The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1917-05-14

seen at almost any time riding In her
big military automobile to some hospi-
tai or soup kitchen. She and her
mother-in-law, the Empress. rival each
other tn this work, and the people do
not forget these activities. II wound
ed soldier, a poor widow or q German
schcolboy receives a flower, a post
card or picture from either the Emp
ress or the Crown Princess 1t Is pre-
served In the family Bible as an heir
loom.
But the Crown Prince is not SO popu-
lar with his father. AS matter OF
fact, he is said to be one German who
irritatesshis father more than any one
else. During the war they have had
man controversies. Some have been
SO bitter than many Germans have
doubted that they would ever be for
gotten. This is In marked contrast to
the attitude of the Kaiser toward HIS
second son. Prince Eitel Friedrich.
who. although he Ia At the front all the
time. stands the highest in the
Kaiser's estimation of any member of
the royal family.
Crown Prince His Disappointment.
The remark has often been made in
Berlin that If the Kaiser ever had the
power he would make Prince Eitel
FREDERICK King of Hungary. No one
ever ventures to say what he would
like to do with the Crown Prince. but
II is undoubtedly one Of the big disap-
pointments of William II that the
Crown Prince must succeed him.
Outside Of Germany the Crown
Prince is generally criticised for the
failure to take verdun. but, as mat
ter Of fact, the operations there were
under the direction of General Won
Falkenhayn, who was Chief Of the
General Staff, and Field Marshal Won
Haesler, the old Prussian noble who
was a friend Of the Crown Princes
grandfather.
Won Falkenhayn planned the attack
at Verdun because he believed the de-
cision of the war would fall on the
Western front, and because he was
confident that he could break through
and win great moral victory over the
French The name of the Crown Prince
was linked with the operation because
Won Falkenhayn believed it would be
crowned with success, and thus the
Crown Prince would obtain the glory
which would result from such big
decisive operation.
In the midst of operations. because
the German losses were SO great there
was tremendous opposition to the
further execution Of the plans, the
Kaiser was compelled to interfere and
stop Won Falkenhayp. This angered
the Crown Prince, and reports which
we received in Berlin stated that the
meeting between the Kaiser and his
son at Verdun was so hot that when
1t ended the two men agreed not to
meet again. at least during the war.
Authority Taken from Prince.
The Kaiser recalled his intimate
friends who had been working with the
Crown Prince, including Field Marshal
Won Haesler. The Crown Prince was
left In command of the operations at
Verdun, but all authority was taken
away from him, and the General Staff
stopped its plans of attack.
For several months nothing was
heard about the Crown Prince His
name was not mentioned in the Ger
man newspapers, and it was not until
the battle Of the Somme was several
months old that the Kaiser again rec
ogniZed his first son. Friends of the
young prince had been working with
his majesty in an attempt to heal the
soreness which the battle of Nerdun
produced and the Kaiser finally dec
Grated him with the oak leaves to the
highest military decoration, the Pour
lie Merite.
This decoration when it is first given
is nothing but cross of gold and
purple enamel, with the French words
Pour lie Merite" printed on three arms
of the cross. After an officer has held
this decoration for several months and
further distinguished himself, then a
little gold oak leaf is attached to the
top of it, and it is worn about the
neck on black and white ribbon. The
comforting of this honor on the Crown
Prince was believed to have paved the
way for the reconciliation between
father and son, which came last win
ter
Jealousy Between Father and Son.
During the war there has been some
jealousy between the two men. The
Crown Prince is exceedingly ambitious
to succeed his father. The Kaiser
knows this, and because the Crown
Prince has such definite ideas of his
own about running the country. Will
lam II is not anxious to give him a
chance, at least during the war.
Just what type Of officials will take
office when the Kaiser dies and the
Crown Prince succeeds HMM case
Germany is not made republic is not
definitely known in Germany. There
is only one official in office today who
Is spoken of as "the Crown Princes
man." and that is Secretary of State
Zimmerman. If the Crown Prince re-
lies upon such men the world can
Judge how successful his administra-