American Falls press. [volume] (American Falls, Idaho) 1907-1937, 1918-10-22
The Kaiser as | Knew Him
for Fourteen Years
@S&2
By ARTHUR N. DAVIS. D. D. S.


His dictiOn Is perfect. He speaks
French, too, very fluently, and, l be-
lieve, Italian. He is widely read on
almost all subjects and knows the lit
erature of England, France and Amer
lea as 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
Their w~orld-peace. 1 happened to be
talking to -Ne kaiser of American mil
lionaires and the steelmaster was
mentioned.
"Of course, Carnegie is a nice old
nan 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 u 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 ~mlllionaires 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.
OF his own taste In art little need be
said. The monuments which he caused
to be erected to his ancestors and their
Alice, the street he had opened through
the Tergarten 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 defaceC
by vandals whose artistic taste they
offended that it was necessary to sta
ton policemen in the Sieges Alice Il
guard them. Not long ago a burglar.
occurred in the vicinity. The burglar
were observed while at work and
startled civilian rushed to the Siege
Alice to summon one of the officer
who were known to be on guard there
IF you hurry" exclaimed the civil
ian, excltedly, you can catch thes
burglars ~red-handed."
I'm sorry" replied the policeman
"But l cannot leave the statues"
Realism is the kaiser's idea of wha
is most desirable in dramatic ar
When he put on "Sardanapal," a Gree
tragedy in pantomime, at the Berli
opera house, he sent professors t
: the British museum to ecure the mos
4, detailed information available regarC
, ing the costumes of the period. Ever
, utensil, every article of wearing al
. ] IdIGlt GNGIG UullOnf 6NNAg y
, fact, every property used in the pla
were to be faithfully reproduced, pa
ticular pains being taken to produce
? most realistic effect in a funeral pyI
? scene in which a king ended his lf
: The kaiser sent me tickets to see 1t.
King Edward attended the perforr
/. ance at the Berlin Royal opera and
asked the kaiser how the king of En-
land enjoyed it.
: my gracious" the kaiser reptile
unable to repress his satisfaction
the effect the pantomime had had {
n his royal uncle, "why, the king w
o very much alarmed when the funer
Q pyre scene came on. He thought Il
/ whole opera house was on fire ="
Il Perhaps the kaiser's love for detail
q might be attributed to his keen Obse
n walton. Nothing, no matter how tri
q ial. escaped his attention.
T A couple of years before the war
had the empire furniture in my wa.
: ing room reupholstered. On the We
u first occasion Of the kaiser's calling
my ONCE dlleT the tntuSt he upllttu
My, my, how beautiful the chat
g look - he exclaimed. Good enough f
J. Napoleon himself"
= On another occasion. between two
70 the kaiser's visits. l had had put
a in the waiting room a new portrait
Mrs. Davis. The kaiser noticed 1t I
II moment he came into the a
g made some complimentary rema
u about It,
The kaiser. frequently accused I
lie Americans of being dollar-worshipe
d and the English Of being ruled
Mammon. but that he himself was \
lie totally unmindful of the value a
IL power of money was clearly reveal
or by the manner in which he catered
se people of wealth in recent years.
S The richest man in Berlin and o
u of the richest in Germany was a L
y brew coal magnate named Erie
fo.Io- mbo Eofe,r aunohlad him a