The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1918-10-10
The Kaiser as Knew linn
for Fourteen Years
~9
By ARTHUR N. DAVIS. D. D. S.


IL ~ lie 49, $500
garding the war were so weak and
untenable that one might well doubt
his sincerity in urging them, but l
shall give them for what they are
worth.
"They refer to us as the Huns" the
kaiser observed bitterly. IF your
people could see what the Russians
have done in the Bukowina and east
ern Prussia they would know then
who are the real Huns! They de-
strOyed everything they could lay
their hands on. In one of my shoot
ing lodges which the COssacks entered
they even Knocked out the teeth of the
boars' heads which hung on the walls !
With knives they cut out the covers Of
my chairs. They had special fire
bombs which they threw on peaceful
villages. These bombs had been con-
signed solely for pillage and destruc-
ton.
Instead of treating their soldiers
as prisoners of war we should have
strung them up by the ~neck-every
n of them"
Several prominent Poles, who were
patients of mine and whose fine es-
tates in Poland were looted and de-
molished, told me positively that the
destruction and depredations were
committed entirely by German troops.
The Russians had occupied the houses
when they were in possession of that
section Of the country, but it was not
until they were driven out by the Ger
mans that the acts Of vandalism were
committed and they had convincing
evidence that in every case the Ger
man soldiers and not the Russians
were responsible.
The outrages committed by the Ger
rnan in their treatment Of prisoners
Of war will probably eve be known
in their entirety. We do know that
they executed Captain Fryatt, the
commander of a British merchant YES
sci, who was captured after he had
rammed a German U-boat. / don't
know to what extent the kaiser was
directly responsible for that dastardly
crime, but from what he said regard
ing the capture Of another British cap
tain, the commander of the Baralong,
it was quite evident that he was In
entire sympathy with acts Of that
character.
A German U-boat had sunk a Brit
ish vessel upon which were some Of
the relatives of the crew Of the Bara-
long. The crew of this U-boat was
subsequently captured by the Bara-
long, and according to reports in Ger
many they were harshly treated. Then
1t was reported that the Baralong had
been captured and that her captain
and the crew would be summarily
dealt with.
81 hear we have captured the cap
tain of the Baralong," the kaiser de-
clared to me at that time. IF we can
prove that he's the man we'll fix him !"
The n in which the kaiser
spoke left no doubt in my mind that
the direst punishment would be melted
out to the unfortunate British captain.
Booty is undoubtedly a legitimate
incident of war, but 1t is legitimate
only as an incident. Otherwise booty
becomes loot. In any event, when in
vading troops seize private property it
is customary to pay for it. That the
Germans were good takers but poor
payers is revealed by two incidents
which the kaiser narrated to me, and
tho Ennn nninyynont hn doriuod from
them can be fully understood only by
those who know how much the kaiser
appreciates getting something for
nothing.
"ROumania wanted our gold for food
products" he told me. "They demand
ed pure gold and they set enormous
prices on their wares; but we needed
what they had to sell and we were
ready to pay even the outrageous
prices they demanded. And then they
foolishly declared war against us and
we got it all for nothing! When l
spoke to Hindenburg about the con-
templated campaign against Rouma-
MIA he said, This will be a very inter-
esting campaign 1t a We got all
we wanted and didn't have to pay q
penny for it,"
The kaiser beamed all over as he
contemplated the results Of ROuma.
MAS entry in the war.
When the German troops entered
Tarnapol, Russia, at a later time they
captured vast quantities of American
made hospital supplies.
1--WE were just figuring what this
seizure amounted to, and my army
doctors were strutting around as II
they owned the world" declared the
kaiser. "when one Of my officers was
approached by a group Of long-haired.
greasy Jews, who claimed that these
supplies belonged to them. They are
q private property we bought them
and we should be compensated II you
seize Them they contended. Did o
pay for themY' my officer asked. No,
we didn't pay for them, but we gave
q notes. they replied. Then said
my officers, when you take ND those
nntoo we'll nav rop <hoco o<o~~s. a.