The Meridian times. (Meridian, Idaho) 1909-1938, 1918-09-27

TOT Ln6lr Th1lTOHu LTdVei, the hdlScI 1
took to automobiles. They charged /
him 1000 marks, he told me, for the
use Of train on one of his shooting |
trips, and that apparently was more
than he could stand.
autos are expensive" he declared,
"but they don't cost me that muchT
The kaiser speaks English with but
the slightest trace of foreign accent.
His dlction is perfect. He speaks
French, too. very fuently, and, be-
lieve, Italian. He is widely read on
almost all subjects and knows the lit
erature Of England, France and Amer
lea as well as that of Germany. Mark
Twain was one of his favorite Amer
lean authors and Longfellow his choice
of American poets.
He prides himself on his acquain-
lance with history and has little re
spect for the political opinions of 9th
ers whose knowledge of history is less
complete.
Shortly after Carnegie had donated
five million marks to Germany to fur
Their world-peace, I happened to be
talking to the kaiser of American mil
lionaires and the steelmaster was
mentioned.
"Of course, Carnegie is a nice old
man and means WELL" remarked the
kaiser, condescendingly, 'but he is to-
tally ignorant of world history. He's
just advanced us five million for
world-peace. We accepted it naturally,
but, of course, we intend to continue
our policy of maintaining our army and
navy in full strength"
Indeed, there is hardly any subject
to which the kaiser has devoted any
considerable attention In which he
doesn't regard himself as the final au-
thority.
AS an art collector and antiquarian
he claims first place and he is rather
inclined to feel that second place
should be left vacant. He Always re-
sented very much the acquisition by
American millionaires of art treasures
and antiquities which their wealth en-
abled them to buy, but which their
limited acquaintance with history and
| their lack Of culture and refinement
made them unable to appreciates
the kaiser's estimation.
OF his own taste in art little need be
said. The monuments which he caused
to be erected to his ancestors and their
advisors and which adorn the Sieges
Alice, the street he had opened through
the Tlergarten especially for them, are
at the same time a monument to the
kaiser's ideas of art. They are the
laughing-stock of the artistic world.
They have been so frequently defaced
by vandals whose artistic taste they
offended that it was necessary to sta
ton policemen. In the Sieges Alice to
guard them. Not long ago a burglary
occurred in the vicinity. The burglars
were observed while at work and a
startled civilian rushed to the Sieges
Alice to summon one of the officers
who were known to be on guard there
''If you hurry" exclaimed the civil
ian, excitedly, 'you can catch these
burglars red-handed."
I'm sorry" replied the policeman
"But cannot leave the statues"
Realism is the kaiser's idea of what
is most desirable in dramatic art
When he put on "Sardanapal," Greek
tragedy in pantomime, at the Berlin
opera house, he sent professors tC
the British museum to secure the mos
detailed information available regard
I ing the costumes of the period. Every
utensil, every article of wearing ap
parel, every button, every weapon, il
fact, every property used in the play
were to be faithfully reproduced, par
ticular pains being taken to produce {
most realistic effect in funeral pyrC
scene in which a king ended his life
The kaiser sent me tickets to see 1t.
King Edward attended the perform
ance at the Berlin Royal opera and
asked the kaiser how the king of Eng
land enjoyed it.
my gracious" the kaiser replied
unable to repress his satisfaction a
the effect the pantomime had had OF
his royal uncle, "why, the king wa
very much alarmed when the funera
pyre scene came on. He thought thu
whole opera house was on firel"
: Perhaps the kaiser's love for detail
might be attributed to his keen obser
walton. Nothing, no matter how triy
ial, escaped his attention.
A couple of years before the war
had the empire furniture in my wait
ing room reupholstered. On the yer,
first occasion of the kaiser's calling a
t my Office after the change he noticed IL
'My, my, how beautiful the chair
look !" he exclaimed. "Good enough 70
, Napoleon himself"
: On another occasion, between two Q
: the kaiser's visits, I had had put u
= in the waiting room a new portrait o
Mrs. Davis. The kaiser noticed it tn
moment he came into the room an,
r made some complimentary remarl
: about 1t.
The kaiser frequently accused tn
Americans of being dollar-worshiper
e and the English of being ruled b
Mammon, but that he himself was no
totally unmindful of the value an,