Emmons County record. [volume] (Williamsport, D.T. [i.e. N.D.]) 1884-current, 1918-11-07

sntions how thoroughly posted he was
on American conditions.
Long before the subject of forest
conservation was taken up seriously In
this country. the kaiser pointed out to
me whit great mistake we were
making in not devoting more atten-
ton to 1t.
"Can you tell me, Davis. why you
have SO many forest fires In your coun.
tryT' he asked. after a particularly
destructive conilagration In the West
had destroyed many acres OF timber.
SLOW does 1t happen?"
l explained to him that most Of the
forest fires came from sparks from
locomotives. Careless lumbermen al
lowed the branches which they Topped
of the trees to remain on the ground
and when they were ignited by SPARKS
the fire sometimes spread to the uncut
timber. As the facilities for extin.
gushing fire In these unpopulated re-
gions we're practically nil and the eli.
mate made the timber particularly In
fiammable, these fires usually attained
serious dimensions.
"That points out again the inefi-
cheney Of your form Of government" he
commented. "You have laws requiring
the railways to use appliances to ar
rest the sparks from their engines,
haven't youi Why don't you enforce
themf Your people don't seem to
realize that 1t takes years to grow a
tree. Because you have more than you
need today, You make no preparation
for tomorrow. For every tree cut
down another should be planted. II
you don't adopt some such measure the
time will surely come when America
will have to turn to Germany for tim.
ber."
The kaiser was harsh critic Of our
election system. The idea Of q four
year term for the president was nat
urnlly 'epugnant to one who held such
exalted notions as to the rights Of
rulers. It would be too much to ex.
pect the Hohenzollern mind to approve
Of q constitution which provided for
the rulers return to private life after
period of four years at the head of
the government.
He declared that with a constant
change Of administration 1t was quite
out of the question for this country
to follow any definite policy. It was
bad enough even so far rs internal
Affairs were concerned, he said, but
such system made 1t impossible he
thought for America ever to take q
prominent place in International pol,-
tics.
you can't expect the nations of the
worlo to deal with America as they
deal among themselves when the next
change Of administration may mean
the adoption of an entirely new foreign
policy" he declared. "There can be
nothing stable about the foreign policy
Of nation whose leaders change every
four years."
american party politics were con-
slant source Of embarrassment to the
kaiser. He always seemed undecided
US to just how he should receive an
American Of prominence. II he hap
pened to be Of the same political fe'th
as the administration, the kaiser was
afraid to do him too much honor for
fear Of offending the opposing parry,
who might win the next election; and
II he were not of the same party as
the administration. the kaiser feared
to honor him lest more immediate rs-
sentment be stirred up In America.
Thus he refused to receive Bryan on
two different occasions when q RepuD.
lican administration was In power.
he criticized very strongly. too. our
election methods.
"1nstead Of discussing principles,
your political candidates exchange Der.
sonalities," he said. my people would
be shocked ut the sort Of speeches and
accusations which figure In all your
political campaigns. Over here, notn-
Ing Of the kind is ever heard"
The kaiser was very much interested
In our negro problem. It seemed to
have a great fascination for him, and
he frequently referred to It. He told
me that he understood there were
100000 negroes in this country, but
they were dying OF In great numbers
through consumption and other dis.
eases to which they offered but poor
resistance.
The negro viii always be q great
problem In your country, however" hs
added. They don't mix socially with
the whites, and there. will be constant
friction. Ny brother prince henry),
when he returned from bis visit to
America. told me 4 lot about these
negroes. Indeed. one OF the most i'm.
presstve things he heard there was q
choir Of negro voices. He said they
sang some wonderful melodies,e and
their voices were as clear as bells"
After the war started. the kaiser
referred to the negroes again. snow
b your chance to settle your negro
problem" he declared, half facetiously.
Of course. "If America insists upon
coming Into the war, why doesn't she
send her negroes across and let ~
shoot them DOWN.
When a feet Of our battleships Wis
tied kiel some SIX years ago the kaiser
paid them q visit and vas, very much