The Washington herald., 1911-06-09
KAISER MADE A HIT
WITH THE BRITONS


Kaiser Wilhelm knew perfectly well
how TO strike the right chord with the
British diplomats at his recent visit" Is
what one hears at every turn and in
every club In Pail Mall or in Mayfair.
He was 'ksmeradschaftlich" (goodfsl-
lowship), and in doing so ne followed the
example set by the greatest Of his an
cestors, Frederick the Great who ac-
quired the esteem of the British envoy
to his court, Sir Andrew Mitchell, to
such degree. that he followed the King
through the Seven Years war. At the
battle Of zorndorf. when the Kings life
was in danger, Frederick demonstrated
with Mitchell for remaining by his side
on the very spot which was being shelled
by the Russians. This is no place for
you. my dear Mitchell" said the King,
to which Mitchell replied: Sire, is It
place for you? have been accredited
by the King OF England to your person.
and wherever II may please your maj
esty to go that is my place"
II am so very glad you like him." said
Princess Christina of Schleswig- -Holstein
to Bishop Wilkinson. He never has
been really understood in England" She
is his aunt. And as for his sailor brother.
Prince Henry OF Prussia, the story goes
that once he put into Portsmouth and
called on the admiral commanding there.
On the latter's table he observed a pho
tograph OF his brother. the Kaiser. abr
he exclaimed, with much effusion,
there's fine fellow for you. You Eng
lish don't appreciate him; you mistrust
him. But take my word for It, he's one
OF the finest fellows in the world" So
also thought the late Admiral Lord
Frederic Kerr, whose son, Capt. Lord
Mark Kerr, when toasting the Emperor
on board his battle ship at Corfu. said:
MY father used to say about your
majesty that God had created a great
Emperor out Of a. man who would have
been great admiral"
Indeed. he would have been great. or
at least distinguished, In anything. When
Cecil Rhodes went to Berlin to talk with
the Kaiser about the Cape to Cairo tele-
graph and its passage through German
East Africa, he was immensely struck
by his majesty's business ability, and the
admiration was mutual "Mr. Rhodes"
said the Emperor at the close Of the
interview, "I wish you were q German"
why so. sir?" Because II you were
German would ask you to become my
foreign minister" In return for this
compliment, Mr.. Rhodes ventured to ex-
press the wish that the Emperor had
been an Englishman. why soT' BE
cause II you had been an Englishman,
should have suggested to your majesty
the desirability of your becoming my bust
ness manager!''
William II is not 4 Briton, but It Is
safe to say that there Is not another
German who Is so much Of an English
man as the Kaiser, and this Is the opin-
ion OF all who know him best. II have
the privilege" said Lord Malmesbury
once. 'of knowing the German Emperor
personally, and I can assure you that
there is no man who Is more proud of
his English descent. who loves England
more than the German Emperor" To this
add German testimony, the highest, on
the same point. It is that OF Prince Bu-
low, who. speaking In the Reichstag,
said: 'Tf we consider the Emperor's let
ter to Lord Tweedmouth, in which one
gentleman speaks to another, and the
fact that the Emperor prizes most highly
the honor of his rank as admiral of the
British feet, and that he Is a great ad-
mirer Of English education. OF the Britisr
navy, and the British people, then We
obtain a perfectly correct idea of the
tone, tendency, and contents OF the
letter"
The truth Is that the Emperor, II any,
thing, Is thought by his own people to be
much too English In his tastes and pre-
dilections, though he does not carry this
Anglomania Of his to the extent that
made his mother so unpopular with the |
Prussians. IT was from his mother that |
his majesty derived his English tastes. |
Apart from Frederick the Great, none Of |
the Hohenzollerns were distinguished by |
much brain power. but of william II |
It may be said that he Is richly endowed. |
It has been said that a man is generally |
more the son of his grandfather than his |
father, and this Is certainly true Of WILL |
lam H.
Hitherto, for some reason or other, the \
European public have always preferred |
to think of the Kaiser as the grandson of |
the old Emperor. but, in point of fact. his |
mental composition includes, perhaps, a |
greater share OF the prince consort, who
was one Of the most cultured, most versa |
tile, and most intellectual men of his |
time. His eldest daughter, too took more |
after him perhaps than any of the
Queens other children, and IL ever a man
was the son Of his mother # is william
II. FLANEUR
sNMN