Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1918-09-04
The Kaiser as | knewH lin
for Fourteen Years
49,
By ARTHUR N. DAVIS, 3. D. S.



Copyright. 1918. BY the Me-
not worse, Hut idea didn't appeal to
me at all, and I went Immediately to
the kommandantur and explained the
situation to them.
When they saw Count Won Moltke's
letter the officer In charge threw up
his hands.
'.That's final" he declared. That
comes from a higher authority than
ours. It Is useless to pursue the mat
ter any further. We received a COM
munication from his majesty regard
ing your case, but the matter was left
entirely to our discretion. 1t was not
q command. only a request from his
majesty. A command, Of course, would
have been different"
Then I applied for q pass for my
wife, child and myself to go to Amer
lea. They pointed out at the komman-
dantur that as my wife's application
to leave Berlin preceded mine, 1t was
possible she would be allowed to leave
before me. I told the officer that that
would suit me admirably. as I wanted
the pass for Mrs. Davis and the child
granted at the earliest possible mo-
ment regardless of what action might
be taken on my own application
Again there followed q long period
Of anxious waiting while the German
red tape slowly unwound. but eventu-
ally. in September, we received word
that Mrs. Davis and the child might
leave Berlin for Copenhagen between
October 10 and II They left on the
tenth.
A day or two later commenced the
German offensive against Riga, on the
Baltic. Within three or four days the
Germans captured successfully the
Oesel, Runo, Obro and Moon islands
In the Gulf Of Riga and then carried
their invasion to the mainland. Their
apparent objective was Petrograd and
on October 10 the Russians announced
that the seat Of the government would
be removed from Petrograd to Mos
COW.
These successes on the Baltic failed
to overcome the depression in Germany
caused by the serious internal situa-
ton in Austria at this period. Num-
ton factories were being wrecked by
hunger-crazed and war-weary strikers
and the populace was being shot down
In great numbers in the food riots
which developed in various parts OF
Austria. Not since the war began had
the outlook been so discouragihg for
the Germans.
Then, on October "a, just as things
were looking their blacklist, the great
German-Austro offensive against the
Italians was started. In three days the
Italians were swept out Of Austria and
the Teutons pressed forward to the
passes west of the IsOnzo river leading
to the Venetian plains. BY the end OF
October the Italian armies were in full
retreat. Before this offensive was over
the Germans captured, they claimed,
no less than 100000 prisoners and sew
eral thousand big guns, besides vast
stores of munitions and supplies.
The exultation Of the Germans over
the triumph of their armies in Italy
knew no bounds. While it was at Its
height had an interview with the kali
ser which will ever remain one Of the
most vivid in my memory.
It was about three-thirty one Sunday
morning when I was aroused by maid
who, In an awe-stricken tone Of voice,
announced that the Neue Palais, the
kaiser's palace at Potsdam, was on the
phone. I went to the telephone and
was informed that the kaiser was suf-
fering from bad toothache and would
send his auto for me within an hour or
so.
I got up at once and packed my in
struments, and at six-thirty the car, a
big gray Mercedes limousine, arrived.
Besides the chauffeur there was an
outrider carrying the bugle whose dis
tinctive notes only the kaiser may use.
While the Shell room and other state
rooms were accessible to visitors be-
fore the war, no one was ever permit
ted to visit the private apartments or
the kaiser upstairs.
On this occasion, however, l was
guided right through the Shell room,
through door opening on the left and
up wide staircase to the kaisers
garderobe, or dressing room.
There I found breakfast ready for
me. 1t consisted Of real coffee. real
white bread, butter, marmalade, sugar,
cream and cold meats. 1t was the first
food of the kind I had eaten IN some
time and practically no one in Ger
many outside the royal family and the
junkers was any better off than l In
that respect. ....
While was breakfasting, the kaiser
was dressing. His valet entered sew
eral times, 1 noticed, to take out artl-
cles of clothing from the massive
wardrobes which lined the room. had
lust completed my meal when l re-
ceived word thar my patient was ready
to receive me.
AS l entered the kaiser's bedroom
he was standing in the center Of the
room, fully attired in an army gray
Uniform. BAT without his sword. He
looked more haggard than I had ever
seen him, except once in 1915. Lack
of sleep and physical pain were two
things with which he had had very
little experience, and they certainly
showed their effects very plainly.