The Washington times., 1906-02-27
KAISER WILHELM
SILVER WEDDING
Charitable Institutions Get
Benefit of Event.
R00SEVELT'S GREETING S
The President Sends Congratulatory
Telegram, Also Present Suitable
for the Occasion.

BERLIN, Feb. e7.-The twenty-ffth
anniversary Of the wedding of Kaiser
Wilhelm and the Kaiserin is being cell
ebrated today with great rejoicing in
all parts of Germany.
These Tetoicings are not taking the
form of public demonstrations OF
sumptuOus banquets, but are every
where connected with the numerous
acts of charity by which Germans are
making the event historic.
The form for the silver wedding eel
ebrations was chosen by TIE Kaiser
and Empress. who made a public re-
quest that all money which otherwise
would have been devoted to presents TO
themselves or TO useless ornamental
celebrations of the occasion, should be
expended for the foundation or sup
port or worthy charitable institutions.
Unprecedented Charities.
The result is that the Kaiser's silver
wedding will be the cause of charitable
efforts the like Of which have never
Yet been seen within the boundaries Of
the German empire The municipality
OF Berlin has decided to found a new
home for orphans and a score of other
German cities are following the ex-
ample of the capital The charitable
institutions founded today IN commem-
ration Of the silver wedding are classi-
fed as follows:
Twenty-Five homes for orphans, twenty
two general hospitals. eighteen hos
pitfalls for special diseases. fifteen rural
colonies where children can enjoy free
holidays, ten almshouses for the desti-
tute members of the various classes of
the community. and six other charitable
institutions of various kinds Each one
or these nfnet}-siN charitable insJitu-
tions mas been named in such n way as
10 indicate Its connection with the silver
wedding celebration. In addition TO
these new foundations large sums OF
money have been granted to existing
charitable institutions.
Millions Expended.
II is estimated that the total amount
expended in Germany for charitable
purposes in connection with the silver
wedding celebration exceeds Sz5001. oso
In all cases where IL was practiCable the
foundation stones Of the new charita bic
institutions were laid this morning
Roosevelt Sends Congratulations.
The Kaiser and Empress are spending
the day at their city residence in the
city Of Berlin Early this morning con-
gTatulatOry kilograms began pouring in
from all parts Of the world one of
the earliest was from President Roose-
welt, and one OF the first things the
Kaiser did this morning was to dictate
a reply To the President. thanking him
for his good wishes. Telegraphic mess
ages of congraUulation arrived from all
the crowned heads of the world in j
few hours
After an early breakfast the Kaiser
and Kaiserin drove BY motor car TO the
Grunewald forest on the western out
skirts of Berlin, where they took their
usual morning walk. On returning to
the palace the Kaiser and his wife re
ceiVed the congratulations of the dip
lOmatiC corps. the highest officers Of
the army and navy. and the most eX-
aIted state digrttaTies. Ambassador
Tower attended the palace in his of
ficial capacity and congratulated the
the United States.
Although the Kaiser refused 10 accept
gifts from his subjects, he received sill
Yer wedding gifts from more than 100
royal persOnages belonging TO all the
royal families of the world one of the
silver wedding gifts was from President
Roosevelt. King Edward gave his royal
nephew a walking stick Of solid silver.
with the names, William and Augusta
Victoria together with the date of the
marriage engraved upon il The En-
perOr OF Russia sent silver models of the
battleships of the Germany navy. Sui
tan Abdul Hamid of Turkey sent
bust of himself modelled In silver. The
Mikado. the Emperor Of China, and the
Shah of Persia sent presents Of enOT-
nous value,