Emmons County record. [volume] (Williamsport, D.T. [i.e. N.D.]) 1884-current, 1918-09-26

less gifts he could bestow. I remem.
Der his donating one Of them to an
American charity bazaar In Berlin to
be auctioned of. He thought that the
fact that the card came from his Inn
perial majesty gave 1t value which
could not be measured in dollars and
cents. A piece Of jewelry or IL sum
of money might have been duplicated
or even excelled by gift of similar
character from any American million
nire-for whose wealth the kaiser fire.
quently expressed the utmost contempt
but what could surpass the value Of
an autograph Of the kaiser!
No doubt the royal banquets were
prepared much upon the same prin-
ciple, for it was common saying
among the German aristocracy that one
had better feel well before going to a
banquet mt the palace.
happened to mention to the kaiser
the reputation his banquets held among
his people. He was not at all taken
aback.
"That's good!" he commented. 'The
Germans are too fat. anyway. The ma
jority Of the people eat too much"
Long after automobiling became
more or less general, the kaiser still
employed horse and carriage for
ordinary travel. relying UPON his free
use of the railways oor longer dis
tances. When, however. the relchstag
passed law compelling royalty to pay
for their railroad travel, the kaiser
took to automobiles. They charged
him 1000 marks, he told me, for the
use of train on one Of his shooting
trips, and that apparently was more
than he could stand.
autos are expensive" he declared,
'but they don't cost me that muchl'
The kaiser speaks English with but
the slightest trace of foreign accent.
His diction Is perfect He speaks
French, too. very fluently, and, I be-
lieve. Italian. He Is widely read on
almost all subjects and knows the lit
erature of England. France and Amer
lea as we'll a. that Of Germany. Mark
Twain was one Of his favorite Amer
lean authors and L0ngfellow his choice
OF American poets.
lie pridos himself on his acouain-
tance with history end 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
Their wsrldHeace, happened to be
talking to the kaiser Of American mil
llonaires and tho steelmaster was
mentioned.
"Of course, Carnegie Is a nice old
man and means we'll" remarked the
kaiser, condescendingly. hut he Is to-
tally ignorant of world history. He's
Just advanced M Eve million for
world-psace. We accepted 1t 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 Always re-
sented very much the acquisition by
American millionaires of art treasures
and antiquities which their wealth en-
abAed them to buy, but which their
limited acquaintance with history and
their lack Of culture and refinement
made them unable to appreciate-in
the kniser's estimation.
| OF 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 Sleges
Alice, the street he had opened through
the Tiergarten especially for them, are
at the same time 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
I offended that 1t was necessary to sta
ton policemen In the Sieges Alice to
guard them. Not long ago a burglary
occurred in the vicinity. The burglars
were observed while at work and q
startled civilian rushed to the Sieges
Alice to summon one Of the officers
who were known to be on guard there.
"If you hurry" exclaimed the civil.
ian, excltedly, "you can catch these
burglars red-handed."
I'm sorry" replied the policeman,
"But cannot leave the statues"
Realism is the kaiser's idea Of what
Is most desirable in dramatic art.
When he put on "Sardanapal." 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
utensil, every article of wearing ap.
parel, every button, every weapon, In
fact every property used In the play
were to be faithfully reproduced, par.
ticuiar pains being taken to produce q
most realistic effect In funeral pyre
scene In which king ended his life
The kaiser sent me tickets to see It.