The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-11-11
KAISER'S ARM IS WITHERED
Nervous Outbreaks and Aversion to
Flowers Mark Him. Too.

Flowers Mark Him. Too.
The following is from pen portrait
of the kaiser written in 1872. two years
before the war. ny German baron
him:
OF course it is quite out of the ques-
ton for the kaiser to manage any
sport on account of his deformed arm.
Tho he has a thousand ingenious
tricks for concealing it, it has come
to be pretty generally known that one
of his arms has never developed. Look
at him or his pictures, and you will
see that he has taken precautions to
prevent its being seen. The fact re-
mains that, to all practical purposes,
he is one-armed.
This defect dates from his birth and
it is ascribed to the ignorance or in
aptitude of a physician. The left arm
is four inches shorter than the right
and it has a uniformed hand with
only rudimentary fingers. The arm
is so wholly Hmp that the kaiser has
to lift his hand even to place it on the
hilt of his sword with his right hand.
1t is in this posture or else in the
breast of his coat that he constantly
carries in when out of the saddle. The
kaiser also has an internal inflamma-
| ton of the ear. formerly complicated
at times with an acute earache,i with
which he has now been afflicted for
number of years Just what the
affection is no one has yet been able
to determine. 1t grows worse in wet
and cold weather and that is about
all that is known of it.
In the last few years he has changed
a good deal. His trembling fits exas-
perate him, and he grimaces until one
| might almost call it facial ague. He
| has formed habit of swapping his
fingers and making convuisive move
ments with his hand when speaking
His laugh, formerly so buoyant, has
acquired a false ring. Likewise he
shows less tolerance. less kindness to-
| ward his friends. In short, the en-
| peror Is ottrunning the man. 1t spells
| the end of our friendship.
! Another popularity of Williams is
his dislike for flowers. Tho they are
the object of veritable worship in
Germany, the emperor abominates
| them. 1t Is not that he thinks them
| dangerous-likes ocialists-but that he
thinks them ugly; just as he thinks
RodlpS sculpture and Renoir's paint
! lngs ugly. He likes to see lawns and
| parks decorated with groups of swords,
baskets of Shells plat bands of bayo-
, nets and cannon. Do you know the
large fountain which stands in the
Schlossplatz? 1t was bequeathed to the
| city OF Berlin by a very rich gentle
| man. The mayor, in accordance with
the usual ceremonial custom, invited
| the emperor to ia Ike part in the dedica-
| ton exercises. The emperor was abso-
| lutely outraged. He could hardly be-
:. lfeve that they would care to erect
| in Berlin a monument which had not
originated with him.
| He exhausted all-the administrative
| and legal tricks that he could think
| of to prevent the acceptance of the
legacy. and failing to arrest the pro-
1ect sent a curt refusal to atten l the
| dedication. He felt that this foun-
tain was direct blow at his author
| ity; almost, indeed. a crime of lese
majestic. 1 saw good deal of him
| at this time and tried to reason with
him, but he flew into a rage and i'm
| posed silence upon me. This foun-
tain drives me madi" he cried in
French. Gle always drops into French
when he wishes to use violent lam
suageo 1T is Socialist plot! Mark
my words, a Socialist plot"
I tried to calm him. by heaven
you are Socialist. too! Everybody is
a Socialist nowadays." he shouted
But they had better take care.
Imagine the surprise of the crowd and
the officials when IN the day of the
unwilling they saw the emperor APP
pear. His face was somber and
threatening and his musta ches were
more warlike than ever Hurting him.
self upon the platform, he interrupted
the good man who happened to be ex,
patiating upon the virtue. of the giver
An evil spirit is hove1 ing over this
city,! cried William. Socialism is
lifting its head I will not tolerate it
L wish everyone to know that 1 have
given orders for an immense barracks
to be built right in the heart of Ber-
lin. It will be filled with my Loyal
troops and my faithful cannon. If the
Socialists stir I will not hesitate tc
NOW them down. Let them look out
, 1t will NOW them down. have had
enough of it,
With this he turned his back on the
crowd and looked scornfully at the
fountain.
CAS- for this fountain he said, ad.
dressing the dignitaries on the plat
; form with a shrug of his shoulders
sit is simply idiculous-apsurdi" Sc
, saying, he went as he had come. like
, a tempest, leaving the crowd stupe.