The bee., 1906-04-19
LEsE MAJESTY IN GERMANY
Subjects of the Kaiser Have to Ex-
ercise Extreme Caution to
Avoid Trouble.

Accustomed to a frank discussion OF
politics and politicians when the OPP
portunity offers, an American looks
with pity on the unfortunate position
of the German, who must keep close
watch on his tongue when he discusses
state affairs. The crime of insulting
majesty, whether it be in the person OF
the emperor, sovereign of one of the
numerous states, or sovereign of TIE
state where the individual may be So
journing, is called in German by the
ponderous compound word OF "Majes'
tatsbeledigung," and makes the Offend
er liable to confinement in fortress
for time ranging from two months ID
1--we years.
The courts interpret il so broadly
that the very itnent to offend, says tho
Philadelphia Record, either in public
Or private furnishes ground for prose
cution. Curiously, failure to rise In re-
Spouse to toast to the emperor comes
under this provision, and the law may
deprive the guilty person of any public
office he may be holding. The truth oil
the allegation, as in any ordinary libel
suit, does not alter the situation; II
would only serve to increase the enor-
nifty OF the offence.
Scarcely a week passes without the
uotice in the press of four or five trials
Of this character, and yet no other sec
ton of the criminal code is so fire.
quently broken. Even with loyal Ger
mans a good joke on the emperor
seems the more enjoyable because for
hidden. The following seems hardly a
fearful insult to majesty, since nothing
more personal than the kaiser's pro.
pensity for travel is treated, and yet
1t is always told behind closed doors.
Two men in a wandering show. much
like a minstrel affair, after dialogue
in which the favorite notices of past
emperors were rehearsed, came to the
living, and then one asked for the IA
vorite maxim of William H.. "Gusta,"
came the reply, pack up your trunk"
1t cost the man who made the reply
three months in a fortress. In that
time he studied out means OF squar-
ing himself with those who enforced
the law, and when the performances
were resumed-to large audiences
drawn by his escapade-the first ques-
lions were repeated while the police
grimly waited for the climax. How
ever, with the mention of the presen.
kaisers name, the man only smiled
idiotically, scratched his head and
finally said that he thought he had
known the answer to the question
three months before, but somehow 10
the meantime he had misplaced 1t
The audience, apparently well versed
In what had been misplaced. appreciat-
ed the discontinue Of the police, who
were powerless to make a case.
Far more serious than the offences o:
those who merely repeat disrespectful
stories about the kaiser are the coz
slant evasions and violations OF the
law in the press and periodicals OF
Germany, which are embittered enough
to use every opportunity for a fling o.
him. Cartoons and remarks must be
clever enough to evade the watchfui
eye of the states attorney. On the
other hand, success along these lines
brings an enormous circulation, anG
certain periodicals owe their popular
ity to the confident and seldom disap
pointed belief of their readers tina,
every issue can be depended upon 10
come as near. as possible to insulting
the kaiser without directly doing 50.