The Meridian times. (Meridian, Idaho) 1909-1938, 1918-09-27

the kaiser almost invariably displayed
in his relations with me did not pre-
vent him on one occasion from show
ing his indignation when touched him |
upon what was evidently very sore
point--the part that America was go- |
ing to play in the war, although he al |
ways claimed to be unperturbed about |
the American situation.
He had pointed out that America at
that time had only 10000 men in
France and he believed that the u
boats would effectively prevent any
great addition to our forces abroad, If,
indeed, they ever left our shores.
"As a matter of fact, however" he
added. "your countrymen would be
very willing. no doubt, to fight for their
country to protect it from invasion,
but don't believe you'll ever get many
of them to leave home to fight abroad.
America will really be a very small
factor in the war, DavisW
"Your majesty is Understanding
the power of America p replied.
He turned to me Indignantly, and in
his most imperious manner exclaimed:
"We underestimate. no one! We
know exactly what we are doingw
How seriously he was mistaken In
this respect has since been sufficiently
proved.
No matter how gloomy the outlook
for Germany, the kaiser seldom show
ed concern. 1t is true that whenever
/ things were going wrong, as when the
| Russians In the early part Of the war
: were sweeping everything before them
| In their advance On the Carpathianss
| he and the rest of the royal family
kept as far in the background as pos
sible, whereas when the German cause
was triumphant, as In the case of the
offensive against Italy, he could not
make himself too conspicuous at the
front.
But even when Germany's adversely
was greatest, the kaiser always put on
brave front. At such times have
seen him stop in the street, after leav-
ing my office, and before the hundreds
of people waiting outside to greet him,
ostentatiously put cigarette in his
mouth and light it, that everyone might
notice how steady his hand was and
how little he was worried by the turn
things were taking.
At the same time, on one or two oc-
casions after the war started, noticed
that he acted differently when In the
dental chair than had been his custom
when everything was serene.
The kaiser once boosted to me that
not building was erected in Germany,
not q bridge built, not street opened,
not park laid out, but what the prof.
: ect was first submitted to him. He
kept posted on everything that was
going on, not only in Germany, but In
the world at large, and, as far as HI
: was able, he endeavored to have his
finger In every development of world
wide Importance. / cannot imagin
J that he was less interested in what nj
! countrymen were doing in connectic
y with the war than he was In the
y achievements in time of peace.
If he did not actually order the sinl
I ing of the Lusitania, therefore, al
z convinced that he was thorough
aware of the plan to blow it up an
sanctioned it. That he could hav
> averted it If he had been prompted t
. to do so is clearly indicated by anothe
incident which left very deep in
: preston upon me.
! / was informed by one of the Gel
! man aviators that plans had bee
made to drop gas bombs on Londo
: which contained a deadly gas whic
would penetrate the cellars Of house
!, in which civilians were in the habi
: of hiding during air raids.
Shortly before this hideous idea wa
! to be put into effect the papers ar
l nouneed that bombs of this characte
had been dropped by the allies o
: Baden-Baden, but that, fortunately
e they had fallen in clump of wood
/ in the center of the town and had fai
e ed to explode, which had given tn
I Germans an opportunity to take theI
t apart and ascertain their nature.