The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1918-10-03
Taken Individually, these various in

have every reason to know that the
kaiser attached considerable impOr-
lance to them. l know that there was
a good deal Of chagrin in the TRADES
he delivered to mt against America for
her part in supplying munitions to the
allies-chagrin at the thought that the
seed he had sOwn in America had
failed to bring forth better fruit.
When we finally entered the war and
he realized that all his carefully nur-
tured plans Of years had availed him
naught, he could not restrain his bit
terness nor conceal his disappOint.
ment.
"All my efforts to show my friend
ship for MISUNDERSTANDING profess
sors with your colleges, sending my
brother in our country, all-all for
nothing" he exclaimed, disgustedly,
after we had entered the war.
On another occasion he showed even
more clearly how far America had fall
len short Of his expectations:
"What has become of those rich
Americans who used to visit me with
their yachts at Kiel and come to my
entertainments in Berlin" he asked,
Sarcastically. Now that we have
England involved, why aren't they
utilizing the opportunity to serve and
to make their own country great? Do
they think l put myself out to enter
tain them because l loved them? I
am disgusted with the whole Anglo
Saxon race!"
The kaiser couldn't understand why
the United States did not seize both
Canada and Mexico. Apparently, from
the way he talked from time to time,
If he had been sitting in the White
House he would have grabbed the en-
tire Western Hemisphere.
That the kaiser followed American
politics very closely, especially after
the war broke out, was very natural.
The fact that there was a great Ger
man-American vote in this country
was not overlooked in Potsdam. and /
imagined that he could exert consider.
able influence in our elections through
his emissaries in this country.
l returned to Berlin late in October
Of that year. Within a day or two
after my arrival / received a telephone
message from the R~eichskanzler Won
Bethmann-Hollweg to the effect that
the kaiser had sent him word Of my
return and that he would like me to
call at his palace either that noon or
at four D.. m.
was ushered into a very large room
In the corner of which was a business
like looking flat-topped desk, but which
was otherwise deliberately furnished.
The reichskanzler, a tall. broad-shOul-
dered. handsome specimen Of q man,
came over to me and, putting his arm
in mine, walked me to a seat beside
smoke. and upon my taking a cigar
cite, he did likewise.
1.-The kaiser's been telling me, doc
tor" he said, "Of your recent visit to
America, and / would like to ask you
a few questions"
l said that / was always glad to talk
of America. Indeed, l was particular
ly glad of the opportunity to speak
with the prime minister Of Germany at
that time.
Then followed a ~bewildering success
sion of questions, the purpose OF
which was not at all clear to me. We
had a peculiar conversation-half In
German, half in English. The reichs-
kanzler did not speak English partic-
ularly well.
"How are things In America" he
asked. "Did you have any oppOrtu-
nifty to gauge the political situation?
Who do you think will be the next
president? Do you think that Ameri-
cans are opposed to peace because
that would end their chance to make
money out Of the war? Are your
people so mercenary that they would
like to see the war prolonged for the
sake of the money they can make out
Of it?"
mo, your e~xcellency," 1 replied,
you are quite wrong If you imagine
that my countrymen would like to pro-
long the war for the sake of war;
profits. That is very far from being
the case. On the contrary, the coun-
try at large is anxious for peace"
Don't forget your people are max
ing a lot Of money out Of this war;"
the r~eichskanzler persisted. They
are becoming very rich. They will
soon have all the gold In the world.
Putting an end to the war would to a
great extent end American Opp%Ortuni-
ties for making money on this enor-
mou SCALE"
THAT may be all true" I replied,
"but fortunately my countrymen think
more Of the blessings of peace and
liberty than they do of war and profits,
and the sooner peace can be brought
about on a basis which will have
some assurance of permanency the bet
ter we will like it."
"Wilson has the greatest opportu-
nifty ever presented to a man to make
his name Immortality bringing about
peace in the world" he went on. 1--WE