Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1918-11-01

y found Austria as
- o Is her ally.
But even had Emperor Franz Joseph
shown reluctance TO plunge his nation
into war and hid Austria refused to
chastiSe Serbia for the murder of the
Ercnduke I doubt very much whether
the kaiser would have allowed that
event to have gone unavenged.
Il touched him In one of his most
vulnerable spots. The sanctity Of roy
atty is one of his most cherished ideas.
He felt sponsor for the monarchies
CT the world, as we feel sponsor for
the democracies. 4 thrust at throne
WIS stab at the kaiser's heart, ana
With Or without the cooperation OF
Austria firmly believe he would have
gone to any lengths to have avenged
the crime of Saraievo.
1t is true that the kaiser sent a
message to the car Of Russia in
which he pointed out that Austria
ought to he allowed to chastise Serbia
without interference from the other
European powers, reEarking, 1--WE
1rinces must hold together" but there
can be no doubt that that was Sery
rar from the outcome dearest to his
heart. If, indeed, the punishment Of
Serbia had been accomplished With
ont war the kaiser would have been a
most disappointed man, and IL Russia
had failed to mobilize her troops,
which gave Germany preteXt for
c2ossing me Russian border, I haven't
the slightest doubt that Germany
would have prodded Russia into war.
anyway, knowing that France would
follow. "Der Tag" (the day. had
come for which Germany had been
planning and plotting, and nothing On
earth could ROW interfere with the ex-
ecutioD Of the program.
How firmly the kaiser was welded
to the dynastic idea and how deeply
lie abhorrcd the spirit Of democracy
was revealed throughout the whole
course of his life, and In his CONVERSE
items with me he frequently gave eE-
preston 70 views which disclosed how
thoroughly he believed in the ''divine
right Of kings"
l saw him shortly after Wilson'S
election in 1912.
"Nhat will America ever accomplish
with d professor at its headT he
asked, sneeriagly. Davis, your cour-
try will never be truly great until it
becomes q monarchyw
On another occasion he sneered at
conditions in England.
e. 'Lcoi, at England today" he re-
marked. she is ruled by Lloyd |
George, q socialist! Why, England is
virtually & republic, as bad as France!
What's become Of the king Of Eng
land? one never hears OF him any |
more! Why doesn't he assert him
self" The tone of disgust with which
ne gave vent to these sentiments was
more significant, perhaps, than the
words used might imply.
"YoEr president is trying to over
throw NE and my family from the
throne Of Germany by his notes." he
commented bitterly, when I saw him
shortly after the publication Of the
presidents reply to the pope, "but he
little understands how loyal are my
people and now futile his efforts will
prove. They held meetings recently
all over the empire, In every city and
village, and showed their allegiance
to me in DO uncertain way, and your
president received the answer from
my people that he deserved" I Won
dered whether the kaiser was unaware
Of the fact that all these meetings
had been inspired by the government
and their useful agent, the press, or
whether he was once again making |
use of his histrionlc ability.
Although Germany is regarded as |
the cradle of socialism, to the kaiser
1t was Il cancer which was slowly eat
Ing away the foundations of his eiH-
pire and he viewed its progress with |
the dircst misgivings.
Before the war he steadfastly re- |
fused to receive a deputation Of So
ciaiists and never once gave an audi |
ence to the leaders or the SOCIALIST |
party in the reichstag, although the |
heads of committees CT al the other
political parties were at times re-
ceived in conference.
g While the relchstag was little more
than q childrer's debating society, the
growth and increasing power OF tile
socialistic party, which was constantly
clamoring for the reform vote, could
not be ignored, and no doubt had
GREET deal to do with the militarists
anxiety not to postpone the war too
long.
After mobilization was ordered,
however, the kaiser decided to recede
from his position somewhat, and from
the balcony Of the palace in Berlin, ID
front of which an enormous croWd