Evening journal., 1918-11-11
KAISER'S 3O-YEAR
REIGN ENDS IN DEBACLE

William II who abdicated the German
throne on Saturday might have said Of
Germany quite as aptly as Louis XIV said
a France: Il am the state" for his
tple OF thirty years was a continual
assertion almost to the end, that by Di-
vine anointment he embodied the soul
d his people and through his person.
aaty Germany was destined for world
dominion.
He will be remembered as one OF the
strangest characters of history, for the
military conceptions which he cherish
ssd were applied to every phase OF life,
a8d. ths greatest industrial and COM
nl4rc u expsnsion Germany had ever
kTikWn fslas coincident with the disclp-
llnary policy OF his reign.
4 When on occasion he flashed his
sword In international movements the
people came to believe In that method
of progress and TO support II.
3 The rule Of William l., frst German
emperor. which lasted from 1874 until
ghls death in March, 1888, was not great
tS uluCiCut llOll tldt VI lilt SAINT per
ssonage as King Of Prussia, before the
Federated states had constituted them
selves an empire. He was ninety when
he died and when invested with him
imperial power, seventeen years prev
iously. he had passed the age Of rest
less ambition and his aim was to unite
his country and preside over 1t be-
\ nignly.
Had his son Frederick, who succeeded
him, lived, the militarlstlo element
might have been relegated. All appre-
tensions OF such tendency vanished
with the accession OF William II. His
: education had been military. At the
<beginning OF his rule he declared that
Hhe strength Of the government lay in
fSthe army, rather than In the states
<Ren.
Bismarck remarked OF him that he
fonld soon become his own chancellor,
~ prediction that was soon verified,
vhen, In 1890, he dropped the pilot"
&ho had been his grandfather's main
SAy Grave fears were then expressed
4 'Xat the impetuosity of the young
4f3Aler might embroil Germany in gem
ffal European war. The people outgrew
! dat fear when William II, In spite OF
zh{s changing sword and posses OF the
Geic braggadocio, gave them twenty
Ne years OF peace and prosperity. but
IN international politics, the prospect
OF a general European war always
stalked as a spectre; and surprising and
unexpected as was the outbreak when
It came, statesmen of all countries
could say they had predicted 1t.
While always the advocate of Ger
man domination and Of the rule Of
might, the young emperor sought In
the early years Of his reign, to in |
gratiate himself with other govern
ments. He made frequent visits TO
foreign courts, where his affability and
bearing won for him generous and cor
dial reception. In his early years also.
while expressing adherence OF social
democracy, he showed himself SUM-
ciently -adroit in politics to placate the \
the Socialist following by promising
the speedy redress Of grievance, which
ne never intended to appease. He would
pe all nings TO all men so long as he
was recognized as supreme
On June %, 1914, the emperor in his
honorary capacity as a British admiraI
commanded Tor an hour a pr,tisb
squadron at kiel. He was then nos,n,
as Ine greatest peacemaker ~ ~
Woriu. Witnln a month he was sneed-
ing back to the same port in respoDso
to rumblings Of the storm that was s" ~
engulf the world In war. Upon the ar,
rival Of his yacht a special train car
ried him to Berlin, where he presidad
over a meeting Of his var cabinet on
July 30. Instantly following the cabinet
meeting a wire censorship was ordered
IN Berlin, and the rumor spread that
the military forces OF the empire were
at once to be modified.
!. From the window OF the palace the
emperor delivered an address in which
~ pejd: The sword has been forced
1n46 0or5nAny's hands. II my efforts
- tk1e lat hour do not succeed In in
QUCruB UuE ~YPVtsSsfso 30 o'5v vy0 10 : Z
With u and In maintaining peace. we
shall, with Gods hGp. WELD the sword