The Beaver herald. [volume] (Beaver, O.T. [Okla.]) 1895-1923, 1918-12-19

The whole situation appeared to the
crown prince very much In the light
of a Joke.
"Tve jast come from the western
'front.'" he told me. my men are up
to their knees In water and mud.
We've been having lots Of fun pump
ing the water out Of our trenches into
the French trenches"
"WelI. I suppose the French pump
It right back again, don't theyT
you're quite right, quite right.
That's exactly what they do. Really.
IT'S a great la-k."
Remarks Of this kind rather sickened
me Of this self-satisfed young nan.
I realized. Of course. that his part in
the war was played at such n safe
distance from the front lines that he
was probably not familiar with all the
horrors Of trench warfare. and yet II
could not be possible that he was In.
aware Of the terrific loss OF life and
the untold agony and suffering which
millions Of his people had to endure
while the 'nonsensical" war contin-
ued.
After diplomatic relations were
broken of between America and Ger
many, the crown prince and his fam
lily ceased coming to me. They were
afraid. no doubt. Of public criticism.
although the kaiser was not.
OF the kaiser's other children,
Prince William Eitel Frederick and
Prince Oscar were the only ones l
never met.
Prince Adelbert, the kaiser's third
son, was a very handsome and charm
ing man He always came to me at
tired In a naval officers uniform. I
saw him but a few times, as he was
seldom In Berlin, and he never talked
on matters Of general Importance. /
never saw him after America entered
the war.
Prince August Wilhelm, the fourth
son, was perhaps the most democratic
of them all. He sometimes came to
see me In an ordinary taxicah and he
was the only n Of the kaiser's sons
whom ! eve saw In civilian dress. He
was the first member Of the royal fam
lily to come to me after the murder
Of the Archduke Franz Ferdinand. and
he was In mourning when he called.
He looked very sad and detected and
gave me the first intimation that the
tragedy Of Sarajevo would almost In
evitably lead to a general war.
In January. 1918, In speaking Of the
part that America would take In the
war, he mentioned that his officers had
told him that 60.00O Americans were
on the western front. 1--WE don't be-
lieve II, however," he added. allow
could they get there without our know.
ing 1t? Our U-boats would certainly
have found IL out. No. Davis, It's not
true"
Prince Joachim, the kaiser's young
est son, and one Of the last Of the
royal family to visit me, reminded me
very much Of his eldest brother, the
crown prince. He was tall and slender
and would have been go~od-looking but
for a retreating chin which was very
pronounced. He had as little respect
for public opinion as the crown prince
and while the U-boat Deutschland wal
on Its way to America principally t.
bring back q cargo Of rubber, the sup
ply Of which was exhausted In Ger
many, this sixth son of the kaiser wal
driving around the country In a biz
a and using up enormous rubber
tires. while rubber was worth III
weight In gold and many cars for the
army were supplied with pain iror
wheels.
This prince was the only member o.
the royal family to get near enough
to the firing line to get shot. The In
jury. which he received while at the
western front. was only q slight flesh
wound of the thigh. but It was enough
to start him limping through history
1t was such a superficial wound thaI
1t couldn't have caused him one-hali
as much pain as It gave the whole
/, royal family pleasure.
The fact TINT one of the kaiser's
own sons had actually been wounded
and shed his royal blood In active ser
vice was something that the inspired
, press will never stop growing over
, but by just what accident the prime,
happened to come within range OF tn,
bullet has never been disclosed. New
!. ertheless he received the Iron Cross o.
the first class. or. as some one wit
, realized the Significance OF the Incl
dent. remarked, "A frst-class'iron eros
!, for a second-class wound"
: As he limped into my Office. tn
, young prince-he Is o only twenty
eight-remarked: "See what M O
your damned American bullets did I,
, me! !"
!, "How do you know It was an Amer
lean bulletf" l asked.
, 1.-The Russians have nothing else |"
I told him on n occasion that tn
people were complaining Of the foo