The Watertown weekly leader. [volume] (Watertown, Jefferson County, Wis.) 1912-1917, 1915-01-19
IN THE FATHERLAND
INTERESTING BITS OF NEWS
FROM THE GREAT GERMAN
EMPIRE.
WHAT'S DOING IN OLD HOME
Summary of the Most Important Hap
penings in the Land of the Kaiser
Timely Items for the German
Readers.

Readers.
Kaiser Wilhelm's Christmas cele-
bration at the German military head
quarters was attended by large num-
Der of officers and soldiers. The cele-
bration was held in a large room
which was decorated deliberately with
Christmas trees. The emperor on en-.
tering the room greeted the soldiers
with: Good evening, comrades" After
short sermon had been delivered, he
made the following speech: Com
rades, We are here assembled in arms
to celebrate the holy festival which
otherwise in peace we would be cele-
brating at home. Our thoughts go
back to those whom we have left at
home, to whom we owe all the pres
ents on the tables before US 1t has
been permitted by God that the enemy
should force us to celebrate Christmas
here. We have been attacked. We
defend ourselves with Gods help. We
hope that for us and our country rich
victory may spring from the hard fight.
We are on hostile ground The point
of our sword is directed against the
enemy, our hearts to our God. We
say as once the great elector did,
Down with all enemies of Germany
Amen"
Among the fallen British officers
was Prince Leopold of Battenberg
Immediately Kaiser Wilhelm sent con-
dolences to the king of Spain, a broth
er-1n-law, and to King George, a cousin
OF the prince. The kilograms were
sent via Holland to England, and one
was to be forwarded from England to
the king of Spain. Receiving no an
swer, Kaiser Wilhelm instructed his
ambassador to Spain to trace the con-
dolence wired to the king. The answer
was that the king of Spain had not
received the telegram. The next step
was to send another copy of the tele.
gram to the king of Spain, and also a
copy of the one to King George, which
was sent from Spain to King George
in such manner that the British au-
thoritles could not stop it on the way
The Spaniards, who are fond of Chi
various manners, did not take kindly
to this sort of traffic on the part of the
British authorities. This bit of news
reached America by way of Sweden.
During the early days of the war,
Kaiser Franz Joseph took pleasure in
visiting the hospitals and talking with
the wounded. One day he stopped at
the bedside of wounded man. My
good man, can do anything for your"
he asked. The soldiers did not an
sWer;. he did not even turn his head
A nurse, noting the incident, rushed
up. His majesty is speaking to you,"
he said to the soldier, and the emperor
repeated his question YES" said
the man, almost shrieking, you can
put bullet through my head" Both
of his arms and his legs have been
shot away, and he is suffering ter
ribly," explained the nurse The shock
OF the incident was too great for the
nerves of the aged monarch He fell
into a chair and sobbed aloud, while
great tears flowed down his cheeks.
Attendants gently led him to his car
riage and took him back to the palace
He has not asked to visit the hos
pital since.
Kaiser Wilhelm, replying to New
Years telegram from the king and
queen of Bavaria, sent the following
message: 81 reciprocate your good
wishes and those of all Bavarians with
all my heart. You speak after my own
heart when you say we all have but
one thought, which is that a peace
worthy of the sacrifices already made
and still to be made be secured for
the beloved fatherland in the new
year. How splendid in this connec-
ton is it that the German princes and
the German peoples are standing to-
gether in Interchangeable fidelity, with
Gods help, to achieve with our heroic
troops that victory for our just cause
which we expect with mistaken con-
fidence. In cordial friendship, Will
helm"
Speaking of the lost fleet in the
South sea, Kaiser Wilhelm lauded the
heroism with which the sailors met
their fate ant said that their bravery
should encourage the nation to bear
even the heaviest losses with I'M
broken courage. May the heavy sac
rifices we are forced to make in this
battle for our existence be borne by
all as single man, supported by our
mistaken hope in God, our Lord, from
whose gracious hand we humbIy re
ceive fortune, misfortune, JOY and
sorrow" he said. This will turn ever
our most difficult Lour into a blessing
for our nation, the fatherland"
Field Marshal Won Hindenburg, COM
mander of the German army in Poland,
requests the press to give expression
to his heartiest thanks for the good
wishes for the New Year transmitted
to him by so many friends " Europe
and America, as he is molly unable
to answer them personally.
Field Marshal Won der GoltZ, the
German commanding officer sent by
the kaiser to Turkey, has assumed
command of the Turkish forces operat-
ing against the Russians in the eau
casus.