The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-01-25
n, q. CiNIIFFE.OWE>.
MpEROR WILLIAM will as usual
\ receive many cabled messages OF
CONTAMINATION and good Wi9hcS

ON lnt tFtbSlbn or MS 11tN-nlIn bUt0'
day This IL not surprising. For ne
foreign soycreign--assuredly no ruler oi
Germany---has ever excited the amount
OF interest in America that the Kaiser
has enjoyed throughout his reign.
The interest has been of the most un.
Tagging character and maintained from
the time OF his accession. twenty six
years ago. until the present day. not
alone because he has shown himself tc
be the most versatile. up to date and
active of all the rulers of the old World
since the days of the first Napoleon hut
likewise because the people here have
all along been made to feel that their in
terest in him was reciproca ted, that he
attached an immense amount of i'm
portance to the good will of the United
states. which he has gone out of his way
to seek by many characteristic and
unique methods. II Is always flattering
TO the pride Of nation when the mon
arch OF one Of the greatest and most
powerful empires on the face of the
globe courts It's friendship and cultivates
its good Will. and that Is why Emperor
William, in spite OF the criticisms which
have sometimes been passed here upon
his policy. will always retain a warm
corner IN the hearts and in the sympa-
thies OF the American people.
Much Of the interest which he cxcites
on this side of the Atlantic IL attribute
BILE to the extraordinary manner in which
despite a strain OF medl2valism in his
character. he nevertheless manages to
keep abreast OF the times. not alone in
military and naval affairs, but in science,
art, industry. fnance--indeed In every
form of activity OF our twentieth cen
fury life. This. taken In conjunction
with the wonderful completely of his
nature, renders him difficult to por-
tray. With one or two exceptions those
who have attempted the task have
failed. mainly because they lacked that
most essential. Indispensable equipment
namely. an intimate and long standing
personal acquaintance with the subject
OF their biography. They should at leas,
have some first hand knowledge and I'M
derstanding of their victim, and IL Is
because their deficiencies I'm this par
ticular are so apparent that their screeds
no matter whether fulsome In their
praise or scurrilous In their abuse,
carry no conviction
Considerations such as these may
readers of THE Sun for ob,ruding
briefly my personal relations with En-
peror William in the hope that they
may endow with some weight and
authority the few notes which follow
concerning HIM
Thanks 10 the fact that ever since the
Hohenzollerns became kings of Prussia
In 1900 my mothers family has held
office at the court uf Berlin | have
known Emperor William from the time.
when he was I, we Were playmltes to-
Cether. In those DAYS he was in charge
OF lady OF his mothers household. the
Baroness Won Domenek. and | still re-
call how he was averse to any game but
mat Of soldering. in which OF course he
insisted On the role Of commanding
officer, while !, although some three
years older. had To content myself with
that OF a mere private. Sometimes the
latter became wearied and insubordinate.
The spirit of the English boy reSellcd
against the idea OF having always to
give way 10 "A younger lad just because
he happened to be a Prince. and battles
ensued which usually terminated in
William being disciplined for his lack
of courtesy and consideration to his
friend" while | was conveyed of to
punishment by my mother, who. with her
family traditions OF fealty to the House
of Prussia and with the influences Of
her Potsdam girlhood, seemed TO regard
and alas deal with-my boyish differ
ences and fights with the future Kaiser
as rank high treason.
William never bore any grudge after
these encounters Indeed he was then,
as he remains to-day, of a singularly
generous and forgiving disposition.
quick To anger. but also equally quick
to forget and to make all possible
amends. If he thought that he had been
In the wrong. | have known William.
therefore. as a boy OF :, as lad Of II,
especially in Vienna, where he spent six
weeks, living with his parents. at the
suburban palace of l.axenburg in 1873
as a youth of 20 at Paris. when through
out his ten days or fortnight's stay
there was in constant attendance upon
him. again as Captain of the first
company of the crack First Regiment
OF Guards. three years later when !
went to Berlin, To attend a memorable
entertainment al the palace of his
mother, Empress Frederick, In honor OF
her birthday; while since he has been on
the throne and I have been living in
America ne mas SHOWN III many ETd
Cious and touching ways that he has
not forgotten the friend and companion
Of his boyhood.
So much romance has been woven
during the last quarter of century
by novelists, short story writers and
equally imaginative newspaper CORE
spondents around alleged visits of the
Kaiser To the French capital that many
have become sCeptical and now believe
him to he "A stranger to Paris. Yet he
has been there twice, once as hoy of
;. when he accompanied his parents
the then Crown Prince and Crown Irin-
cess of Prussia, and the second time
In June, 1875. Tie has never been there
since. This IL the firm conviction which
he leaves ON the mind Of everybody
with whom he has talked about Paris
always fayorito subject of conVersa-
ton with him and Is confirmed by the
nr.mhcrs ~ his family and of his en-
yourag., who are in position 10 know,
MI stories 10 the contrary, no matter
how plausible. being inventions,
True. in 1878 the <aieer had not Yet
succeeded To the CT OWN. He was not
even Crown Prince, md was known In
Germany by the title nf Prince William,
He was in his twentieth year, and his