Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1918-09-04

"but they don't cost me that muchv"
The kaiser speaks English with but
the slightest trace Of a foreign accent.
His diction Is perfect He speaks
French, too, very fluently, and, I be-
lieve, Italian. He is widely read on
almost all subjects and knows the lit.
erature Of England, France and Amer.
lea as well as that of Germany. Mark
Twain was one Of his favortte Amer.
lean authors and Longfellow his choice
Of American poets.
He prides himself on his acquain.
lance with history and has little re-
spect for the political opinions of 9th.
ers whose knowledge of history Is less
complete.
Shortly after Carnegie had donated
five million marks to Germany to fur.
ther world-peace, I happened to be
talking to the kaiser Of American mil.
nonaires and the steelmaster was
mentioned.
"Of course, Carnegie is nice old
man and means WE'LL" remarked the
kaiser, condescendingly, "but he is to.
tally ignorant Of world history. He's
Just advanced US five million for
world-peace. We accepted 1t naturally,
but, of course, we intend to continue
our policy of maintaining our army and
navy in full strength"
Indeed, there Is hardly any subject
to which the kaiser has devoted any
considerable attention in which he
doesn't regard himself as the final au'
thonty.
As an art collector and antiquarian
he claims first place and he Is rather
inclined to feel that second place
should be left vacant he Always ~
scented very much the acquisition by
American millionaires of art treasures
and antiquities which their wealth en-
abled them to buy. but which their
limited acquaintance with history and
their lack Of culture and refinement
made them unable to appreriate-n
the kaiser's estimation.
OF his own taste In art little need b
said The monuments which be caused
to be erected 70 his ancestors and their
advisors and which adoEn the Sleges
Alice, the street he had Np.ned through
the Tergnrten especially for them, arc
at the same time q monument to the
kaiser's ideas of art. They aIe the
laughing-stock Of the artistic world
They have been 30 frequently defaced
by vandals whose artistic taste they
offended that 1t was necessary to sta
ton policemen in the Sieges Alice to
guard them. Not long ago a burglary
occurred in the vicinity. The burglars
were observed while at work and q
startled civilian rushed to the Sieges
Alice to summon one Of the officers
who were known to be on guard there.
"f you hurry" exclaimed the civil
ian, excitediy, you can catch these
burglars red-handed."
"I'm sorry" replied the policeman,
"But cannot leave the statues"
Realism is the kaiser's idea Of what
Is most desirable in dramatic art.
When he put on "SardanapaL" Greek
tragedy In pantomime, ut the Berlin
opera house, he sent professors to
the British museum to secure the most
detailed information available regard.
ing the costumes Of the period Every
utensil. every article of wearing ap-
parel, every button, every weapon, in
fact, every property used in the play
were to be faithfully reproduced, par
ticular pains being taken to produce a
most realistic effect In funeral pyre
scene In which king ended his life.
The kaiser sent me tickets to see 1t.
King Edward attended the perform.
ance at the Berlin Royal opera and ]
asked the kaiser how the king Of Eng.
land enjoyed 1t.
MY gracious" the kaiser replied
unable to repress his satisfaction at
the effect the pantomime had had on
his royal uncle. "why, the king was
very much alarmed when the funeral
pyre scene came on. He thought the
whole opera house was on fire."
Perhaps the kaiser's love for details
might be attributed to his keen obser-
walton. Nothing, no matter how triv-
ial, escaped his attention.
A couple of years before the war
had the empire furniture in my wait.
ing room reupholstered. On the very
first occasion of the kaiser's calling at
my Office after the change he noticed it.
"My, my, how beautiful the chairs
look I" he exclaimed. "Good enough for
Napoleon himself"
On another occasion, between two of
the kaiser's visits, had had pat up
in the waiting room new portrait of
Mrs. Davis. The kaiser noticed 1t the
moment he came into the room and
made some complimentary remark
about 1t.
The kaiser frequently accused the
Americans Of being dollar-worShipers
and the English of being ruled by
Mammon, but that he himself was not
totally unmindful of the value and
power Of money was clearly revealed
by the manner in which he catered to
people of wealth in recent years.
The richest man in Berlin and one
of the richest in Germany was He
brew coal magnate named Fried
lander. The kaiser ennobled him and
made him Won Friedlander-Fuld. An
other wealthy Hebrew to whom the
kaiser catered was Schwabach, head
of the Bleichroeder bank, one Of the
strongest private banks in Germany,