Cresco plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1913-1945, 1918-11-08
CHAPTER v.

The Kaiser Defends German War
Methods.
The kaiser was always very careful
about everything which might affect
his health, and even after the war
started, when his attention was natu-
rally occupied by many pressing prob
lens, he did not neglect his teeth, but
came to me as regularly as he had al
ways done.
OF this was very glad, because 1t
gave me an opportunity to draw the
kaiser out on many of the Interesting
questions which the war suggested
and which found him always ready
to discuss. Perhaps the fact that I
was an American led the kaiser to
greater lengths in his justification Of
German war methods and measures
than he might otherwise have thought
Necessary.
The first time saw the kaiser after
the war started was about August 10.
1914. Between eleven and twelve
o'clock the night before, I had been
notified by telephone that the kaiser
would like me to attend him at the
Berlin palace the following morning
at nine o'clock. He was about to make
his first visit to the front and wanted
his teeth examined before he went
The work had to do for him was
nothing of q serious character and did
not occupy more than twenty minutes.
One of his Wallets stood by to give me
any assistance might need, but left
the room when was through. .s.1r
'Have you been reading in the pa
pers, Davis" the kaiser asked when we
were alone, show our soldiers have
been treated by the BelgiansY'
said I had not had a chance to
read the papers that morning."
swell, you must certainly read them.
They've been gouging out the eyes of
our wounded and mutilating my men
horribly! They call it modern, civil
lized warfare. That's savagery! !
hope your president is taking notice
of these atrocities"
OF course I was in no position to
!. was not in possession Of any of the
facts, but I learned afterward that
four American newspaper correspond
ents had secured Germany from one
end of the country to the other in an
effort to run down these reports. They
left no rumor uninvestigated, no mat
ter how far they had to travel to YER
ify it. When they had finally exhaust
ed every clue and followed every lead
they had not found a single case to
justify the charge the kaiser had made
against the Belgians and which, of
course the inspired German press con-
tinued to report from day to day.
The object of these lies was to JUS
tify the outrages which the Germans
were committing in their plan to ter
rorize the Inhabitants of the countries
they were overrunning. According to
reports the activities of franc-tireurs
In the occupied territories were met
by the Germans with the most bar
barrie punishments, crucifixfon and
similar atrocities being very common.
Undoubtedly the kaiser was aware of
what his soldiers were doing, and to
defend their conduct he lent ready
ear to the unfounded charges made
against the Belgians.
"I'have already framed q message
which intend sending to your presi-
dent regarding the use of dumdum
bullets by the Belgians and French"
the kaiser went on. 1--WE have ample
proof to establish this charge not only
in the character Of the wounds suffered
by my soldiers but in the shape Of I'M
used cartridges which we found in the
captured forts"
Strangely enough, the kaiser sent
off his protest to President Wilson
about the same day that President
POincare forwarded similar protest
based upon the use Of dumdum bullets
by the Germans.
Regarding the violation Of Belgium's
neutrality, the kaiser was able to Of
fer no reasonable argument. The fact
that he was willing to pay Belgium for
permission to allow his armies to go
through that country was apparently
sufficient justification in his eyes for
taking by force what Belgium refused
to sell.
"How foolish of Belgium to have re-
sisted us!" he declared, in this con-
nection. "Had they consented to let
us walk through we would have paid
for everything Not a
hair Of their heads would have been
touched and Belgium today would be
in the same happy financial condition
that Luxembourg is"
At q subsequent interview we re-
ferred to Belgium again, and the kali
ser alleged that Japan had violated
the neutrality of China when she sent
troops through Chinese territory to
seize Kiao-Chau.
1T is all right for the allies to do
these things" he commented sarcas-
tically, "but when Germany does them
rises up In righteous indig-