Bismarck daily tribune., 1908-11-28
ROYAL RAGE.
A Story Of Emperor William ii. and
His Mother ff$%

A Story Of Emperor William II. 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 M. AIirbeau.
was more brutally sincere than Bis
marck was under the influence of
wine" Here is part of the story:
tTfe relations between William and
his mother, the Empress Frederick.
became at last so bitter that William
placed spies about her, even in the
bedroom of his invalid father.
Through one of these spies william
learned of the existence Of journal
which his father had kept for some
years. Frederick had a 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, I don't
remember which.
| Hardly had his father drawn his
last breath when William over the
dead body performed his first official
act.
1T was to demand Of his widowed
mother the journal, which he termed a
memorial
aThe empress sfeigned 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 mer
Bismarck, arriving at Potsdam two
hours after this, found the palace sur
rounded by squadrons of armed cav
airy.
The emperor, whom he found still
exalted. told the old chancellor how he
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
| mep
i . Il Es =
'The pupil had gone much too far.
Bismarck saw at once that the buff
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 VIII
liam's news with deferential silence
and later, when the emperor was
Ecalmer, show him that his course was
sure to meet with general disapproval.
There was a way, he thought, Of pro
ceediRg much more vigorously and at
the same time efficaciously. Why not
rather cut down the income, Of the
empress, suspend her appanages?
IknoW her majesty said the good
Bismarck. She has pride. Forced ar.
rest she can brave out, accepting 1t as
sort Of martyrdom, but the money,
sire, the money! Who can resist mon.
l. teyT p. .-r, s-s ..
4 Further, he laid tactful stress upon
the probable representations Of Eng.
land. is it really the moment, sireT
1.-THE kaiser, becoming appeased, lis.
tened to Bismarck's counsel. The ar.
rest Of the empress was removed. The
officers led their cavalry back to quar-.
" ters, and William turned his attention
to the details Of his fathers obse
quies. which he wished to be most
fastidious."