The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1918-09-26
The Kaiser as Knew Him
for Fourteen Years
C&29
By ARTHUR N. DAVIS. D. D. S.


The kaiser speaks English with but
the slightest trace Of a foreign accent.
His diction is perfect. He speaks
French, too. very fluently, and, l be-
lievc, Italian. He is widely read on
almost all subjects and knows the lit
erature of England, France and Amer
lea rs well as that Of Germany. Mark
Twain was one Of his favorite Amer
lean authors and Longfellow his choice
OF American poets.
He prides himself on his %acquain-
lance with history and has little re-
spect for the political opinions Of 9TH
ers whose knowledge of history is less
complete.
Shortly after Carnegie had donated
five million marks to Germany to fur
ther world-peace, | happened to be
talking to the kaiser of American mill
lionaires and the steelmaster was
mentioned.
"Of course, Carnegie Is q nice old
man and means WELL" remarked the
kaiser, condescendIngly, "but he is to-
tally ignorant Of world history. He's
just advanced us five million for
world-peace. We accepted it naturally,
but, Of course, we intend to continue
our policy of maintaining our army and
navy In full strength"
Indeed, there Is hardly any subject
to which the kaiser has devoted any
considerable attention In which he
doesn't regard himself as the final au-
thority.
AS an art collector and antiquarian
he claims first place and he Is rather
inclined to feel that second place
should be left vacant. He aways re-
sented very much the acquisition by
American millionaires Of art treasures
and antiquities which their wealth en-
abled them to buy, but which their
limited acquaintance with history and
their lack Of culture and refinement
made them unable to appreciate-in
the kaiser's estimation.
or his own taste in art little need be
said. The monuments which he caused
TO be erected to his ancestors and their
advisors and which adorn the Sieges
Alice, the street he had opened through
the T~iergarten especially for them, are
at the same time a monument to the
kaiser's ideas Of art. They are the
laughing-stock Of the artistic world.
They have been so frequently defaced
by vandals whose artistic taste they
offended that it was necessary to sta
ton policemen In the Sieges Alice to
p,ro ri than, Not lnro ORC , .~
occurred in the vicinity. The burglars
were observed while at work and a
startled civilian rushed to the Sieges
Alice to summon n OF the officers
who were known to be on guard there.
IF you hurry" exclaimed the civil
ian, excitedly, "you can catch these
burglars ~red-handed."
I'm sorry" replied the policeman,
"But l cannot leave the statues.'
Realism Is the kaiser's idea Of what
Is most desirable in dramatic art.
When he put on "Sardanapal," a Greek
tragedy In %pantomime, at the Berlin
opera house, he sent professors to
the British museum to secure the most
detailed information available regard
ing the costumes of the period. Every
u~tensii. every article of wearing ap-
parel, every button, every weapon, in
fact, every property used in the play
were to be faithfully reproduced, par
ticular pains being taken to produce a
most realistic effect in q funeral pyre
scene in which a king ended his life.
Tho Eptcnr Snnt mo finE orc tn GOO r.
King Edward attended the perform
ance at the Berlin Royal opera and
asked the kaiser how the king of Eng
land enjoyed 1t.
"My gracious" the kaiser replied,
unable to repress his satisfaction at
the effect the pantomime had had on
his royal uncle. "why, the king wa.
very much alarmed when the funera
pyre scene came on. He thought thu
whole opera house was on fire !"
Perhaps the kaiser's love for detail,
might be attributed to his keen obser
ration, Nothing. M matter how triv
ial, escaped his attention.
A couple of years before the war
had the empire furniture in my wait
Ing o reupholstered. On the very
first occasion Of the kaiser's calling a
my office after the change he noticed 1t
my, my, how beautiful the chairs
o !" he exclaimed. "GoOd enough fol
Napoleon himself"
On another occasion, between two OF
the kaiser's visits, l had had put uI
In the waiting room a new portrait OF
Mrs. Davis. The kaiser noticed 1t the
moment he came into the room and
made some complimentary remark
about II.
The kaiser frequently accused the
Americans Of being dollar-worshipers
and the English Of being ruled by
Mammon, but that he himself was not
totally unmindful Of the value and
power of money was clearly revealed
by the n In which he catered ia
people Of wealth In recent years.
The richest man In Berlin and one
OF the richest In Germany was a He.
brew coal magnate named Fried
lander. The kaiser ennobled him and
49, A. ~ ~a-A-- MA A.