Nord stern. [volume] (La Crosse, Wis.) 1856-1921, 1914-10-30

4 Atn NNdiS+ 1 bAN6 hS(h FAohSAt aANF
contact With HIM IN many different
| ways and under many varying condi
tons, at Court and State functions.
st university ceremonies and celebra-
| tions, at his table. and by his fireside
| surrounded by his family. when in
| the midst of his officials, his men ot
science, n his personal friends, ana.
| more instructive than ali, alone iu
the imperial home in Berlin and at
Potsdam and in the castle and forest
at Wilhelmsh0he. With all this ex-
%perience, with all this opportunity
for observation at close range. | am
hardly able to recognize a single
characteristic usually attributed TO
him by the British and American
press of today.
In the first place. the Emperor Is
an impressive man physically. He is
lot a giant in stature. but a man 81
medium SIC. great strength aid Ell
curarce. and of agile and graceful
movement. He looks every inch a
leader of men. His fine gray-blue
eyes are peculiarly fascinating
saw hin once seated beside mis- uncle.
King Edward VII, and the contrast
was very striking, and greatly in his
favor.
In the second place the Emperor
IS an exceedingly intelligent ant
highly cultivated man. His nentai
processes are swift. but they go also
| very deep He is a searching in.
| auirer, and questions and listens more
| than he talks His fund of knowledgH
| is immense and sometimes astonish
ing. He manifests interest in every
| thing. even to the smallest detail,
| which can have any bearing upol,
| human improvement. ! remember a
| half-hour's conversation with him
once over a cupping- glass, which he
had gotten from an excavation in the
Roman ruin called the Saalburg. near
Homburg. He always appeared to me
most deeply concerned with the arts
of peace, have never hearG him
speak much of war. and then Away
with adherence, nor much OF military
matters. but improved agriculture. in
vention. and manufacture, and espe
! cially commerce and education in all
their ramiiCations were the chief
sCbjects of his thought and
ton. | have had the privilege Of
association with many highly in
telligent and profoundly learned mer,
but | haVt never acquired as much
knowledge, IN the same time. from
any man whom | have ever met, as
from the German Emperor. And yet,
with all this real superiority OF nina
and education. his Difference TO the
opinions of others IS remarkable
Arrogance is one al the qualities
most often attributed to him, but he
is the only ruler / eve saw in whom
there appeared Il be absolutely M
arrogance. He meets You as man
meets man and makes you feel that
you are required 10 yield to nothing
but the better reason.
A Man of Warm Affections.
In the third place, the Emperor
impressed me as a nan of heart. OF
warm affections and OF great consid-
GRAFTON for the feelings and well
being of others. He can not. at
least Ices not. conceal his reverence
tor, and devotion TO, the Empress, or
his love for his children, or his
attachment TO his friends. He always
speaks of Queen Victoria and of the
En- press Friedrich with the greatest
veneration, and, once when speaking
TO me of an old American friend who
had turned upon him. he said that il
was difficult for him TO give up an
old friend. right or wrong, and impos-
sible when he believed him to be- in
the right. His manifest respect and
affection for his old and tried officials,
such as Lucanus and gu Eulenburg
and Won Studt, and Beseler and
Althoff, give strong evidence of the
warmth and depth of his nature. His
consideration for Americans. espe-
cially, has always been remarkable.
1t was at his suggestion that tae
exchange of educators between the
universities of Germany and of the
United States was established, and
it has been his custom to be present
at the opening lecture of each new
incumbent of these positions at the
University of Berlin. and to greet
him and welcome him to his work.
He is also the first to extend to these
foreign educators hospitality and
social attention. To any one who
has experienced his hearty welcome
to his land and his home, the asser.
ton that he is arrogant and auto
cratic is so far away from truth as
To be ludicrous. Again | must say
that | have never met a ruler, IN
monarchy or republic. in whom gen.
uine democratic g~enialty vas a SO
predominant characteristic.
But the characteristic of the En-
peror which struck me most forcibly
is his profound sense of duty and his
readiness for se"lf-sacrifce for the
welfare of his country. This Is "A
general German trait. 1t is the most
admirable side OF German nature.
And the Emperor is, in this respect
especially. their Princeps. | remember
sitting beside him ~ day, when
one Of the ladies of his household
asked me if | were acquainted with
a certain wealthy Understandable
New York social leader. | replied.
by name only. She pressed me TO
know why not more nearly, why not
personally. And to this | replied that
| was not OF her class; that | could
not amuse her. and that ! did not
approve of the frivolous and demon
alizing example aud influence of one
SO faYorabIy circumstanced tor doing
good. The Emperor had heard the
conversation, and he promptly said:
You know in Germany we do not
rate and classify people by their
material possessions, but by the i'm
portance of the service they render
to country, culture, and civilization"
one OF his sons once old me hat
| from his earliest childhood his father
had instilled into his mind tae lesson
that devotion TO duty and readiness
for sacrifice were the cardinal virtues
! OF a German, especially Of a liohen-