaked out
concerning his sayings and doings
| throw a somewhat unfavorable light
| on his august person.
1t is not well for residents in Ger
many to write quite frankly about
personal qualities of the royal family,
and thus it is that the Crown Prince
| has had credit for more than he de-
| served, as can be judged from the fol-
lowing facts obtained from responsible
sources and fully verified. The ten
denotes of the Crown Prince are a
subject of uneasiness in high official
circles in Berlin and have been for
nearly two years-but only vague
hints have been permitted to creep in
to the papers.
Disappointed Father.
In personal appearance the German
| Crown Prince is very tall-he stands
ONSI rect III his SlOChlDBS-anu OF
| slender build, though extremely musu-
clar. From his earliest boyhood he
| showed more aptitude for outdoor
| sports than for studious pursuits, and
| 1t is an open secret that the Kaiser is
bitterly disappointed with his first
borns intellectual development The
| expression of the Crown Princes face
is now heavy, and if he were not a
monarch's son, he would be regarded
| as a rather dull fellow. AS things are,
| his relatives are forced to admit that
| the most careful and systematic educa-
| tional training imaginable, conducted
| by expert instructors in their respect
| i've branches. has failed to supply the
4 Crown Prince with mental equip
| ment equal to that of the average
| young man in Germany. The Kaiser
feels this so keenly that he is known
| to wish that his second son, Prince
| Eltel Fritz, who is exceptionally bright
| and brainy, could succeed him on the
| throne instead of his eldest son, or that
| the Crown Prince could borrow his
| younger brothers mental qualities.
On the other hand, the Crown Prince
| eXcels in all sorts of manly pastimes
| in which strength and athletic train
| ing are of more account than brain
| power. He can box, wrestle, jump and
run uncommonly we'll: he is an ex-
| pert shot with both rifle and revolver,
a fine swordsman and a perfect rider.
| His favorite pastimes are riding and
shooting, and all his time is devoted
| to the pursuit of these two pleasures,
When he is not riding, he is shooting,
and when he is not shooting he is rid
ing.
Breach Between Father and Son.
Combined with his physical prowess
athletic skill and sporting propensities,
the Crown Prince possesses a certain
| w hn cha n,.t, ST. i
many of the Hohenzollern men, as
well as stubbornness which causes
him to insist on having his own way
with unsurpassed obstinacy In these
circumstances, it is not surprising that
the Kaiser and the Crown Prince have
often come into sharp collision with
one another and that their personal
relations are often extremely cool. The
Crown Prince inhabits his own little
residence at Potsdam, and father and
son do not see more of one another
than is absolutely necessary.
The breach between the Kaiser and
the Crown Prince was widened by an
act of folly committed by the Crown
Prince on the day on which the opera
ton on the Kaiser's throat took place.
A short time previously the Kaiser
had strictly forbidden his eldest son to
ride in any steeplechase races. pointing
out that he had no right to risk his
fore the operation on the Kaiser took
place, no one had the slightest knowl-
edge of what was going TO happen ex-
cept the Empress, the Crown Prince
and the doctors. on such an occasion
when a surgical error could have easily
cost the Emperor his life, and. failing
this. when the result OF the operation
was half expected TO reveal the pres
ence OF cancer in the kaiser's throat
the son might have been expected to
remain In close attendance on his
father. eager at any rate to hear the
doctors verdict, II not 10 encourage the
patient. The German Crown Prince
acted otherwise. Scarcely half an hour
before the operation WAS performed.
he had his horse saddled and rose across
10 a place twenty miles distant. where
a club OF cavalry officers were holding
steeDlechagc races.
Twice Imprisoned.
Disregarding his fathers wishes and
commands. the Crown Prince rode in
several races, winning several prizes