The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1908-11-04

A Story Of Emperor William II. and
His Mother.

A Glory Of Emperor William n. and
His Mother.
In a character sketch of Emperor
William II. in the American Magazine
Octave Mirbeau tells an interesting
story Of the kaiser's relations with his
royal mother. The incident was re-
lated by Prince Bismarck one night
when he had been drinking too much.
And no one," remarks NJ. Mirbeau.
was more brutally sincere than Bis
marck was under the influence Of
wine" Here is part Of the story:
''The relations between William and
his mother. the EN-, ress Frederick,
became ut last 80 bitter that william
placed spies about her. even in the
bedroom Of his invalid father.
Through one Of these spies VILLA N
learned of the existence Of a journal
which his father had kept for some
years. Frederick had q taste for writ
ing. and the fact that there was cold
ness between him and his son led Will
liam to fear that this secret journal
might contain some criticism of his
conduct.
THE empress, however, was clever
enough to conceal the diary before her
husbands death. Eluding the surveil-
lance of her son, she sent the papers to
her mother, Queen Victoria, or to her
brother, then Prince Of Wales, don't
remember which.
Hardly had his father drawn his
last breath when William over the
dead body performed his first ofacial
act.
at was to demand Of his widowed
mother the Journal, which he termed .
memorial
"Ths empress feigned ignorance.
William insisted. He spoke as master.
giving his mother the order to obey.
She persisted In declaring that she
knew nothing OF the papers.
"Well,' he commanded. purple with
wrath, you will remain under close
arrest until you have obeyed mep
Bismarck. arriving at Potsdam two
hours after this. found the palace sur
rounded by squadrons Of armed cav
airy. .-...
The emperor, whom he found stu
exalted, told the old chancellor how be
had met the disobedience Of his moth.
er.
".And she need not expect pity or
consideration until she has obeyed me,
he declared. You understand that,
Mr.. Chancellor? Until she has obeyed
mev
The pupil had gone much too far.
Bismarck saw at once that the buf.
foonery continued might mar the
whole Of Williams reign. Later In
life, he said. he used to wonder how
he kept from laughing in his sover-
eign's face.
What he did was to receive Will.
liam's news with deferential silence
and later, when the emperor was
calmer, show him that his course was
sure to meet with general disapproval
There was way, he thought, of pro-
ceedlng much more vigorously and al
the same time efncaciously. Why moi
rather cut down the income Of the
empress, suspend her appanages?
81 know her majesty said the good
Bismarck. She has pride. Forced ar.
rest she can brave out, accepting II as
sort of martyrdom, but the money,
sire. the money! Who can resist mon.
eyT
Further. he laid tactful stress upon
the probable representations of Eng
land. Is 1t really the moment, sireT
The kaiser, becoming appeased, lis
tened to B.smarck's counsel. The ar.
rest Of the empress was removed. Ths
officers led their cavalry back to quar-
tiers, and William turned his attention
to the details Of his fathers obse
quies. which he wished to be most
fastidious.''