Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1912-10-18
LEGACY OF FILIAL HATRED

Quarrel Between Kaiser and Son Re-
calls Many Ruptures in Royal Family
There came the other day out OF
Germany strange, discordant story
Of quarrel that exists between Will
liam the emperor and his son, the
crown prince Of the land.
William, If the story be true, has not
spoken to his son for months, and
when the other day city was feast
ing in honor of the birthday anniver-
sary Of the crown prince, the emperor
passed through and would not tarry or
by any word or act admit that the
birthday celebration Of the crown
prince was an occasion in which he
felt pride or joy or interest. The
story-if it be true, and it seems like
ly that it isis but the latest manifes-
tation Of the ancient curse Of the
Hohenzollerns, the curse that sets faith
er against son and son against father,
making them hate each other bitterly.
This family hatred is no new thing;
1t has happened in the royal house of
Prussia time after time. And this most
recent breach calls to mind an Incl
dent almost forgottens-the story of the
break between the Prussian king,
Frederick William-it was in the days
before the empire-and his son Fritz, II
who afterward ruled Prussia as Fred
erick the Great.
Between these two there had been
strife since the prince was child. Old
Frederick William was a vulgar, roar
ing boor, q household tyrant, whose
strange characteristics have made his
torians of a later day ask themselves
whether he may not have been a bit
unbalanced. But that is mere conjec-
ture and probably not true. His joys
were bear hunting and drinking; he
smoked a pipe continually, and his
temper was Of the vilest.
The family Of Frederick William did
little to soothe that temper. His queen
loved France and French things; cul-
ture and music and poetry and the
arts. And in sympathy with her were
her two eldest children, Fritz, the heir,
and Wilhelmina, his sister. AS the boy
Fritz grew toward manhood there
came to be between him and his father
an overwhelming breach. Although
the old king loved the boy (by fits),
the future Frederick the Great irritat-
ad b,o fotbar olr,oof haynpd apdur-
ance. Fritz loved all the things his
father hated-luxury, culture and the
arts. Fritz hated all the things his
father loved-tall soldiers. boar hunts
and drinking bouts. Germans were
Doors, the crown prince thought, and
he hated them, too.
Old Frederick William left his son in
no doubt as to his feelings: He ours
ed the boy, made fun of him, held him
up to ridicule, struck him in the face.
All this, not only before his mother and
sisters, but in the presence Of men,
bers Of the court, while army officers
looked on and laughed.
The princes temper was high. He
was only IS, but already he felt himself
man. The constant restraints his
father put upon his liberty, the con-
tinual insults were more than he could
bear. For a long time he held on,
more for his mother and his sisters
sake than for his own. Then. he evolv-
ed a plan which was to rescue him
from all his troubles 1t was a simple
plan; he would run away. Fritz was
an officer in his fathers army-a colo
mel. With two other young officers,
Lieutenant Keith and Lieutenant Kat
te, he planned the escape. They would
ride across the German border. What
they would do after that they did not
know exactly. Fritz was full Of vague,
half formed plans for joining, incogni-
to, the army of the French king and
going to the Italian wars. All that
could take care of itself; the main
thing was to get away from Germany.
Before the runaway could even be
prince never set foot to stirrup, much
less make his way. across the German
border. A watchful colonel had dis
covered the scheme, and, acting on his
fathers orders to take him "alive or
dead" put him under guard and
brought him to Wesel, where the king
was. Keith was warned in time and
fled; by hard riding he crossed the bor-
der into Holland, lay hidden in the
house Of the British ambassador at
The Hague. and one dark night set
sail In a small fishing boat, crossed