The Beaver herald. [volume] (Beaver, O.T. [Okla.]) 1895-1923, 1918-11-14
CHAPTER ~.

CHAPTER III. ~
The kaiser's Dual Personality.
II l had come away from Germany in
January, 1914, instead Of In January,
1918, and had written the impression
I had gained of the kaiser In the ten
years l had known him, what a false
picture I would have painted Of the
man as he really isl
1t would have been 4 picture Of a
man who In general appearance and
bearing was every inch an emperor and
yet who could exhibit all the courtesy.
affatility and g~entleness of the most
democratic gentleman, q man soft OF
! eye and kindly In expression, . man of
wide reading and attainmentstperhaps
the most versatile man In the world. .
man who possessed q most alert mind.
q remarkable memory and the keenest
observation; q man who was not gen
erous In nature and yet was at times
c~onsiderats Of others; Q man Of charm
ing personality and amiability. II
would have shown q man Of unpar-
alleled egotism. Q man who was I'M
patient of correction and who would
brook no opposition. There might have
been in the picture a suggestion Of the
dire lengths to which the man would
60 to have his way. but 1t would have
been only q suggestion.
As far as 1t went, the picture would
have been accurate, but 1t would have
been sadly incomplete-with all the
lights worked In but lacking oil the
shadows.
It took the wal and its attendant
horrors to reveal the kaiser in his
true colors. The war did not change
his character; 1t uncovered 1t.
Early in my practice I happened to
mention to the kaiser that I appre-
ciated the friendliness he showed me
in invariably waving his hand at me
as he passed my window when walking
along the T~iergarten.
TITS q good advertisement for you,
Davis" he said. "The people see me
waving to you and they know you must
be a good dentist or I wouldn't
come to you. 1t will help your bust
ness" In every act, he was conscious
of the public.
During that period Of my career in
Berlin, he showed the utmost Interest
In my progress and frequently inquired
how my practice was developing.
The first bill I rendered him. az
I have mentioned, he doubled. On 9
number Of subsequent occasions, h
paid me more than my bill called for
These overpayments never amounted
3 to very much. but they impressed m
; because they were 10 out Of keepinl
with the s~tinginess the kaiser dis
q played In other directions.
From time to time the kaiser sen
or brought me autographed pictures o
d himself or others. At the time Of tn
one hundredth anniversary Of Fred
erick the Great. he gave me a pictur
Of that monarch. On another occasion
q he presented me with q group pictur
of himself surrounded by his famil,
and dogs. I remember his bringing t
Il me q large unframed picture In cele
bration of his silver wedding. 1t wa
n about t~wenty-four by eighteen inche
d In size. It showed the kaiserin an
himself in q sort Of cloud floating abov
a birdseye view Of Berlin. with tn
palace and the cathedral dimly see
below.
II don't know Just what this master
= piece was meant to signify, but I had
framed and placed 1t In my office.
evoked from a little boy who entcre
the room with his mother the follow
n ing astonished remark: "Oh, mothe
look at the kaiser In heaven! !"
nj A postcard picture Of the kaise
1t signed by his W hand. was In hi
"a own estimation one Of the most pric'
less gifts he could bestow. I remeu
Der his donating NJ of them to G
American charity bazaar In Berlin I
,e be auctioned on. He thought that II
~ fact that the card came from his In
perial majesty gave It q value whiG
Z could not be measured In dollars az
H. cents. A piece Of jewelry or q su
D. Of money might have been duplicate
r. or even excelled by q gift Of simili
character from any American milli0
ID atee-for whose wealth the kaiser II
II, quently expressed the utmost contemI
I'd but what could surpass the value
e- an autograph Of the kaisert
to No doubt the royal banQuets we
d. prepared much upon the same pri
at ciple, for It was q common sayiI
re among the German a~rlstocracy that Of
M had better feel well before going to
banquet at the palace.
nd happened to mention to the kais
CHI the reputation his banQuets held amol
er his people. He was not ct all tak'
ed nbnck.
THAT'S goodr" he commented. 1T
ed Germans are too fat. anyway. The n
IT, jority Of the people cat too much"
er Long after automObiiing bscal
nd more or less general, the kaiser 1t