The Bridgeport times and evening farmer. (Bridgeport, Conn.) 1918-1924, 1918-06-07


leaders in this great conflict, which
will make Germany mistress of the |
world. But I shall see that not one
of them is in actual danger or comes |
to any harm""
The Kaiser's Cowardice.
My mistress had unconsciously ini-
tated Wilhelm lis theatrical style of |
speech, to my carefully concealed
amusement But I could not help re-
fleeing that the Kaiser's selfish /
words had been fulfilled-and they
have been so to this day. The House
of Hohenzollern is frequently refer |
red to in war-worn Germany as "the
family that has lost no member" and
long before I left that country there
was much Disconnected muttering
and critical comment upon the fact.
IT am worried also about Wilhelm's
own safety-and his health" the Kali
serin went on. "I don't remember
whether 1 have told you, Emile, of
the fright the Kaiser got some years
ago when we were at the Marble Pal
ace. One morning he learned that
the Prince of Schoenberg, who lived
| in villa quite near the Neuer Gar
ten, had died suddenly of diphtheria.
| Wilhelm turned pale, and instantly
| ordered the chamberlain on duty to
have all his things packed and sent
to the Berlin Schloss at once.
| 81 had not heard of the Princes
death, and Wilhelm simply informed
me he was going to Berlin, and that
! the Marble Palace would see him no
more. I was thunderstruck, but he
was so upset I dared not question him
and I was greatly disturbed over this
sudden decision to abandon me and
our home until I learned the truth.
Anyhow, Wilhelm fled that day to-
Berlin, and has never lived at the
Marble Palace since"
I had heard this story before, and 1
could give many other instances of
the Kaiser's cowardly fears of risk of
infection. I have repeatedly known
the great War Lord to fly away from
or insult guests at the Palace who
CHANGED to disclose that some rela-
tive was suffering from a cold, or
measles, or a similar illness. 1 re-
member once a well-known and hon
ored lady being suddenly plunged into
tears at a Royal reception in Berlin.
In conversation with the Kaiser she
mentioned that her little boy was ILL.,
fiercely to her, How dare you come
near me under such circumstances?
At the Neues Palais a wardrobe at
tendant of the Empress, Fraulein
Schrader, had consulted the Court
physician about a slight feverish
sickness. Following the prescribed
treatment, she was lying in bed at
midnight, in a profuse perspiration,
when she was aroused by the Kaisers
imperative orders to leave the Palace
Immediately. The poor girl, sick and
shivering, was bundled into a car
riage, and hurried away to a hospi-
tai, only to be told that there was no
room for. her there. Finally she was
admitted to pauper's ward of the
lowest class, and given a cot next to
some poor wretch in the throes Of
death. And as a result of the shock
and horror of her experience, coupled
with her exposure, F'raulein Schra-
der herself died in those misera BILE
surroundings a few days later.
Treated Like Beasts.
The kaiserin and I had drifted in
to talk of such incidents, and Of Will
helm lis general attitude to the
swarm of servants employed in the
Royal Palaces; though it was diff
cult for Auguste Victoria, loyal and
, long suffering wife, that she is to
, speak frankly even to me on the mat
ter.
, For the plain truth is that the Kai-
! ser's treatment of his iI-paid, ILL
fed domestics is nothing short of
= boorish brutality. Good morning"
or Good evening"" is an unheard of
y for any request to be prefaced with
;, Please or followed by the barest
: word of thanks would be as startling
as it is unknown. You there" he
invariably shouts at any one of them
= man or woman, when necessity arises
: for the All-Highest's lips to address
such inferior beings with question or
! command.
= Indeed, the Kaiser's sur1y con-
= tempt for these underlings would
= seem to amount almost to virulent
hatred. Certainly he flies into a VIC
y lent passion if he ever encounters one
of them in his rooms. He has issued
strict orders that no servant shall
= ever be found in his apartments dur
. ing his presence there unless he Is
y asleep; and woe betide the unlucky
:. wretch who breaks this rule
But William the Sudden is no.
toriously erratic in his movements
and the hours he keeps; so that hi:
~ terrified domestics are confronted
>, with constant difficulty in evadine
him. 1t is only possible for ser
- wants, engaged perhaps in cleaning o.
e busting, to drop work at sound o.
- their Imperial masters approach
and scurtle like scared rabbits out O
d his sight
1 recalled to the Kaiserin as W,
= talked that day an amusing instanc,
of a chambermaid who was thus dis
turbed by the Emperor's unexpected
coming. Escape seemed hopeless
- the penalty of discovery unthinkable
- But the stoves at the Neues Palai
W are massive affairs with huge open
% ings; and the frightened maid bolte,
into one near-empty and unlit, sine
it was summer time-and crouchet
~ trembling in its sooty concealment TO
rs almost an hour.
IL "Ah, well, Countess" said the Kai
serin-for, poor lady, she usually trie
~ to gloss over her lords faults-''I ad
. init Wilhelm is hasty and unreason
ne able towards the servants. But yo,
must remember he is a very exalte
.l' parsonage, with heavy Responsible
:. ties weighing upon him, and the in
a. trusion of these people upon hi
.'s thoughts irritates him intensely"
ne This, I thought privately, was NO
a. sufficient excuse for fiendish tempe
y and actual cruelty. But how can on
~ expect consideration for mere mental
'N when Wilhelm II treats the Kaiseri
u herself with rank discourtesy an