The Hays free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1908-1924, 1918-12-12
CHAPTER x.

The Kaiser's Appraisal of Public Men.
No one ever speaks TO the kaiser IN
| til addressed. AS that mOnarch'S opin-
ions on most subjects are firmly fixed
and he will stand no opposition, any
erroneous idea he may entertain is
very apt TO remain with him. His ad-
visers were apt to leave him in error
rather than arouse his ire by attempt
ing to set him right. But for the fact
that he was very fond of asking innu-
merable questions, his store of infOr-
nation might have been extremely
scanty
In the course of my conversations
with him he frequently expressed his
views of men who were in the public
eye. Upon what basis they were
founded he did not always enlighten
me, but even when 1 knew them to be
erroneous l realized it was useless to
| try to change them and 1 did not often
take issue with him. When 1 did his
| eyes would flash fire, but / had ex-
pected that and l continued just the
! same.
The kaiser always seemed to take
fairs, and while he professed to de-
! spise our form of government he
watched very carefully the careers of
our public men. 1t is not unlikely that
he imagined, as 1 have pointed out
elsewhere in these pages, that he could
| influence our elections by swinging
! the German-American vote in favor of
| the candidate he preferred, and he
made a study Of our public men in
order that he might know which of
them would be more desirable in Office
from the German viewpoint.
When Mr.. Wilson was nominated for
the presidency. the kaiser was quite
positive that he wouldn't be elected.
Perhaps the fact that Mr.. Roosevelt,
| for whom at that time the kaiser had
the greatest admiration, was one of
Mr.. Wilson's rivals, blinded him to the
strength which elected Wilson, but the
fact that the latter had had little ex-
perience in international politics IN
| fitted him, in the kaiser's estimation,
| for the important Office for which he
was running.
! I saw the kaiser shortly after Mr..
| Wilson's election.
SCI am very much surprised at the
result of your election" he declared.
ST didn't think your people would be
so foolish as to elect a college profess
sor as president. What does a profess
sor know about international politics
and diplomatic affairs?"
1 haven't the slightest doubt that
the kaiser pictured our president as
counterpart of the typical German
F! professor-a plOdding. impractical, I'M
ambitious bOOkwOrm with no hope or
desire of ever earning more than 81 600
year and no yearning for public ac-
claim, a recluse, absent-minded and
self-centered. who spent the midnight
oil porting over musty volumes and
paid little or 10 attention to what was
going on around him. Such q man,
the kaiser undoubtedly believed. the
United States had elected as its chief
executive and his surprise was more
or less natural in those circumstances.
/ When Wilson sent 5000 men TO Vera
Cruz the kaiser felt that he had ex-
ceeded his rights.
''What right has Wilson to mix in
the internal affairs of Mexico?" he
asked. "Why doesn't he allow them to
fight it out among themselves. 1t is
their affair, not his % Germany had
many financial interests in Mexico and
looked with disfavor upon any move
we made in that direction.
When, however, the war in Europe
started the kaiser made every effort
to have America mix in international
affairs provided we fought on her side.
When I saw him just after the war
started he said we ought to seize the
opportunity to annex Canada and
Mexico.
"Can't your president see the won
derful opportunity now for combin-
ing with US and crushing England? p
he asked. with our fleet on one side
and Americas on the other we could
destroy England's sea power. This is
T Americas great opportunity to domi.
nate the western hemisphere. and your
: president must see his chance to take
2 Canada and Mexico Is
As the war progressed and reports
2 reached the kaiser of our increased
shipments of munitions to the allies
the kaiser's impotence with Wilson be
[ came more difficult to repress, anC
!. there was hardly an interview I hat
: with him in which he did not give
= vent to his feelings in that connec
= ton.