Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1917-09-02
FRENCH FLAG
OVER
ACH|LLON PALACE

I1,-Emperor Williams famous sum-
mer palace of Achillion, on height
overlooking the bay of Corfu, had the
French flag flying over it when wei
drove up for a visit today At the
gateway the arms of the Hohenzollerns
blazed from the massive iron gates
thrown back on either side But these
proud arms were for the moment OBJ,
scured by the solid ranks of French
soldiers, native troops from French
Senegal in the heart of Africa, black
as coal, in the French grey uniform
with red fez. They saluted the
French officers as we passed through
the gate, and their trumpeter sent
a French bugle-call echoing through
the German Emperor's gardens.
All about were evidences that
French had replaced German direction
at this imperial establishment, and
that instead of being a summer play
thing for majesty, it was now being
put to some real use. The island is
self is temporarily under French
military governor, French battleships
and cruisers crowd the harbor and
dominate the heights, ad French sol
diers make up a considerable part of
Corfu by the stress of war Here at
this medley of races emptied into
the palace grounds we passed French
Red Cross nurses tending wounded
French soldiers in the olive groves,
and one of the high officers of the
French medical service came from the
palace to greet the party as it ar
rived
This place of the Emperor is one
of the curosites of the East and isl
typical in many ways of the eccentric
genius which conceived it. There are
places the world over, but nothing
quite like this exists anywhere. Only
Emperor William could have devel-
oped such an idea. The whole
scheme is imperial and historic. The
palace is planted on the very spot
where Ulysses came for his sojourns.
and from the imperial chamber one
looks out on the classic island OF
ulysses where the great here spent
his leisure hours. Like Ulysses,
Emperor William came here for his
leisure, and every May until the war
began the imperial yacht circled
Europe from the North Sea to the
Eastern Mediterranean in order that
he might enjoy these classic and his
toric surroundings during the loveliest
period of the year Looking down the
steep cliff one sees the imperial land
ing place where the yacht was moored
during thes visits Here the Emperor
first set foot, reaching the palace by
fight of a steps of steps hewn in the
rock, lined with marble statues oil
Greek deities. Or if he didn't wish to-
climb, an auto took him through theI
miles of drive in the olive grove max
ing gradual ascent to the lofty palace.
The palace dominates vast stretch
o. land and water-Albania Just across
the strait, the Greek Eirus to the south,
the mountains and valleys of Corfu
near at hand, Italy lying liw in the
dim distance to the west, and the clear
blue waters of the Adriatic reaching in
all directions through the tangle of
islands. 1t is suggestive of imperial
ism, and one thinks what Emperor
William had in mind whe nhe looked
out on this circle of many lands and
their strategic waters
There is one definite clue to his
thoughts, in the historic statue of
Achilles which he built at the highest
point dominating all this land and
water. The statue is of bronze, show
ing the hero armed from head to foot
sword in hand and shield on his
breast, strainfg forward for the fight
and lookly intently out on this empire
Of foreign lands and waters spread at
his feet. Perhaps William had in,
mind something more than toy pal
ace dedicated to Ulysses and Achilles,
and that the old Trojan heroes revived
dreams of universal conquest.
The palace is of white marble,
svua.el and solidly built after the
Greek classical design, with the sug-
gestion that German hand had mod
ernized the old classical lines. Along
the middle front, facing the sea, runs
deep wide marble gallery or porch
and similar wide galleries are at the
eastern end where the entrance is
located The building is three stories
high, with a frontage Of about five hun
dred feet, and has about one hundred
rooms, including ball rooms, state