Emmons County record. [volume] (Williamsport, D.T. [i.e. N.D.]) 1884-current, 1918-11-07
CHAPTER xiii.
The Kaiser At Army headquarters

To what extent the kaiser Is respon-
Rlble for the failures and entitled to
credit for the successes of his armies
In the present war. I am not in pO-
sition to say, but II he did not actually
direct the military policy, he Mt least
Kept closely In touch with everything
that was going on. From the very be-
ginning of hostilities he lived the ma.
jor part Of the time at the great army
headquarters and was In constant con.
sultation with his military leaders.
had several opportunities to see
the kaiser while he was ut the various
great army headquarters.
iong-distance telephone message from
The great army headquarters, which
was then in the palace Of the Prince
Won Pless at Pless, to the effect that
the kaiser wanted me to 60 there.
During the course Of my work one
of his private secretaries came In re-
peatedly with kilograms and messages
for the kaiser. and he would usually
excuse himself and read them. Some
times he would be summoned outsids
to consult with important persons who
were there to see him, but he was
never gone more than ten minutes ut q
time.
l did not think he looked exception
ally well. Ee seemed to be very tired
and he had very little to say-in itself
an indication that he was not exactly
normal.
When my work for the morning was
over and his valet, who had assisted
me. had been excused. the kaiser
gazed at me for q moment or two and
then. apropos Of nothing. burst out
with the rather remarkable announce
ment: ~The man who brought this
catastrophe on the world, Davis,
should be strung up by the neck. and
that man Is not I. as the world seems
to think! The car of Russia and he
king Of England. when they were ut
the wedding Of my daughter-guests
at my own house. mind you. and my
blood relatives-hatched this plot
against me. They were envious Of
my power. but they will now learn
what that power ID"
In the same breath almost he made
the inconsistent remark: England
will never be able to raise IN emcisnt
army: 1t took Germany one hundred
years to accomplish what she has
donel" ~
Some time after this. ono Of the big.
Eest merchants in Berlin told me that
he had heard on the stock exchange
that the kaiser had made the remark
that the king and car had Matched
the plot against him. and as had
repeated the kaiser's statement to NO
one, realized that he must have told
the same thing to others. II this yer.
sion of the starting of the war was put
into circulation with the Idea of alb.
solving the kaiser, 1t certainly didn't
carry conviction even among the Ger.
mans themselves. The merchant who
spoke to me about 1t, at any rate, made
fun Of the idea. and never heard the
point seriously raised by anyone else
Of influence.
Before I left the kaiser that morn.
Ing he spoke Of the Anglo-French loan
which had been doated In America
and condemned Us severely for coun-
tenancing It. When told him that
Germany had also doated loan In
America. he replied: sRut ours WAS
only $4,000. 900. while theirs II $780,
OOO. OO0r to which / naturally rejoined
that the size OF the loan could CIR
tninly not affect the question OF our
neutrality In floating It.
He criticised our bankers who han.
died the loan. and when I asked him Il