American Falls press. [volume] (American Falls, Idaho) 1907-1937, 1918-11-08

til addressed. AS that mOnarch's opin-
ions on most subjects are firmly fixed
and he will stand no opposition, any
idea he may entertain Is
very apt to remain with him. His adj
visers were apt to leave him in errof
rather than arouse his ire by attempt
ing to set him right. But for the fact
that he was very fond of asking innu-
merable questions, his store of infor-
nation might have been extremely
scanty.
In the course of my conversations
with him he frequently expressed his
views of men who were in the public
eye. Upon what basis they were
founded he did not always enlighten
me, but even when 1 knew them to be
erroneous 1 realized 1t was useless to
try to change them and did not often
take issue with him. When 1 did his
eyes would flash fire, but l had ex-
pected that and I continued just the
same.
The kaiser always seemed to TAX
a particular interest in American af-
fairs, and while he professed to de-
epise our form of government he
watched very carefully the careers OF
our public men. 1t is not unlikely that
he imagined, as l have pointed o.
elsewhere in these pages, that he could
influence our elections by swinging
the German-American vote In favor of
the candidate he preferred, and he
made a study Of our public men In
49, - rnfrhf EnoU UhfQh nf
them would be more desirable In office
from the German viewpoint.
When Mr.. Wilson was nominated for
the presidency, the kaiser was quite
positive that he wouldn't be elected.
Perhaps the fact that Mr.. Roosevelt,
for whom at that time the kaiser had
the greatest admiration, was n OF
Mr.. Wilson's rivals, blinded him to the
strength which elected Wilson. but the
fact that the latter had had little ex-
p~erience In international politics I'M
fitted him, in the kaiser's estimation,
for the important office for which he
was running.
I saw the kaiser shortly after Mr..
Wilson's election.
~ am very much surprised at the
result OF your election. he declared
81 didn't think your people would be
so foolish as to elect a college profess
sor as president. What does a profes'
sor know about international politics
and diplomatic afrairsr
l haven't the slightest doubt thai
the kaiser pictured ouS president al
a counterpart of the typical German
professor-a Flooding, impractical, un
ambitious bookworm with no hope Of
desire of ever earning more than $l,OV
a year and no yearning for public &C
claim, a r~ecluse, absent-minded al
~self-centered, who spent the midnigh
oil porting over musty volumes an'
paid little or no attention to what wa
going on around him Such a man
the kaiser undoubtedly believed, tn
United States had elected as its chile
executive and his surprise was NOR
or less natural in those circumstance
When Wilson sent 5000 men to Yer
Cruz the kaiser felt that he had ez
ceeded his rights.
what right has Wilson to mix !
the internal affairs Of MexicoT' h
asked. "Why doesn't he allow them
fight 1t out among themselves. 1t
their affair, not his !" Germany ha
many financial interests in Mexico an
looked with disfavor upon any NOV
we made In that direction.
When, however, the war in Euror
started the kaiser made every efol
70 have America mix in internationi
- ----sa-l 49,, fo,ohf ON har cfd
When l saw him just after the VIZ
~Nstarted he said we ought to seize tn
.~rnortunity to annex Canada an
Nic.icc.
'''o,'t -our president see the VOL
'nerful opportunity now for combil
ing with us and crushing England
he asked. with our fleet on n sic
and Americas on the other we coul
destroy England's sea power. This
Americas great opportunity to dom
nate the western hemisphere, and yol
president must see his chance to tai
Canada and MeXicor
AS the war progressed and repor
reached the kaiser of u increase
shipments of munitions to the allie
the kaiser's Impotence with Wilson b
came more difficult to repress, ar
there was hardly an interview l ha
with him in which he did not CIV
vent to his feelings in that come
ton.
MY officers are becoming so i
censed at Americas attitude" he to
me, lit will be impossible for me
restrain them much longer"
And when, on another occasion,
accused Mr.. Wilson of discriminate
= against Germany, he made the !
mark: wilson's in the hands of &
Wall street groupl"
But, perhaps, the most bitter q
nunciation l ever heard him make