The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1910-09-27
KAISER'S EXPENSES
A RE NORM o US

ARE ENORM o u S
The news that Emperor William has
decided to part with another of his cas-
es-Hubertusburg-to make the two
ends meet" is but another proof Of the
Hohenzollern thrift. OF which so much
has been said and written lately. Even
a kaiser needs money now and then, and
William especially has his hands full, 50
TO say. He is pompous by nature and
likes TO make a show in keeping with
the dignity of the Berlin court. which he
intends shall reflect imperial grandeur
without an imperial income. For, be il
understood as German Emperor, William
has absolutely no income. What he has
comes partly from his Prussian civil list.
all told a little less than a million In
American dollars, and hts income from
what is called the crown domains CKron-
Gueter), the latter in reality forming
his private fortune.
But his expenditures are something ire
mendous. He must Keep up so many es-
Establishments for himself, whether he re-
sides IN his castles or not, and he has 10
furnish the household expenses for his
sons and daughters, for the Prussian diet
only grants the crown prince an annuity.
Like everything else in Prussia, even the
king is supposed to be frugal and not to
waste the peoples money.
The Kaiser must make the two ends
meet To aid him in this he has a COM
mercial mind keen on money making and
he is ably assisted by that practical man
OF affairs. Prince Egon Won FuersteE-
berg, his boyhood chum. Through him
the Emperor very recently has become
Identified with a number OF CONNER
ciai enterprises. Estates, ground rents,
steamer lines, tramways. colonial prod
uce. &c, are some OF the sy1ldicates in
which. upon the advice OF his friend, the
Kaiser has made his investments. He
even is interested in mammoth modern
hotel in America. holding most Of the
shares IN IT, And the beer consumed in
many OF Berlin's finest cafes IS brewed
by Prince Fuerstenberg and every but
tie that leaves the brewery bears the in
scription, This beer is drunk by his
majesty the Kaiser" a good advertise
ment. but untrue, as William no longer
drinks alcoholic beverages, though far
from being a bgoted teetotaler.
All this thrift talk recalls A true
incident in the life Of one Of the Kaiser's
predecessors. I mean King Friedrich
Wilhelm ". elder brother 10 the first
Emperor William, who was this Kaiser's
grandfather and who, by the grace OF
Moltke and Bismarck. put the imperial
crown upon his head at Versailles after
the defeat OF France IN 1S7l. This Is the
story:
The wife Of that King. Queen Char
lotte, one day went shopping. In Prus-
sia even queens go shopping into the
large bazaars, just like their less con-
SPURIOUS sisters. She drove to Herman
Gersons. then the foremost dry goods
dealer in the city Having finished MAX
Ing her selections, the manager invited
Queen Charlotte to inspect a shawl that
had been received from the Orient that
very dsy and 'the Ike of which never
before had been seen at Berlin"
The Queen asked the price. II was
only $3.50, or. rather. $50 Prussian tha-
lers- CThere were no reIchsmarks in those
ante-French-bellum days.
The Queen shook her head. The sum
seemed TO her enormous. and altogether
out Of reach OF her private "chatulle."
But she had a felicitous thought. Visibly
she frightened. and, addressing the mer-
chant, she said.
VIII you oblige me by letting this Of
fer stand until tomorrow, 20 give me a
chance 10 talk 10 the King?" To her
companion she added in a whisper: Per
haps his majesty vii present me with
this shawl on my approaching birth
day.
Her request was granted. Queens re-
quests always are That evening. when
Frederick asked her II she had been
pleased with her shopping expedition,
and IF she had had money enough 10
pay for ALL her chance came. Char
lotte told him OF that glorious Persian
shawl AT Gerson's.
Frederick William " was not much Of
a diplomat. but he loved his pretty wife
He saw that her heart was set upon
possessing that rarity. The talk ended,
as all such talks have ended. and. no
doubt, viii end as Ions as there win be
like 10 please their wives.
The King told his wife TO have that mar
velous wrap charged 10 his account.
Charlotte was glad. Would she not
possess something that all the great la
dies OF the ultra feudal ancient Prussian
would envy? Why. pleasing
thought, indeed. likely as not, even her
cousin, Queen Victoria OF England,
might not number such a shawl among
her WARDROBE What furore she would
create at the next visit 10 London
II was late the following day when
finally permitted the
Queen 10 go 20 Gerson's again. Tele-
phones had rot yet been invented, and Il
had not entered the mind OF the Queen
that there was need 70 hurry.
But hasten to her royal carriage she
did. nevertheless, and from the carriage
into the store
II came for that shawl" she greeted
the manager, who received the royal pat
ron with low obeisance.
The man was embarrassed. He hest
tated a moment, but knowing that he
was 'in for il" he faced the Queen bold
~. saying:
Il held the shawl. as had promised
your majesty; but when the forenoon
passed without any command from the
court, and also the best part OF the aft
ernoon. I was forced 10 the conclusion
that your majesty would not purchase the
shawl Just as I was putting Il away,
who should happen in but Mrs NJ. She
asked me to let her see it. l could not
refuse what I believed merely was
within Of a very good custor,a,. Trha mo