The Meridian times. (Meridian, Idaho) 1909-1938, 1918-09-27
CHAPTER III.
The KaIser's Dual Personality.

The kaisere DUAL personality.
If had come away from Germany In
January, 1914, instead of in January,
1918, and had written the impression
I had gained of the kaiser In the ten
years / had known him, what a false
picture 1 would have painted of the
man as he really isl
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, man soft of
eye and kindly in expression, man of
1 wide reading and attainments- perhaps
the most versatile man in the world,
man who possessed most alert mind,
a remarkable memory and the keenest
observation; man who was not gen
erous in nature and yet was at times
considerate of others; man of charm
ing personality and amiability. 1t
would have shown a man of unpar-
alleled egotism, a man who was i'm
patient of correction and who would
brook no opposition. There might have
been in the picture suggestion of the
dire lengths to which the man would
go to have his way, but it would have
been only 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 it's attendant
horrors to reveal the kaiser in his
true colors. The war did not change
his character; it uncovered it.
Early in my practice 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.
TITS a good advertisement for you
Davis" he said. "The people see me
waving to you and they know you must
be a good dentist or I wouldn't
come to you. 1t will help your bust.
nessl" 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 9
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 SEN
: or brought me autographed pictures o.
/ himself or others. At the time of the
t one hundredth anniversary of Fred
t erick the Great, he gave me pictur,
) of that monarch. On another occasion
g he presented me with a group picture
: of himself surrounded by his family
and dogs. / remember his bringing II
/ me large unframed picture in cele
S bration of his silver wedding. 1t wa
n about twenty-four by eighteen inches
d in size. 1t showed the kaiserin ant
e himself in sort of cloud floating abov,
e a birdseye view Of Berlin, with tn,
e palace and the cathedral dimly seel
below.
v II don't know just what this master
: piece was meant to signify, but had i
O framed and placed it in my office.
I evoked from a little boy who enteret
= the room with his mother the follow
h ing astonished remark: "Oh, mother
). look at the kaiser in heavenw
s A postcard picture Of the kaiser
# signed by his own hand, was in hi
e own estimation one of the most price
" less gifts he could bestow. I remem
Der his donating one of them to a
n American charity bazaar In Berlin t
q be auctioned off. He thought that tn
N fact that the card came from his i'm
a perial majesty gave it value whicl
( could not be measured in dollars an
+ cents. A piece Of jewelry or a sur
l. of money might have been duplicate
r or even excelled by gift of simila
character from any American million
d aire-for whose wealth the kaiser FIRE
r, quently expressed the utmost conteml
d but what could surpass the value G
e. an autograph of the kaiserl
% No doubt the royal banquets wer
l. prepared much upon the same priv
1t ciple, for it was a common sayin
.e among the German aristocracy that on
n had better feel well before going to
banquet at the palace.
ID / happened to mention to the kaise
II the reputation his banquets held anon
ar his people. He was not at all take
u aback.
"That's good ~ he commented. 9Th
d Germans are too fat, anyway. The ms
j. jority of the people eat too much"
sr Long after automobiling becam
id more or less general, the kaiser sti
u employed a horse and carriage fC
in ordinary travel, relying upon his fire