The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1918-11-21
The Kaiser as Knew Him
for Fourteen Years
~
By ARTHUR N. DAVIS. D. D. s.


~ 80
plainly by improvising the words
"V0n Unsern Geld-Ta-Ta," meaning,
"From our money-ta-ta," referring to
the royal immunity from taxation
which was one of their bitterest pills.
1t was not long after / had known
the kaiserin before she made clear to
me that she possessed a most dicta-
tOrial manner, which was quite In con-
trast with that Of the kaiser, at least
when he was In my office.
She objected st%renuously to remOv-
ing her hat-and she usually wore a
large one with a veil-but finally yield
ed when | explained that | could not
accomplish my work satisfactorily un-
less she did. When l placed cotton
rolls In her mouth, she insisted that as
she did not like the sensation of the
cotton against her lips or tongue, /
would have to encase the cotton in
rubber.
I told her politely but firmly that my
work would be done In my W way,
and she finally acquiesced, adding
swell, II you make such n point Of It.
doctor, 1 suppose / shall have to let
you have your way"
From that time on the kaiserin came
to me more or less regularly. Her
lackey usually followed her into the
house carrying an artistic lunch box Or
bag containing sandwiches and bouil-
lon, Of which the empress "artoOk in
my Office. The Princess Victoria
Louise. the kaiser's only daughter, 1
may mention. usually came similarly
provided. No German ever let's any
thing interfere with his Aecond break
fast.
The empress never spoke ON politi-
cal subjects. She was lot particularly
brilliant and evidenced some reluc-
lance to air her views on international
affairs, as though she were not quite
sure Of herself. Certainly, she was not
nearly as laxative as the kaiser.
When she did unburden herself, it was
usually in connection with domestic
subjects. 1t was said in Germany that
her only interest In life was represent
ed by the 'three KS" Kinder. Klrche
and Kuche--children, church and
k~itchen-and there is no question about
1t that she seldom spoke on other sub
jects when talking with me.
The kaiserin came to me after the
VIZ with America started. but appar-
emily she had felt some hesitation
about doing so. because the kaiser told
me shortly before her visit that she
intended coming. but pointed out that
she had decided to do so only upon his
recommendation.
In June. 1917, I received a letter
from the kalserin's physician inclos-
ing n which he said had been writ
ten by the kaiserin, but which was
both unsigned and unaddressed. It
requested me to visit the royal palace
at HOmburg ". d. Hohe, which. In con.
junction with the adjoining town Of
kreuznach, was then the location Of
the great army headquarters.
During the time l was there l could
not help observing how extremely tim
Id the servants seemed to be of the
kaiserin. One expected to find the
utmost servility among the kaiser's
underlings, but l confess 1t came rath-
er as a shock to me to see the maids
walking so timidly and talking so fear
fully when In the presence Of their
white-haired royal mistress. I noted
particularly how very gently they
knocked at the door before entering
and how. after knocking. they immedi-
ately placed their heads against the
panel that they might catch the
kaiserin's low command to enter the
first time. and so make 1t unneces-
sary for her to repeat 1t. Their de.
meanor was particularly noticeable be-
cause the kaiserin never seemed to
display the slightest impotence Or i'll
temper when dealing with her serv-
ants. Indeed. she seemed to me to act
20 differently from the humblest haus.
frau in the country.
Before l left Homburg, she asked me
whether I was comfortably situated and
If everything was all right for me.
1 told her that everything was quite
satisfactory and mentioned particular.
ly how nice it was to have food exactly
as we had had 1t before the war.
"Yes," she replied. 1--WE have every.
thing. I am very careful what l eat
l watch my health very closely"
/ remarked. too. how wonderful II
must be to have sixty palaces like the
Homburg establishment, the beauties
of which had deeply impressed me
adding: "His majesty. l understand
has sixty of them, has he notY"
mot quite sixty" she corrected. "Be'
tween fifty and sixty"
Between fifty and sixty palaces
I could not help thinking of the re-
mark the kaiser once made to me when
talking of the mi In which Amer.
millionaires made their fortunes
ut breeds socialism !"
When the time came for me to re
turn to Berlin. the kaiserin babe me
adieu, hut uttered not a word of thanks
for my having given up my practices
for three days to work exclusively fol
her.
cHApTER XII.