The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-01-10
Study OF the Kaiser Written Quarter
of a Century Ago Proves Prophetic

II may indeed happen that one day
Europe will awake to the roar OF clash
ing armies only because in the soul OF
this great dilcttante the burning desire
to know war" no enjoy war was
stronger than reason, counsel or pity for
his subjects. Not long ago, indeed, he
gave this promise to his faithful retain
ers OF Brandenburg: Il viii lead YOU"
he said ITO splendid and glorious des-
tinies!" What destinies Battles, OF
course, in which the German Eagles
shall triumph.
William IL. has not the slightest doubt
MS to the issue for besides several minor
sovereigns he has for his ally the SUI
preme Sovereign Of Heaven and Earth
fighting among the German landwehr,
ns in the days of old when Minerva,
bearing her spear fought with the
Black Phalanx against barbarians.
The certainty of a divine alliance!
Truly nothing can give a man more
strength than such n faith, which al
most renders him divine. on the other
hand, to what risks 1t exposes him!
Nothing can make the fall OF a man
more disastrous than the proof, borne
out by the crude contradiction OF facts,
! that such n certainty was but the CHI
mera of n mad infatuation. Then II
realized the Biblical fall from the
| "heights of heaven" There was once q
people that proclaimed themselves the
elect OF God but It was proved that God
had not elected them. nor preferred
them before others. seeing that He dis
painfully forsook them; they were over
thrown with Incompatible fury, dis
persed through the world. lapidated,
| penned up In ghettos. their houses and
tonbs branded as is branded a counter
felt coin.
William II. runs the awful danger Of
being cast down the gemonla. He
boldly takes upon himself responsible
ties which in all nations are divided
among various bodies Of the State-he
alone judges. he alone executes, because
to him alone It is mot TO his Ministers.
70 his Council or 10 his Parliament) that
God. the God OF the HohenZollerns, i'm
parts His transcendental inspiration. He
must therefore he infallible and invinci-
bic. At the first disaster-whether It be
inflicted by his burghers or by his peo-
pie in the streets OF Berlin, or by allied
armies on tho plains OF Europe-Ger-
many VIII AT once COnCluue tnht MS
much Wanted alliance with God was
the trick OF willy despot.
Then will there not be stones enough
from Lorraine 10 Pomerania to stone
this counterfeit Moses William III. 10
In very truth casting against fate those
terrible Iron dice" 10 which the me-
forgotten Bismarck once alluded. II he
win he may have within and without the
frontiers affairs such az were raised 70
Augustus; should he lose. exile the ira
ditional exile in England, awaits hin--a
degraded exile, the exile with which he
SO stcrnlv threatens those who deny his
infallhilNy.
NJ Renan is therefore quite right:
there is nothing more attractive at this
period OF the century than to witness
the final developments OF William ii. In
the course of years tmny God naHo
them slow and lengthyD this youth,
ardent. pleasing, fertile in imagination,
OF sincere perhaps heroic, soul, msy DO
sitting in calm majesty IN his Berlin
schloss presiding over the destinies or
Europe---or he may be in the Hotel
Metropole In LONDON sadly unpscHlns
from his exile's handbag the battered
double crown of Prussia and German