The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1918-09-26
Ill.
The Kaiser's Dual Personality.

tDiC, INV ith' "tAhhN N"D
[ had gained Of the kaiser In h ten
years I had known him, what a false
picture | would have painted of the
man as he really is!
II would have beer n picture or n
man who in general appearance and
bearing was every inch an emperor ana
yet who could exhibit all the courtesy,
afahllity and gentleness of the most
democratic gentleman, a man soft or
eye and kindly in expression, n man or
vide reading and misunderstanding
the most versatile man in the world, q
man who possessed Il most alert mind,
a remarkable memory and the Genes
observation n man Who was not gen"
erous in nature and yet was ut times
considerable OF others Il man Of charm
Ing personality and amiability. 1t
would have shown n man of unpar-
alleled eg0tism, II man who was Inn
patient of correction and who would
brook no opposition. There might have
been In the picture IA suggestion Of the
dire lengths to which the man would
go to have his way, but 1t would have
been only a suggestion.
AS far as it went, the picture would
have been accurate, but 1t would have
been sadly incomplete-with all the
lights worked In but lacking all the
shadows.
1t took the war and it's attendant
horrors to reveal the kaiser In his
true colors. The war did not change
his character; 1t uncovered 1t.
Early in my practice | happened to
mention to the kaiser that l appre-
ciated the friendliness he showed me
In invariably waving his hand at me
as he passed my window when walking
along the T%iergarten.
"It's a good advertisement for you,
Davis" he said. "The people see me
waving to you and they know you must
be a good dentist or l wouldn't
come to you. 1t will help your bust
ness!" In every act, he was conscious
Of the public.
During that period Of my career in
Berlin, he showed the utmost interest
In my progress and frequently inquired
how my practice was developing.
The first bill l rendered him, as /
have mentioned, he doubled. On a
number Of subsequent occasions, he
paid MI more than my bill called for.
These overpayments never amounted
to very much, but they impressed me
because they were so out of keeping
with the stinginess the kaiser dis
played In other directions.
From time to time the kaiser sent
or brought me autographed pictures of
himself or others. At the time Of the
one hundredth anniversary Of Fred
erick the Great, he gave me a picture
of that monarch. On another occasion,
he presented me with a group picture
of himself surrounded by his family
and dogs. l remember his bringing to
me a large unframed picture In cele-
bration Of his silver wedding. 1t was
about t%wenty-four by eighteen inches
In size. 1t showed the kaiserin and
himself In a sort of cloud floating above
a birdseye view OF Berlin, with the
palace and the cathedral dimly seer
below.
Il don't know just what this master.
piece was meant to signify, but l had II
framed and placed it In my Office. 1t
evoked from a little boy who entered
the ROOF with his mother the follow
Ing astonished remark: "Oh, mother,
look at the kaiser in heaven"
A postcard picture Of the kaiser,
signed by his own hand, was In his
estimation one Of the most price.
less gifts he could bestow. I remem.
Der his donating one Of them to ar
American charity bazaar In Berlin tC
be auctioned off. He thought that the
fact that the card came from his i'm
perial majesty gave 1t a value which
could not be measured in dollars and
cents. A piece Of jewelry or a sun
Of money might have been duplicated
or " excelled by a gift of similar
character from any American million
aire-for whose wealth the kaiser fire.
Quently expressed the utmost contempt
but what could surpass the value OF
an autograph of the kaiser!
Nv uouUt tuc IOyul DuuquetS were
prepared much upon the same prin.
ciple, for 1t was a common saying
among the German ~aristocracy that one
had better feel well before going to q
banquet at the palace.
! happened to mention to the kaiser
the reputation his banQuets held among
his people. He was not at all taken
aback.
That's good" he commented. 1.-THE
Gefinans r too fat, anyway. The ma
jority Of the people eat too much"
Long after automobiling became
more or less general. the kaiser still
employed q horse and carriage for
ordinary travel. relying upon his free
use Of the railways for longer dis
tances. When. however, the reichstag
passed : law compelling royalty to pay
Tor their railroad travel, the kaiser
took 10 automobiles. They charged
him 1900 marks. he told me. for the
~ n ! trajn On one " his shooting
trip6y and that ~apparsntly was more
AMM = = MEW