Arizona republican., 1916-01-06
The Sick Kaiser

Paris and London dispatches forth with hardly concealed glee the serious nature of the peror of Germanys illness. Whether not he is dangerously iii of a is uncertain and far the struggle in Europe is concerned it is rather immateriaI The death of the emperor would likely any noticeable effect deed might facilitate the progress of German arms Though Wilhelm II is undoubtedly the great est ruler of his he is neither the greatest mil itary strategist nor the foremost statesman his empire. Nor has he been the handspring of the war.
 Though known from his accession the throne a the War Lord" the Kaiser preserved the peace of Europe for nearly forty years and until July year he succeeded resisting the war party of Germany. Wilhelm that prevented his coun- try going the AIgeciras incident and have believe that with the greatest reluctance consented to the pung- ing of Europe into the present That Germany forced Austria. at least encouraged Austria to the course which brought about the war is gener- ally believed. The emperor borne down by the pressure
 The Germans have not made many military mis- takes within the last year half, perhaps, only but that a serious and 1t was ordered by the emperor. It was the failure to take Paris and crush the French and British the only op- portunity that to that time had been afforded Un- til then except for the brief delay in Belgium the German campaign had proceeded as inexoratly as time
 Why Paris taken and the rout of the allies and the world The French with the fate of Liege and Namur still realized the futility of a defense of their capital The government had already been moved Bordeaux and it was the purpose to surrender the city to save it from a bombardment that would have destroyed it's treas ures of art and architecture. Opposition to von klueKs approaching armies had broken down, but when within few miles of Paris re suddenly turned his course and swept to the southeast And some weeks later the battle of the Marne was fought and the Germans receded to the Aisne
 Why Paris taken and the route of the French and British completed was first explained some months afterward by Frank Harris a core spondent for the New York Sun All the German armies along the great battle were under or ders to converge upon Paris. The plan was car rled out by the northermost armies Won Kuck had already arrived and the third and fourth armies were steadily hammering their way. But the fifth army, the most southern under the comman of the Crown Prince of Bavaria was encounterins 1nex pected resistance in the neighborhood of Vamv ''enerai Pau was making heroic resistance and he hau aso received endorsements But he was fin ally beaten and withdrew to the south
 The crown prince instead proceeding to Paris as ne might have done, for the way was now open followed the retreating French with the purpose Inf delivering annitilatng blow He soon foupd hlmsei Tn danger of envelopment by French forces which poured in upon his right flank It was tbe, that Von kluck received peremptory orders to exri cate him. When that had been accomplished the opportunity to take Paris had passed The French and British were reformed and reinforced in this badly needed breathing spell and then came inc Marne.
 we can easily see how the death a ruler in the midst of a great might be followed bv the F11t into account the character of the German ,ao, z the important fact that there is no ant-war party there And we must consider the machine like pre- clsion or the German nation which leaves nothing to chance and We must believe that even the ex - igency of the death of any leader from the eo : peror down was discounted when war was de- clared