The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1915-12-24
Once Instructor Of The Emperor
Refers to His Boyhood
From Tuesdays Daily.


Thirty-six years ago, a moody,
nervous and somewhat irritable youth,
who was extremely sensitive because
OF physical infirmity, sat in a room in
palace at Coblenzstrasse, on the
Rhine. A young American, a student
at Bonn university, who had beef
selected to be his tutor I'm English,
was shown in and introduced. For
months thereafter the two were as
ISOLATED.
The frail looking youth Is today the
German emperor, whose armies are
fighting on every side of his empire.
The tutor, now Dr. Ezra Porter Chit
tenden, professor in St Mary's college
for girls, Knoxville, ILL.,, is in Mime
apolis, says The Minneapolis Journal.
lie is here temporarily to fill the place
OF Rev. Gilbert NJ. Foxwell, rector of
Gethsemane Episcopal church, who Is
Ill. Thirty years ago DR.. Chittenden,
as young deacon, was stationed at
Gethsemane under Rev. Arson X.
Graves, who afterward became bishop
of Nebraska. Later he taught at Fari-
bault.
Watches War With interest.
No man in Minneapolis today il
watching the European war develop
ments with deeper personal interest
than Is DIR. Chittenden. To him each
move OF military o. diplomatic nature
reflects the mind of a man whom he
calls the greatest intellect in the
world today.
Prince Won Arnim was the tutor TO
the young German prince when was
at Bonn," DR.. Chittenden said: 81
was a student at Bonn. This was in
1879.
ut was decided that the prince
should go to England. to visit his
grandmother, Queen Victoria, and See
Westminster abbey. By great good
fortune | was selected to act as as
sistant to Prince Won Arnim. The trip
was planned for the summer of 1880.
Meet at Palace.
when ! read OF the great war and
the central figure Of 1t all, my mind
goes back to that day in 1879 when |
met the prince. With much formality
was escorted to the Coblenzstrasse
palace, where ] first met Prince Won
Arnim and then Wilhelm.
When | first saw the future en-
peror OF Germany. he was about nine
teen years OF age. He seemed frail
physically. His complexion was dark,
his eyes keen, his features thin and
sharp. In the undercurront of the
palace gossip heard that 1t was felt,
with sorrow, by some of the older
conservatives OF the royal family that
an elder son who had died had not
lived.
hdmires Pupils Intellect.
Il bowed to the prince. His manner
was genial, but not cordial. He seemed
excessively sensitive. soon learned
/ that he was intellectual beyond any
thing that | had expected. He was q
reader. student. q thinker Also |
soon learned that the conception OF
pantheism that has manifested itself
so many times in his later ut,Craaces
, was in his mind.
His own idea was that there is a
world mind and that the Deity finds
expression through the acts of those
appointed. The theory of divine right
was there, Unborn. Everything that
the German emperor has said in later
life is consistent with the state CT
mind that he showed to me as youth
OF about nineteen"
Mind Atpnes for Defects.
His affl!cti3n, in the form of an
! imperfect right arm, was a sensitive
+ point with him. Also, he has an i'm
perfect right leg. But as nature has
, a nh i,,,n
| tons. his brain was wonderful No
sooner was he made acquainted with
the outlines OF a subject than he be-
gan his own research into IT, Had the
Emperor William been born in the
humblest circumstances i'm life, he
| would have made a great name for
himself. My thought is that he would
have been a great writer or scientist
Destined for Greatness.
"Dr. Kraft OF Bonn, who was a
theologian, summed up the prince
character in the word 'tuchtig,' which
has no exact equivalent I'm English.
Clever Is a fair definition OF It, but
| 1t falls short of what is really meant
II was amazing TO me TO note the
mental processes OF the prince. knew
from the first that If his physique did
not break dcwn he would enc day
astonish the world. ] met his father
and grandfather and grandmother and
used to study the prince for the mani
festation of qualities that | thought
were essentially English or German.
He seemed to me at times TO have the
mind Of a poet and dreamer. Again. in
matters coldly analytical, he would
manifest the mathematical mind.
Declares Knowledge Marvellous.
Il do not speak as one who Is pro-
German, although | have a great ad-
miration for German efficiency and
the German character But | believe
that the German emperor, whether he
succeeds or fails I'm the great contest
now going on, will live I'm history as
| the greatest intellect for centuries.
His knowledge is marvellous. He prob
ably knows much more of Minnesota
than many people living in this state.
There Is vast misoonception in
this country as to the relationship
between the emperor and his people.
II Is true that in Germany the cere-
mony that surrounds the people Of
rank is studiously observed, but this
is misleading. The German emperor.
paradoxical as II may seem, is the
greatest democrat in Europe. He Is
closer IN bic mamie aud knows pfpra