American Falls press. [volume] (American Falls, Idaho) 1907-1937, 1918-11-19

put them In the war. There's no dan !
ger Of our running short of men. but, !
really, l wish it were all over. This
wal is a lot Of damned nonsense, you =
know 2" He talked as II the two mil
lion growing-up youths Of Germany
were created for the H-ohenzollerns to
use as they pleased.
Another remark ne made which in
dictated now sadly he m%iscOnstrued the
epoch-making significance Of the great
wal in which the whole world was
involved was quite characteristic.
"Witn so many men at the front"
he said, "the men at home ought TO be
having a fine time with the women,
eh. what? DO YOU see many good
looking girls in Berlin nowT'
In this connection l may mention
that many Of the more sober officers
told me that they were Disguised with
the manaer in which the crown prince
was acting at his headquarters. 1T is
really a disgrace" they complained,
for the crown prince to have so many
questionable wOmen visiting him. 1t
certainly doesn't set much Of an ex-
ample for the rest Of the staff"
The whole situation appeared to the
crown prince very much in the light
of a joke.
"rve just come from the western
front" he told me. my men are up
to their knees in water and mud.
We've been having lots Of fun pump
ing the water out Of our trenches into
the French trenches"
swell. 1 suppose the French pump
1t right back again. don't theyT"
you're quite right, quite right.
That's exactly what they do. Really.
it's a great lark"
Remarks Of this kind rather sickened
me Of this self-satisied young man.
/ realized, Of course. that his part in
the war was played at such a safe
distance from the front lines that he
was probably not familiar with all the
horrors of trench warfare, and yet it
could not be possible that he was I'M
aware Of the terrific loss of life and
the untold agony and suffering which
millions of his people had to endure
while the "~nonsensical' war contin-
ued.
After diplomatic relations were
broken off between America and Ger
many, the crown prince and his fam
lily ceased coming to me. They were
afraid. no doubt. Of public criticism,
although the kaiser was not.
OF the kaiser's other children,
Prince William Eitel Frederick and
Prince Oscar were the only ones l
never met.
Prince Adelbert, the kaiser's third
son. vas a very handsome and charm
ing man. He always came to me at
tired In a naval officers uniform. /
saw him but a few times, as he was
seldom in Berlin. and he lever talked
on matters Of general Importance. l
never saw him after America entered
the war.
Prince August Wilhelm, the fourth
: son, was perhaps the most democratic
: of them all. He sometimes came to
see me In an ordinary taxicab and be
: was the only one Of the kaisers sons
. whom l ever saw In civilian dress. He
: was the first member Of the royal fam
: lily to come to me after the murder
: of the Archduke Franz Ferdinand. and
: he was In mourning when he called
he looked very sad and detected and
! gave me the first intimation that the
. tragedy Of Sarajevo would almost in
{ evitably lead to a general war.
! In January, 1918, in speaking Of the
: part that America would take in the
: war, he mentioned that his officers had
told him that $1,000 Americans were
: on the western front. I'VE don't be
lieve 1t. however," he added. "Hov
J could they get there without our know
4 ing it7 Our U-boats would certainly
9 have found it out. No, Davis, it's no
3 true"
: Prince Joachim. the kaiser's young
=" est son. and one OF the last Of the
royal family to visit me, reminded mi
n very much Of his eldest brother. tbs
) crown prince. He was tall and slendel
u and would have been goodlooking bu
l. for a retreating chin which was ven
l. pronounced. He had as little respec
g for public opinion as the crown prince
. and while the U-boat Deutschland wa
l IN its way to America principally L
+ bring back a cargo Of rubber. the sup
ply of which was exhausted in Ger
many. this sixth son of the kaiser wa
q driving around the country in a BIZ
car and using up enormous rubbe
E. tires. while rubber was worth it
Il weight in gold and many cars for tn
'e array were supplied with plain irol
wheels.
se This prince was the only member o
a the royal family to get near enougl
p to the firing line to get shot. The IN
Is Jury. which he received while at tn
re western front. was only a slight fles
wound of the thigh, but it was enoug
N TO start him limping through histor,
s. II was such a superficial wound tina