The circle banner. [volume] (Circle, Mont.) 1914-1939, 1918-12-20

than caste and social distinction. Nor
q ganatic marriages were naturally ab
8 horrent to him. Nevertheless, befor,
:, Archduke Franz Ferdinand, the sue
8 cessor to the Austrian throne. wal
s murdered, the kaiser not only recog
: nized his morganatic wife, who wa.
) only a countess, but went out Of his
J way to show her Difference. He placed
!, her at his right at all state functions
, which she attended. To bring Austria
/ and Germany closer together, he was
willing to waive one of his deep-rooted
prejudices.
, The Significance Of the kaiser's
/ many visits to Italy, his presentation
of statue to Stockholm, his yachting
/. excursions in Scandinavian waters,
|. his flirtations with Turkey from his
castle on the Island OF Corfu, and sim
liar acts of ingratiation, becomes quite
apparent in the face of more recent
developments, but his efforts to curry
favor with America during all the
years Of peace which preceded the war
were so much more elaborate that they
deserve more than passing mention.
No more subtle piece Of propaganda
was ever conceived than the kaisers
plan of exchanging professors between
the United States and Germany
through the establishment OF the
Roosevelt and Harvard chairs at the
| University Of Berlin and corresponding
chairs at Harvard and other American
universities. Ostensibly the purpose OF
the project was to foster goodwill be-
| tween the two nations. Actually, 1t
was intended to Germanize Americans
| to such an extent that their co-opera-
ton might be relied upon In the event
Of war for which Germany was sed-
ulously preparing. n
It was believed that the exchange of
professors would accomplish the Ger
man purpose In two ways: not only
could the professors the kaiser sent to
America be depended upon to SOW Ger
man seed in American soil, but the
American professors who were sent to
Berlin, 1t was hoped, could be 80 in
oculated with the German viewpoint
that when they returned to their ma
tive land they would disseminate 1t
Some time before the kaiser con-
ceived the scheme of the Exchange |
Professors, he sent his brother, Prince |
Henry, to this country to draw the |
two nations closer together and to in |
still in the heart Of every child born
In America of German parents an
abiding love for the fatherland.
hot hn
was planning to send one OF his sons
here with the same object
He told me of his project and asked
me to which part Of the United States
I thought he ought to send the prince.
"That depends, your majesty" 1 re-
piled, upon the object Of the visit.
If the purpose is to meet American
society, 1 would recommend such
places as Newport in summer and
Palm Beach in winter. To come in
contact with our statesmen and diplo-
mats, Washington would naturally be
the most likely place to visit"
The kaiser thanked me for the in |
formation but did not enter into fur
Their details as to the object he had
n mind or which son he had planned
10 send across.
It was to curry favor with America
hat the kaiser had his yacht Meteor
quilt in our shipyards, and 1t Is fact
hat more American women were pre-
,ented at the German court than those !
If any other nation.
When he presented a statue OF
frederick the Great to this country,
n McKinley's administration, it ere
,ted great stir in congress. What
,ould be less appropriate, 1t was ar
.ued, than the statue OF monarch In
he capital Of republic7 The statue :
vas not set up In McKinley's adminis- I
ration, but Roosevelt accepted 1t in
he interest Of diplomacy and had It
.rected In front Of the Army building.
Seeing that his gift had had Just the
opposite effect to that intended. the
Laiser reprimanded his ambassador 5
or not having interpreted American
ointment more accurately.
A few days after the death Of King II
Edward, Roosevelt arrived in Berlin.
Despite the fact that all Europe was
nost elaborate military dress review q
yer given In honor Of a private citizen u
0 celebrate Roosevelt's visit. The re- .
lew was held in the large military Z
eservation near Berlin. More than =
10000 soldiers passed in review be-
ore the kaiser and his stan and their
0nored guest
How far the kaiser would have gone =
, his attentions to Roosevelt had he p
OF been In mourning 1t Is impossible
, say, but / don't believe he would 4
ave left anything undone to show his .
for the American expires. u
lent and to curry favor with this q
]untry. "
But Roosevelt was not the only q
to whom the kaiser made u
vertures. He was constantly inviting
millionaires to pay him q
achting visits At Kiel or wherever Eol
sc he happened to be. =
n <>~ hw an AuanRf. ~