New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-09-02
Dangerously Sincere, Kaiser Resembles
Fanatically Religious Sovereigns of Old
Sparng Himself No Whit and Keeping Every Department of the Pru
sian War Machine Under His Personal Control, Wilhelm Will
FIGHT On Until the Whole Empire Crumbes About Head


made
"Will my people hold loyal and true
to the end?
81 believe we are in Gods hands and
he will not desert US"
For the religion Of the Kaiser has
been his cornerstone or his poison in
this war. Calling upon the Almighty
for aid in everything he undertakes,
the Kaiser mas come to approaching
the fanstically religious sovereigns Of
centuries gone By. In his religion and
his belief that God is on his side the
Kaiser is appalIingly sincere. Better
were it pose; he would have made
peace long ago.
War Weighs on His Heart
What of the Kaiser to-day? Always
dgnifed. the war has grown about him
a grave. almost reverential mood, light
ened only by the smiles of victory.
That the war weighs heavily upon his
heart every American who has talked
with him affirms. That he feels deeply
at the sight Of the dead and wounded
is also true
Conceptions of the Kaiser have been
written, presenting him as an arch
hypocrite. the greatest actor in the
world; and as a madman. The con-
ception | have is neither of these. lie
~ dangerously sincere. He believes in
himself and in the destiny of the Ger
man people. He believes strongly in
the Nietzschean will 10 power" and in
his speeches to his soldiers during this
war he has called it the will TO
| victory"
Always religious, the war has made
him more so, until it approaches almost
mysticism. His constant calling upon
God is sincere. His belief that God is
on his side is sincere. Whenever he
goes to the front the imperial banner,
orange, black embroidered with a cross
and bearing the legend, God with u.s."
goes with him. He has caused that
motto of his to be inscribed on the
buckles Of his soldiers. He has
caused every soldier in the army TO
receive a little pocket Bible. He is
accompanied by a chaplain wherever
he goes, accompanied by a surgeon, too.
His Health Causes Worry.
For. during this war, the imperial
health has more than once been the
cause OF great worry to the German
nation. In December, 1914 a throat
affection, the curse of the Hohenzol-
Terms. that laid low his father and his
grandfather. confined the Kaiser to the
Schloss in Berlin. No one knew ex-
actIy what was the matter with him.
only those at the top knew. An oper-
ton was performed, the Kaiser lived.
FOR year the malady left him alone
and he rushed from battlefront to bat
tlefront; then, in December, 1916, II
, overlook him again.
Physically strong the Kaiser is to-
day. At the front he does not pamper
himself. He has gone without meals.
, lie has scorned the course luncheons
, Of chateau headquarters for plates of
stew a: field kitchens. He has been in
the saddle for hours at a time. always
|, leaving the imperial motor when the
zone of military fire. with its alert
enemy observers, drew near
At Lille he stood in the rain for
hours and watched the Bavarisns, who
were TO drive on Arras. 60 marching
, by. Day after day, during the height
, of the Verdun offensive, he went to
bed after midnight, and was up at day
! break, consulting with his generals
throughout the early night.
Visiting points on the front by day,
he is ever harsnguing the soldiers with
, speeches. 1t is not an uncommon thing
for the Kaiser TO make twelve speeches
: day at the front. II has been said OF
him that he believes his presence il
worth more in a battle than two army
! corps Let a column of infantry be
overtaken by the imperial motor,
Halt" cries the Kaiser. To the dis
tart drumming Of the guns he almost
seems 10 beat time with the little field
marshal's baton generally TO be found
clasped in the imperial hand. "Sol-
diers. you have given the Fatherland
many glorious victories; you viii con-
tinue to win victories, until, with Gods
help, peace comes" Such is the pith
OF the typical Kaiser speech at the
front acknowledgment instilling of
will, reminder o. God. IL is his in
evtable construction.
Kaiser Nights"
In room Of the General staff in
Berlin, where the officers whose duty
is railroad transportation keep track
day and night of the movements of all
passenger and military trains through
out the empire, there comes nights
when every man is unusually alert.
Those are Kaiser nights" In the
great headquarters of Charleville,
! brussels ana IN Llllt three SldN ,
whose sole work is railroads sit.
The Kaiser decided 70 leave the west
ern battlefront for the east His head
quarters during July was u chateau be-
hind Sedan. From Sedan the word is
flashed to Lille that the Kaiser is com
ing. Lille flashes il on TO Brussels,
Brussels 10 the great railroad room IN
berlin From that building of yellow
ish brick on the Konigsplstz railroad
chiefs from every point from Aachen.
on the Belgian frontier. 20 AleXau-
drove. on the Polish frontier, are notl-
fed that the Kalser's train j. leaving
Lille bound for Warsaw, via Brussels
and Berlin.
There is a separate staff for the ad-
uinistrgtiOn Of the roads IN Poland, 20
the headquarters Of which in Warsaw
comes the same message from Berlin,
and IL in turn notifies the yard chiefs
in Poland, az LODI and Skenewice OF
the coming Of the imperial train. All
- ready The yards know just how
many military and passenger trains are
scheduled 10 pass through them In the
next twenty-iour hours. The Kaiser
schedule" is put in operation. Tracks
are cleared for the imperial special
Drawn by one OF the powerful en-
gines Of the Heckle works, it pulls into
Sedan, a drawing room car for the
Kaiser and his personal aids, a com
bination dining and study car, the i'm
perial sleeper and three sleepers for
the rest Of his staff As the big loco
motive waits there sound above its
painting the clatter Of aeroplanes. Over
head in V formation, flying like crows
a big Fokker at the apex, the Kaiser
aerial guard. 70 keep OF any posi-
BILE enemy hier until the Germsn from
tier is reached. circles and circles on
high.