The Washington herald., 1914-05-03
KAISER STUDIES
GREEK At CORFU
German Emperor's "Vaca-
ton" Marked by All Kinds
of Hard Work.
DISLIKES "MODERN" ART
Leaves Rare and Ancient Character
of His Historic Villa
Unchanged.
DISLIKES MODERN" ART

LspariaI Cable to The Washington Herald.
Berlin, May 2-The Kaiser has made
the most of his holiday at Corfu. Only
last year he bitterly complained to q
visiting monarch that he had not had
a break from work for q year. This was
so. for his many journeys up and down
the empire are considered as much a part
OF his task and duty as the supervision
OF his army or the initiation OF Ger
many's foreign policy.
Last year the Balkan troubles prevent
ed him from visiting Corfu. But little
while ago the imperial standard was once
more unfurled above his stately residence
Achilleion. The Kaiser has contented
himself with a few hours work each
morning. taking long walks. entertaining
his sister and Erother-in-law, the King
and Queen Of the Hellenes, learning
Greek, and following the excavations of
his friend, Prof Doerpfeld.
Has Beautiful vnIa.
The villa, three stories OF dazzling white
marble, with collonades, terraces, veran-
das, and pergolas, stands well up the
hillside near Gasturio, a small village
on the coast six miles south OF Corfu, the
capital of the island. Copies OF some of
the best-known pieces Of Greek sculp-
ture, with busts of the ancient poets and
philosophers, join with rare palms and
subtropical shrubs in decorating the
spaces between its doric columns. Out
side on the lawns the Emperor has placed
a few examples Of modern German sculp-
ture in the classic style (the Emperor Is
no lover of the so-called modern school
Of arD. but the rare alterations he has
ordered have not affected the real char
acter Of the place. which remains as Il
was designed by Austrias beautiful en-
press.
The Kaiser's apartments are on the
ground floor, with the Kaiserin's imme-
diately above Most important of all is
the study. 1t is a pattern of modern
Spartan simplicity. A few small book
cases and fables. holding the mere ne
cessities, are all that one may notice
apart from the desk and the remarkable
saddle-seat which the Kaiser prefers to
all chairs and stools.
Works Hard and Often.
A side door leads out to the so-called
"Centaur" terrace, where in fine weather
his majesty may often be found hard at
work with a couple of his secretaries in
the morning. few fine rugs are thrown
over the tesselated pavement and a cou-
pie of tables and three chairs are brought
out. and Immediately work begins.
private staircase at one end Of the
villa leads up to the apartments OF the
Empress, a stately suite. with all the
furniture and decorations in purest en-
pire style, worked out in white and gold
The SHOW piece" of this floor. however
is the Empress Elizabeth's bathroom.
which recalls the antique magnihcence
of Pompeii. The whole Is in plain and
sculptured Carrara marble, lighted from
abo'.' ~ rose-colored fairy lamps hid
den behind the cornice
The chapel is also a feature Of the
villa. The Kaiser. in respect for the
memory Of the Empress Elizabeth, has
departed from his otherwise strict applI-
cation OF Lutheran doctrine by seeing to
L that the small oil lamp in front of the
tine painting of the Madonna-La Ma
donna Stella del Mare-is still perpetu-
ally maintained alight
For the greater part the Emperor,s
daily life is exceedingly simple. In the
course Of his long walks he frequently
engaged in conversation with the ma
lives, and, as he has taken I'D modern |
Greek comparatively late in life, he is |
not ashamed Of showing peculiar salts
faction when his sentences are fully un-
ierstood