Emmons County record. [volume] (Williamsport, D.T. [i.e. N.D.]) 1884-current, 1918-11-07
The Kaiser asI KnewHim
for Fourteen Years
1 ~
By ARTHUR N. DAVIS, D. D. s.



lure Newspaper syndicstal
he had ever seen the number Of Ger
man names that appeared ON the list
Of bankers who were interested in 1t,
he said he hadn't read the list, but he
was quite sure there was one bank in
New York which wouldn't touch It.
"That bank wouldn't touch anything
that would be detrimental to Ger
many !" he added.
Several months later I was called
to Pless again and was shown to the
same room I had visited on the former
occasion. When the kaiser entered he
stood erect. with bis hands to his side,
clicked his heels together and saluted
me as soldier salutes a superior Off.
Ger, smiling as he did 90, and knew
he was in good humor.
Nevertheless he had but little to say.
His criticism Of Mr.. Wilson on this &C.
casion I have recorded elsewhere in
these pages.
In June Of 1917. after the great army
headquarters had been removed to
Homburg v. d. Hohe. and Krenznach
1.-TWO neighboring villages) I was called
there to see the kaiserin. and three
weeks later I went there again to see
the kaiser. Noticed at the station the
kniser's private train composed Of I'VE
dark green cars upon each Of which
was plainly marked the imperial coat
Of arms. The cars had special folding
steps.
Two rooms were assigned to me on
one Of the upper floors Of the palace
and my meals consisted Of the same
kind Of food as I had always had be-
fore the war, although the hunger cpl
demic was raging throughout the coun-
try. 1t was almost worth the trip for
the sake Of the meals alone.
After had treated the kaiser In the
morning went to my rooms, as knew
1t would be three o'clock before he
would be ready for me again. He never
allowed anything to interfere with his
after-dinner nap.
After the kaiser had had his sleep, ]
was summoned to his dressing room.
He entered the room attired in red
flannel undershirt. It was the first
time I had ever seen him in such a
state Of plebian negligee. and receiv-
ed more or less of q shock. had been
SO accustomed to seeing him In uni.
form, both In pictures and in person,
that 1t had never occurred to me that
underneath that symbol of pomp the
kaiser probably dressed the same as
we lesser mOrtals. noticed incident.
ally that when he put on his military
coat he put 1t on right over his under.
shirt.
Homburg was much nearer the flr-
ing line than Pless. although, Of course.
at very safe distance. I noticed,
however. that here anti-aircraft guns
had been planted. but apart from that
there was hardly any more activity
than there had been at Pless. 3.
While walking down the corridor
was stopped by an officer and asked
who was, but, as rule. came and
went without molestation and seldom
bad to show my pass, which one Of the
skaiser's adjutants had given me and
which permitted me to enter and leave
army headquarters for the whole year
1917.
When I was driven through the
streets Of Homourg, both coming from
and going to the railroad station, In the
kaiser's motorcar, and the second.man,
or bugler. on the front seat, blew the
horn, people came running out Of
stores and from afar to get view Of
the important parsonage who occupied
the kaiser's own car! Many Of them
saluted me or raised their hats. and I
thought how angry they would have
been had they known they were put
Ing themselves to 20 much trouble %
salute an alien enemyi
The righteousness Of the whole
thing Impressed me very much. For
the moment I was part Of the play
which was ever being made TO I'm
press and ave those whom the kaiser
was pleased to refer to a. my peo.
pie" bnt whose APPRECIATION means
everything. even to q monarch VINO
rules by divine right"