The circle banner. [volume] (Circle, Mont.) 1914-1939, 1918-12-13
BY
Arthur N. Davis, DDS.
American Dsmfisf
10 the Kaiser from
1904 TO 1918

Y lander. The kaiser ennobled him an
r made him Won Friedlander-Fuld. An
] other wealthy Hebrew to whom tn
3 kaiser catered was Schwabach, hea,
J of the Bleichroeder bank, one Of tn
3 strongest private. banks in Germany
and he, too, was ennobled, becOmin;
/, Won Schwabach.
A number of other wealthy Hebrew
in Germany were also honored by thu
kaiser In another way. Although h
, was ayerse to visiting the homes OF
private individuals who lacked socia
| standing. he departed from his rule il
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 a 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 I had
convincing evidence. In his CONVERSE
tions 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
l 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 1 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 a 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 talkative,
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 tell
him any new one that 1 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 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 kaiser's sense of humor fire.
quently exhibited itself. He told me
of conference between representa-
tives of all the powers regarding the |
selection Of a king for Albania after |
the Balkan war. Some of those present |
thought the incumbent ought to be a |
Catholic, others insisted that a Greek |
Catholic was essential, still others |
maintained that a Mohammedan would |
be most logical.
1t seemed quite impossible to come
to any agreement as to just what re-
ligion the king of Albania should pro-
cussion, he said, with the suggestion:
swell. gentlemen, If a Protestant
won't do, and Roman Catholic won't
do, and Buddhist is out Of the ques-
ton, why not select Jew and call him
Jacob the First? He'll have his throat
cut, anyway, in three months"
The powers did not select Jew, but
the prince Of Wied, the kaiser's nomi-
nee, was put on the throne, and within
q month or two afterwards had to fee
for his life.
In referring to Roosevelts patriotic
offer. to lead an army In France, the
kaiser declared that he admired him
for his courage and zeal.
II hear" he said, "that he is now on
his way to Italy. 1t is too bad we did
not postpone our offensive there. Per
haps we might have captured him.
Wouldn't Teddy look funny In a gas
mask?"
Shortly after the U-boat Deutsch-
and made It's successful trip to Amer
Ca, the kaiser called on me, and he
was in very jocular frame of mind.
/ happened to mention to him that l
planned to go to America the following
summer in connection with the porce-
ain tooth had patented.
"Well, it won't be necessary now.
Davis" he commented. "We can send
he Deutschland over and bring back
/ boatload of teeth !"
Fix my teeth well, Davis" he de-
dared on another occasion, 80 that
IAN bite There are lots Of people
would like to bite !" and he snapped
lis jaws together In way that would
,ave BODIED Ill for the victims he had In
mind, although his remark was evi'
|ently more facetinns than vicious.