The Meridian times. (Meridian, Idaho) 1909-1938, 1918-09-27
By
Arthur N.Dayis, DDS.
American Dsnfisf
80 the Kaiser from
1904 70 1918

of the richest In Germany was a 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 Of the |
strongest private banks in Germany,
and he, too, was ennobled, becoming |
Won Schwabach.
A number of other wealthy Hebrews
in Germany were also honored 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.
Shortly after Leishman became am
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 day" he
declared. "Half dozen of my young
staff officers are very anxious to marry
her. Can you tell me, Davis, whether
these Leishmans have money!
If the kaiser despised the American
propensity for money-making, he was
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, I can tell
you"
| OF the kaiser's versatility / had
convincing evidence. In his CONVERSE
lions with me we usually wandered
from subject to subject in the most
haphazard manner, and he invariably
displayed surprising store of infor-
nation on every topic we touched, and
| 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.
4
ly almost every subject that suggested
itself that often wondered what his
advisors would have said had they
overheard our conversations. His read
mess to talk to me was undoubtedl,
due to a tendency he had to trus
every one with whom he came In init
mate contact. For man who was ap
to have so many enemies, he was les!
suspicious than anyone I had eve
met. He seemed to trust every one, anC
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 a point
and would frequently invite me to tel
him any new one that might have
heard. Some of the stories we ex
changed were more or less risque ant
would be out of place In these pages
but I do not mean to intimate thai
there was anything very much amis.
with them. They always amused hin
: very much and he was quick to catcl
the point.
The kaiser's sense of humor FIRE
quently exhibited itself. He told ms
of a conference between representa-
tives Of all the powers regarding tn,
selection of king for Albania aftel
the Balkan war. Some of those presen
thought the incumbent ought to be
Catholic, others insisted that Greel
Catholic was essential, still Others
maintained that Mohammedan would
be most logical
1t seemed quite impossible to com
to any agreement as to just what re
ligion the king of Albania should pro
fess, and the kaiser had ended the dis
cussion, he said, with the suggestion
! "Well, gentlemen, if Protestan
won't do, and Roman Catholic won
do, and Buddhist is out of the ques
ton, why not select Jew and call hin
! Jacob the First? He'll have his throa
cut, anyway, in three months |"
The powers did not select Jew, Blu
the prince Of Wied, the kaiser's nom
/ nee. was put on the throne, and With
, month or two afterwards had to f1e
! for his life.
| In referring to Roosevelt's patriot
3 offer to lead an army in France, tn
kaiser declared that he admired hir
8 for his courage and zeal.
: 81 hear" he said, shat he is now o
: his way to Italy. 1t is too bad we di
not postpone our offensive there. Pc
I haps we might have captured hin
: Wouldn't Teddy look funny in a ga
y mask?'
t Shortly after the U-boat Deutscf
!. land made its successful trip to Amel
s lea, the kaiser called on me, and
r was in very jocular frame Of mind.
happened to mention to him that
f planned to go to America the followin
D summer in connection with the pore
f lain tooth I had patented.
e "WelI, it won't be necessary nov
d Davis" he commented. ''We can sen
k the Deutschland over and bring bac
a boatlsad of teethp
III t. he 4