Trench and camp. [volume] (Augusta, Ga.) 1917-1919, 1918-07-24
U. S. Health Official Talks In
terestingIy of His Sojourn In
the Kaiser's Domain and I'm
pressions He Received of
Germany's World Domination
Plans

known in Augusta, where for several
United States Public Health office,
carrying out health measures for the
betterment of soldiers and civilians
alike, and though Augustans are not
only familiar with his work here but
know that he is scientist of interna-
toinal reputation, known the world
over for his eminent work in hook
worm eradication, very few Of his
friends know that he has spent several
years in Germany, where he became
acquainted with the kaiser personally
and knew many of the leading military
and scientific men of that country. His
account of his conversation with the
kaiser on one occasion is most inter-
esting.
DIR. Stiles. litter graduating from an
American university, took up studies
at the leading universities of Europe,
Including those of Germany. This was
along from 1885 to 1890. His total
stay in Germany was for about seven
years, during, which (1898 to 1890 he
was detailed as agricultural and scien-
tific attache to the u. S. Embassy at
Berlin. While holding this post he
frequently met the kaiser, Won Tirpitz,
and other well known figures in Ger
many's military and scientific life
That the war which Is now being
waged was planned by German mill
tary leaders back as far as 1886, Dr.
Stiles states of the information which
he gathered during his stay In that
country The plan at that time was to
first conquer Russia, then France and
England by which time there would be
a heavy war debt. TO pay this debt
the kaiser and his military leaders
proposed to make war on the United
States on quarrel over the Monroe
doctrine and collect indemnlties from
defeated America However DR.
stiles states, many of Germany's sci
entific men, including the universities
faculties, looked on America In
friendly way, but with the military
and naval leaders it was Just the re-
verse. But the war plans were COM
non in Germany.
In Kaiser's Palace.
Upon one occasion. while DIT. stiles
was stationed at the embassy, of which
Andrew Il. White was ambassador at
the time, DR. Stiles with other attaches
of the embassy visited the kaisers
palace, with the ambassador. The
kaiser discussed Shakespeare and
Goethe with the ambassador. compar-
ing their lines of thought, and would
repeat line after line Of Shakespeare
in English and do the same with
Gothic in German. Then with military
and naval attaches the kaiser discuss
ed affairs in connection with military
history. Then he turned TO DIR. stiles
and began a discussion of familiar and
technical diseases, among them the Blu
bonic plague. Il was dumbfounded."
said DR.. Stiles to a newspaper reporter
Saturday. Ito find the kaiser so well
at home with medical affairs He
showed a technical knowledge of dis
eases in way that surprised me"
DR. Stiles met the kaiser on several
occasions and says that from a stand
point of mentality he considered the
German emperor one of the greatest
minds he had ever met. The kaiser
would sometimes use French, English,
Italian and Russian in his conversa-
lions, and spoke these languages al
most as fluently as his own tongue.
At that time, DR. Stiles states, Will
helm was fondly worshipped by his
subjects.
Referring again to Germanys war
plans which were being formulated a
generation or more ago, Or. Stiles
stated that one of the quickest ways
lOT iDS l. uilSu STATES TO utledl tTuS-
sianism Is to beat the enemy at their
own game, SO to speak THE German
people are intensely patriotic and in
tensely efficient" he said, land Amer
lea must becourA NOR and more pat
riotic and effi4ient than they, as
speedy means to end the war"
Held for Military Service.
Although he is an American citizen
his home is at Wilmington. N. c.
without a drop of German blood In his
veins he was upon three OCCASIONS
held for military service during his
stay in Germany. upon the grounds
that he was German~born. Upon each
occasion Or. Stiles had to submit proof
to the authorities that he was Amerl-
can-born before released However,
he never performed service in the Ger
man army, as It did not take long to
submit the necessary proof as to his
American birth At that time a treaty
in existence which was to the effect
that a man born in Germany who later
became a citizen of the United States
and then returned TO Germany for a
period as long as two years was sub
ject to military duty, and upon these
grounds Or. Stiles was held for inves-
tigation, He attributes this to the fact
that at that time he spoke German
fluently.