The Lamar register., 1918-09-18


Napoleon himself"
On another occasion, between two of
the kaiser's visits. l had had put up
in the waiting room II 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 If the
strongest private banks in Germany.
and he. too, was ennobled. becoming
Won Schwabach.
A number of other wealthy Hebrews
in Germany were also honorcd by the
kaiser in another way. Although he
was averse to visiting the homes Of
private individuals who lacked social
standing he departed from his rule In
their favor and visited their mansions
ostensibly to view their art collections.
but actually to tickle their vanity.
n oil EaaaHaa
bassador to Germany. the kaiser called
on me.
your new ambassadors daughter is
the best looking young lady who has
attended our court In many II day" he
declared. "Half dozen of my young
stan officers are very anxious TO marry
her. Can you tell me. Davis. whether
these Leishmans have money!"
II the kaiser despised the American
certainly not averse to acquiring
American dollars.
He told me once that every trip the
Hamburg-American liner Amerika
made from New York to Hamburg re-
suited in transferring $4,000 from
American TO German pockets. and
added: "we're mighty glad to get some
OF your American money. ! can tell
you"
OF the kaiser's versatility had
convincing evidence. In his conversa-
lions with me we usually wandered
from subject to subject In the most
haphazard manner. and he invariably
displayed a surprising store OF infor-
nation on every topic We touched, and
i am not vain enough to believe that
he was SO anxious to make favorable
impression upon me that he prepared
for these discussions in advance.
Indeed. the kaiser discussed SO free
ly almost every subject that suggested
Itself that I often wondered what his
advisors would have said had they
overheard our conversations. His read
mess to talk to me was undoubtedly
due to a tendency he had to trust
every one with whom he came In Init
mate contact. For u man who was apt
to have so many enemies. he was less
suspicious than anyone I had ever
met. He seemed to trust every one. and
his sense Of security unloosened his
tongue and made him more laxative,
perhaps. than was always discreet.
The kaiser was very fond Of listen
Ing to and telling stories with u point
and would frequently invite me to tell
him any new one that l might have
heard. Some OF the stories we ex-
changed were more or less risque and
would be out of place In these pages,
but 1 do not mean to Intimate that
there was anything very much amiss
with them. They always amused him
very much and he was quick to catch
the point.
The kalser's sense OF humor fire.
Quently exhibited itself. He told me
OF u conference between representa-
tives of all the powers regarding the
selection Of king for Albania after
the Balkan war. Some OF those present
thought the incumbent ought to be
Catholic. others insisted that a Greek
Catholic was essential, still others
maintained that Mohammedan would
be most logical.
1t seemed quite impossible to come
to any agreement as to just what re-
llgion the king OF Albania should pro-
fess. and the kaiser had ended the dis
cussion, he said. with the suggestion:
well. gentlemen, If Protestant
won't do. and Roman Catholic won't
do and Buddhist is out of the cues