The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1917-09-13
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A CLOSE VIEW OF THE KAISER

An American correspondent who
has been with the German armies and
seen the kaiser at close range since
the war began, testifies in the New
York Tribune to the absolute SINGER
ity of the war lord If he were hyp-
ocrite he would be more easily dealt
with, but~he believes in himself and
his star as much as Mahomet. He is
convinced that God fights with him,
and therefore that he cannot be de-
feated. 1t is difficult for US to be-
lieve that the kaiser is not uttering
blasphemies when he calls upon the
Supreme Being to bless his arms and
give him victories; but the kaiser is
not a pretender, we are told. Or
course, he cannot believe that he was
forced into the war; he cannot be-
lieve that ne was the victim of Bel
GUM; but he does believe that it is
his great destiny and that of the
German people to teach the world a
lesson it will never forget, that the
spread of German kultur will make a
sick earth whole again.
Certainly he has changed in some
ways since the beginning of the war.
He is not the bombastic egotist of
1911. It is not too much to assume
that he profoundly regrets the war,
especially since his Illusions about a
swift victory have been dispelled. TIE
has seen too much of the suffering of
soldiers to exult in war for its own
sake, for the kaiser has seen his
troops go into action, and he has seen
what remained Of them come out of
action He has seen huge piles of his
ed into funeral pyre. His face, not
unnaturalIy, is set and stern, and
brightens only momentarily at the
news of another German victory. His
hair has become greyer than former
ly, butNhis general health is said to be
good, save for the throat affection
that carried off his father and grand
father, and which threatened him
some time ago. An operation, how
ever, alleviated his suffering if it did
not eradicate the disease. He lives
hardly, riding for hours on end,
sleeping only few hours, and rising
at daylight to discuss with his gen.
erals the plans for the day.
For all his fanatical belief that he
is the weapon chosen of God, he is
rather fussy about precautions for his
own safety. He is never so guarded as
when at the front, and the front for
him means, perhaps, a chateau 20
miles behind the lines. At a French
chateau where the correspondent saw
him, the kaiser slept literally in the
heart of small army. Mounted SEN
tries patrolled every foot of the
ground outside the chateau walls.
Upon the walls others walked, and in
side row after row of sentries. In the
house itself secret service men arm
ed to the teeth prowled silently. The
whole place was fortified as though
expecting an assault. Especially was
there a wealth of sandbags, wire net
ting and other materials to absorb
the fragments of bombs that might
be dropped. Searchlights pierced the
sky. The finest aviators in the army
flew overhead. Anti-aircraft guns
were charged and gunners stood at
them all night, in readiness for visit
from possible enemy flying man.
But all these precautions did not
save the kaiser from danger on the
eastern front on two occasions. AT
one time in the early days of the war
when he had gone to the east to view
German victory he was nearly cut
off by a Cossack patrol along the Me
men river. Again he and Hindenbure
were riding In motor near the fort
ress of Kovna when the Russian ar
tillery got the range of his car, and
he raced for his life against the
shells. At scissors it is reported that
ne mounted hilltop to get a better
view of battle. and had the exper-
fence of hearing shrapnel whistline
about his ears. The reason the kaiser
takes these chances which would be
forbidden, for instance, to the king OF
England, is that he is. really in com
mand of the army, and decides upon
Its tactics. He has studied military
and naval strategy since boyhood. and
though opinions differ as to his stand
ing as a general and admiral, he has
great confidence in his gifts, and feels
the responsibility of making supreme
decisions.
His religious mania shows in every
speech and act. IF the imperial motor
Fastening from one point to another
comes across a company of soldiers
the command to halt is given, and the
emperor improves the occasion BY
addressing the troops. He never fails
TO call down the blessing of God upor
them, to point that they have wor
great honor, and to assure them that
by enduring for only little longer
they will be certain of final victory
and a lasting peace. Why should they
not believe him when he so confidently
believes in himself The correspond
ent is certain that the kaiser viii
never compromise in this war. He
will fight on as long as the German
people will support him and the Ger
man armies obey the word of com
mand. There is yet no sign that they
are preparing to fail the war lord
The men on the western front may
realize their position, but they are
cheered with reflections that the wal
may be decided on the eastern front
All are more or less under the hyp.
motto influence of the kaiser, who has