Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1917-07-05

short, thickset man in uniform TOT
tight for him entered the cabin, bow
ing. To him the emperor complained
of an undue expenditure in regard t.
the last court ball, whereupon VoI
Wedell pointed out that while huge
sums were spent upon his majesty:
journeys little was spent at home.
In a moment the emperor, with hi:
keen brOWs narrowed, siIenced him BY
exclaiming:
"But 1 thought you liked to be min
lister Of the royal house, eh?"
Won Wedell bowed, and a second
later retired.
The emperor's egomania asserted it
self that afternoon.
A Scene on the HohenzoIIern.
On that calm blue summer sea that
afternoon an incident occurred upon
the HOhenzollern which accentuated
the imperial egOmania towards me-
malls. There occurred a grave scandal
which has ever since been whispered
up and down the fjOrds of Norway
with all kinds of ridiculous embroidery
manufactured by the all-poWerful in
fuence of German gold.
AS happened to be one of the prin.
cipal actors in the drama, may per-
haps be permitted to here place the
real truth upon record.
Herr Won Wedell having bowed him
self out Of the imperial presence, his
majesty with all good grace signed
some papers put before him. Sigh
ing, he rose, and with his gloved hand
drew away his chair.
"AbOminable cried the emperor.
'VOn Wedell, of all men, dares to
contradict met"
The aIl-highest assembled to the up
per deck, and [ followed, for it was
his habit on a warm afternoon to sit
on lounge chair beneath the awning
and dictate orders and dispatches. At
that time, the Telefunken system of
wireless telegraphy had just been in
stalled upon the imperial yacht. The
two operators had a cabin to them
selves, full of accumulators, detectOrs,
and other paraphernalia, and we're, at
odd times, in touch with the German
admiralty station at NOrddeich.
On the deck, the emperor, instead
Of seating himself in the cozy nook
sheltered from the wind, which the
empress had only a few minutes be-
fore vacated, strobe into the wireless
cabin, while I was compelled by eti-
Quette to remain outside.
I stood gazing out upon the blue
distant coast of Sweden, for we were
still within sight Of that broken land,
with the Skaw on one side and His
singer on the other, steering due west
into the Skager Rack, towards the
Nase, the most southernly point of
Norway.
The kaiserin sat close by, deeply en-
gagged in conversation with the old
Countess Won Stoecker, wife Of the
court chaplain, and laughing with her.
At last the emperor came forth from
the wireless room and, motioning me
to follow, descended again to the cabin
in which we had been working.
On entering he rang his bell and
summoned the captain, who in a few
moments appeared, cap in hand, as be-
came him.
''We will go farther east" said the
all-highest. 'We are too far out"
"Johannsen, the Norwegian pilot, is
in charge, your majesty" replied the
captain, bowling.
"Then tell the man Johannsen,"
said the emperor, and he turned to his
table, dismissing the captain Of the
imperial yacht.
The Defiant Norwegian Pilot.
Three minutes later there came loud
raps upon the door, and the emperor
himself gave the order to enter, where
upon short, thick-set seaman in blue
jersey and seaboots, a typical North
Sea pilot, came in.
eve are too far out: get nearer in
to the coast" his majesty commanded
in imperious tones.
eve are not too far out" replied
the man in German.
"Who are you to dictate to me?"
shouted the emperor in fury.
"You are emperor on land, but I,
Carl Johannsen of Ekersund, am in
charge of this vessel while she is in
Norwegian waters, and l take orders
from nobody"
And with that the man coolly turned
upon his heels and, saluting, left.
The emperor was white with rage
at the rebuff. He flung the papers
from him and paced the cabin in silent
anger. Yet an hour later he assembled
to the bridge and presented the man
with a scarfpin with the imperial
crown and cipher in diamonds, a fact
duly reported to Baron Won RichIofen,
the kaiser's press cossack (press
agent), who duly gave an account of
the emperor's munifcence without, of
course. referring to the defiance of the
imperial command.
On that same night, after the kai-
serin had retired, found the emperor
walking the deck alone and behaving
very strangely. He was capless, way
ing his healthy arm wildly above his
head, and grooming. Then he would
break out into fearful imprecations
against all and sundry.