The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-04-16

OF deep purpose and a strong will. THE
young Emperor had found himself at
the parting OF the ways and had deliberately
chosen the right path, and this In spite
OF almost universal outories at home and
abroad. The I'D Emperor William could
let Bismarck have hls way TO any extent.
When his Chancellor sulked he could
drive 70 the palace In the Wilhelmstrass'
pat his old servant on the back ohah him,
scold him, laugh at him and set him going
again and no one thought less Of the old
monarch on that account. But for the
Young Emperor william to do this would be
fatal. II would class him at once among
the Tois fdiHednts-the mere figure heads,
the solemnly constituted imposiors, ana
In this lay not merely dangers to the young
monarch, but TO his dynasty and to the
empire" Mr.. White adds: His recogni-
ton Of this fact was and il to me proof
that the favorable Judgments Of him which
had heard expressed in Berlin were we'll
founded
Il Is well known that dramatic art IA
one Of the fields in which the Emperor
william IL. takes an enlightened interest.
The author Of this autobiography believes
that he has profound reason for doing So
DOln hb a hlAbEHlllhll anu a. hleAhs 49,
White says that as a result Of observation
and reflection during long life, which has
touched public men and measures in wide
variety, / would desire for my country
three things above all others, TO supple
mont our existing American civilization:
from Great Britain her administration OF
criminal justice; from Germany her theatre;
and from any European country, save
Russia Spain and Turkey. its government
Of cities" AS TO the second Of these de-
sirable contributions, ten years in Germany
at various periods during an epoch covering
nearly half a century have convinced Mr..
White that @her theatre. next after her
religious inheritance, gives the best stimu-
lus and sustenanoe to the better aspirations
OF her. people. Through it., and above all
by Schiller, the Kantian ethics have been
brought into the thinking Of the average
man and woman; and not only Schiller.
but Leasing. Goethe Gutzkow and long
line Of others have given an atmosphere
in which ennobling ideals bloom for the
German youth during season after season
as II in the regular course OF nature. Inc
dramatic presentation, even in the smallest
towns, Is, as a rule, good the theatre and
It's surroundings are, In the main, free from
the abuses and miseries Of the stage in
English speaking lands, and above all
from that all pervading hubricity and
pornographic stencil which have made
the French theatre Of the last half OF the
nineteenth century a main cause in the
decadence Of the French people. In most
German towns Of importance, one finds the
drama a part of the daily life Of its citizens
ennobling in it's higher ranges, and in its
influence clean and wholesome. Our
author goes on to point out, what those
who have seen the Saxe-Meiningen Com
pany act are keenly alive TO, that in no
English speaking country is Shakespeare
presented 80 fully, 80 well and TO such large
and appreciative audiences as he is in Ger
many. IAN this, and more the Emperor
William II. knows, and he acts upon his
knowledge. Interesting was it at various
times 10 see him sitting with his oldest
children at the theatre, evidently awaken
ing their interest In dramatic masterpieces;
and among these OCCASIONS there como
hack to me especially the evenings when
he thus sat, evidently discussing with them
the thought and action in Shakespeare's
Julius Caesar and 'Coriolanus,' as pre-
sented on the stage before us. could
well imagine his comments on the venom
Of demagogdes, on the despotism OF mons,
on the weaknesses Of strong men and on
the need in great emergencies OF a central
purpose and firm control
II IL we'll known that the Emperor's view
Of the true character and mission OF the
theatre in modern civilization, has been
propounded at various times, and our author
thinks that one OF his talks with the actors
at the Royal Theatre shortly after his arrival
In Berlin in 1897 may be looked upon as
typical. In il occur passages like the
following: when came into the govern
ment ten years ago. ] was convinced that
the theatre, under the guidance OF the
monarch. should, like the school and the
university, have as it's mission the develop
ment Of the rising generation, the promo
ton OF the highest intellectual good In our
German fatherlAnd, and the ennobling OF
our people in mind and character. beg
OF YOU that you continue to stand by me
each In his own way and place, serving
the spirit OF idealism, and waging war
AGAINST materialism, and all un-0ermAn
coTuptions Of the stage
In one of the later years Of Mr.. Whites
stay in Berlin as Ambassador some re-
marks Of the Emperor indicated new
phase Of thought concerning the actual or
possible influence Of the stage: The
theatre said Kaiser William IL, should
not only be an important factor in edu-
cation and in the promotion Of morals,
but II should also present incarnations
OF elegance, Of beauty, Of the highest con-
ceptions Of art. II should not discourage
us, . he thought, with sad pictures Of the
past. with bitter avakenlngs from IL
lusions, but be purified, elevated, strength
ened, for presenting the ideal Our ordi-
nary Hfe,' he concluded, gives US every
day the most mournfu realities, and the
modern authors whose pleasure IL Is to
bring these before us upon the stage have
accepted an unhealthy mission and &C
complish discouraRing work
We could 60 on for weeks reproducing
significant facts and suggestive comments
from these richly freiRhted volumes But
we must stop somewhere, and we stop with
the tribute from man who has known
the sovereign for many years, to the sound
ness, wholesomeness and sanity Of the
German Emperor's mind. In the forty
fourth chapter Of this work Mr.. White