Der Deutsche correspondent. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1841-1918, 1916-01-27
WILLIAM TIE SECOND.

this wide world there are Germans
living the day will be remembered
as the one on which the greatest
German OF our days was born fifty
seven years ago. And not alone Ger
mans and men and women Of Ger
man blood, but also many millions
Of people Of other nationalities viii
today think with admiration OF Will
liam the Second. 1t is true that the
anglicized newspapers of the United
States have Wlified the present EN-
poror of Germany as no man has
ever been vilifed before But there
are, nevertheless, many millions OF
Americans who think and speak with
respect and admiration OF William
the Second as a great man, who may
have his faults, but which faults are
many times outweighed by his vir-
tues. An American, Louis ]. Liv-
ingston, of st. Paul, Minnesota, in
n pamphlet dedicated TO the German
Americans of his native town and
entitled. Hail, the Kaiserl" pays
the following tribute to William the
Second;
Loyal friend. Groat executive.
Great strategst Polished gentle
Lover OF children and animals. Ex-
pert in many OF the sciences. Deep
student OF man and his vagaries.
Magnetic leader OF men in peace and
war Brilliant connoisseur OF the
arts and belle lettres One of the
greatest all-round geniuses OF his
time. The most loved and reverod OF
husbands and fathers The most
loved and rcvered of living rulers
by his own people. The greatest
democrat who ever sat upon
thronei
That is my estimate Of Will
helm H., Emperor Of Germany"
MI Livingston then continues:
I'm him arc united the unusual
trinity of a kind heart, a brilliant
mind and an iron Will. In his per-
son he embodies not only the SYM
bolism of the German nation, as its
supreme head, but the highest ideals
Of the German character ] am
aware that he has faults. We have
heard only too much of them, gross
ly exaggerated and distorted out of
all semblance of truth by his en-
emies. It would be sufficient answer
to say that no sovereign, or COM
mander, ever was more universally
loved and revered by his subjects
and his soldiers. To no man OF our
time could our own Washingtonian
phrase be more applicable: First
in war. first in peace, first in the
hearts OF his countrymcn!
The kaiscrs Democracy.
Innumerable have been the in
stances Of the reciprocal love OF
ruler and people, as well as the in
nate democracy Of the man. or the
latter we have been afforded many
Slimpses: in FISH dinners with his
democratic Norwegian friends, and
hand-clasps OF the Norwegian pilots
on annual summer journeys to the
northern fjords; in being photo
graphed with the orphans Of the
Jena asylum, children Of the COM
mon people. one Of them with her
arm laughingly entwined in his: in
greeting his wounded soldiers as
Comrades and with hand clasps,
or roses; or in hospitality to, or as
sociation with, Americans. pcr-
sonally know of many American
heads OF institutions and business
concerns, in this supposedly repub-
lican land, who would not condes-
cend to lower their dignity in any OF
the ways above mentioned. Would
the coal barons of Colorado and
West Virginia greet their miners as
Comrades" and with handclasps or
roses? Would Morgan SO greet his
clerks and hunkics? Would the cop
per barons Of Northern Michigan, or
the mill lords of New England? The
broadness of the German mind, and
the depth and fervor of the German
soul. as embodied In the person of
this remarkable man are shown in
the "weltschmerz' which led him, in
his efforts to localize the war, If not
TO avert it, to remind the czar or the
"endle5s misery" to the whole world
that would result. Those two words.
endless misery" actually used by
him in this connection lay bare his
soul. Those two little words. alone,
are refutation of the charge that he
wanted war, or that he does not feel
for the common people Of all coun-
tries. Would the first thoughts Of
tho mythical war lord, filled with the
lust OF battle. and eager for the
blood-letting of his fellow creatures,
be OF the endless misery" that in-
evitably follows in the wake of war?
Another barring of the Kaisers
soul was in his chivalrous greeting
to the wounded French officers at
Metz: Gentlemen! | accord you my
Imperial homage for your valor
This is cruel experience. but let us
hope that when it is over our coun
tries will be united in bonds OF
friendship and alliancen Did knight
of old ever utter greeting more chiv-
alrous, or more magnanimous, and
pregnant with future peace and con-
cord?
Supported by The Socialists.
The greatest compliment ever paid
the Kaiser, as well as the strongest
yindication Of his stand on the war,
was the eagerness and spontaneity
OF his erst-while political enemies.
the Socialists. in coming to his aid
at the supreme moment OF their
country's peril.
In this connection. can there be
greater refutation Of the baseless
slander that the German people were
driven, or led, into the war by their