American Falls press. [volume] (American Falls, Idaho) 1907-1937, 1918-10-22
CHAPTER III.
The Kaiser's Dual Personality.

January, 1914, instead of in January,
1918, and had written the impression
I had gained of the kaiser in the ten
years l had known him, what a false
picture 1 would have painted Of the
man as he really is!
1t would have been a picture of a
man who in general appearance and
bearing was every inch an emperor and
yet who could exhibit all the courtesy,
affability and %gentleness Of the most
democratic gentleman, a man soft Of
eye and kindly In expression, a man Of
wide reading and MISUNDERSTANDING
the most versatile man in the world, a
man who possessed a most alert mind,
a remarkable memory and the keenest
observation; a nan who was not gen.
erous in nature and yet was at times
c~onsiderate of others; a man Of charm
ing personality and amiability. It
would have shown a man Of unpar-
alleled egotism, a man who was Inn
patient of correction and who would
brook no opposition. There might have
been in the picture a suggestion Of the
dire lengths to which the man would
go to have his way, but it would have
been only a suggestion.
AS far as it went, the picture would
have been accurate, but 1t would have
been sadly incomplete-with all the
lights worked in but lacking all the
shadows.
1t took the war and its attendant
horrors to reveal the kaiser In his
true colors. The war did not change
his Character; it uncovered it.
Early in my practice 1 happened to
mention to the kaiser that 1 appre-
ciated the friendliness he showed me
In invariably waving his hand at me
as he passed my window when walking
along the Tiergarten.
ITS a good advertisement for you,
Davis" he said. 1.-THE people see me
waving to you and they know you must
be a good dentist or 1 wouldn't
come to you. 1t will help your busi-
ness!" In every act, he was conscious
of the public.
During that period Of my career In
Berlin, he showed the utmost interest
In my progress and frequently inquired
how my practice was developing.
The first bill 1 rendered him, as
have mentioned, he doubled. On a
number of subsequent occasions, he
paid me more than my bill called for
These -overpayments never amounted
to very much, but they impressed me
because they were so out of keeping
with the stinginess the kaiser dis
played in other directions.
From time to time the kaiser sent
or brought me autographed pictures Of
himself or others. At the time of the
one ~hundredth anniversary of Fred
erick the Great, he gave me a picture
of that monarch. On another occasion
he presented me with a group picture
of himself surrounded by his famil!
and dogs. l remember his bringing Il
me a large unframed picture in cele
bration Of his silver wedding. 1t wa
about twenty-four by eighteen inche
in size. 1t showed the kaiserin ant
himself in a sort of cloud floating abov
a birdseye view Of Berlin, with tn
palace and the cathedral dimly seel
below.
81 don't know just what this master
piece was meant to signify, but had
framed and placed it in my office.
evoked from a little boy who entere'
the room with his mother the follow
ing astonished remark: "Oh, mother
look at the kaiser in heaven!"
A postcard picture of the kaiser
signed by his own hand, was in hi
own estimation one of the most price
less gifts he could bestow. 1 remen
Der his donating one of them to a
American charity bazaar in Berlin I
be auctioned off. He thought that tn
fact that the card came from his in
perial majesty gave it a value whic
could not be measured in dollars an
cents. A piece Of jewelry or a SUI
of money might have been duplicate
or even excelled by a gift of similf
character from any American millioi
aire-for whose wealth the kaiser FIR
quently expressed the Utmost conteml
S-but what could surpass the value
an autograph of the kaiser!
No doubt the royal banquets wei
prepared much upon the same prii
C1ple, IOr IL was d SOumNH S"'''
among the German aristocracy that OF
had better feel well before going to
banquet at the palace.
happened to mention to the kais'
the reputation his banquets held amor
his people. He was not at all take
aback.
That's goodl" he commented. III
Germans T too fat, anyway. The m
jority of the people eat too much
Long after automobillng BEGAN
more or less general, the kaiser st
employed a horse and carriage L
ordinary travel, relying upon his IT
use of the railways for longer di
tances. When, however, the reichst'
passed a law compelling royalty to p'
for their rnilrnnd trnNnl the kAlS