Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1918-10-16

nunc1at1On l ever heard him make OF
Wilson was shortly after we entered
the war. I had been summoned to
the great army headquarters to see
him, and when he entered the room
he appeared to be in a towering rage.
Indeed, his condition was SO apparent
that the kaiserin, who was also pres
ent, sought to excuse him with the
explanation that he had been very
much upset and had been sleeping
very poorly, and she asked me to treat
him gently and tried to soothe him
at the same time, but he told her to
leave the room and resented her show
ing Inc that she petted him.
We said little while I was at work,
but when was through and was pre-
parirg to leave, the kaiser stepped
toward me and said:
'Davis, Wilson is real scoundrel !"
My face flushed, suppose, at this
insult to our president, and my re-
sentiment was SO apparent that the
kaiser Immediately patted me on my
right shoulder and apologiZed.
II beg youH pardon, Davis" he de-
clared, in a quieter voice. II know
you're an American and beg your
pardon for hurting your feelings, but
if you only knew, you would realize
what a scoundrel your president is.
When it comes to throat-cutting, Will
son should have his cut first!"
Whenever the sun shone for the
kaiser he grew so optimistic that he
failed to pay the slightest attention to
the clouds gathering on the horizon.
After the Italian collapse, for instance,
he was so enthusiastic about his mill
tary Success in that arena that he
failed to realize that America was
slowly but surely forging the thunder
bolt that was to strike him down.
"Now how foolish it was for your
president to bring your country into
this war!" he said. Americans will
now see, when it is too late, what fools
they made of themselves when they
elected a professor for president. Now
America must pay the bills" In this
remark and others of the same import
the kaiser's expectation Of being able
to exact an enormous indemnity as
pert of his peace terms was clearly in
Gicated, and he felt that America, hav-
ing profited the most and suffered the
least of any of the belligerent powers,
would be in the best position to fill his
depleted Golfers.
The last time I saw the kaiser when
he mentioned the president was in the
foil of 1917, shortly after Wilson had
replied to the pope's peace proposal.
"Wilson is an idealist, and an ideal
list can accomplish nothing!" was his
comment. -''He went into the war that
he might have a seat at the peace table
but he will never get 1t. shall pre-
vent itw
Of Wilson's peace notes, which were
issued before America went into the
war, the kaiser remarked: II think /
am right, the others think they're right.
America has all the money. If Wilson
really wants peace, let him pay the
bills and take care of the indemnities
and the war will be over! 1t is very
simple"
There was no man Of modern times
whom the kaiser seemed to admire so
much, before the war, as ex-PresideLt
Roosevelt. The kaiser was convinced
that Roosevelt had prevented war with
Japan by sending the American fleet
around the world and showing that it
vas fit. This brilliant stroke of states
mansbip, as the kaiser termed it, was
topic that he referred to on several
occasions. 1t was forceful demonstra-
ton that was very much after his own
heart.
"What admire about Mr.. Roosevelt
most" he said, sis the fact that he has
the greatest moral courage of any man
I ever knew!" The fact that Mr..
Roosevelt had given Germany's fleet
twenty-four hours notice to steam
from Venezuelan waters didn't serve
to lessen the kaiser's admiration for
him.
I heard him shower praise on
Roosevelt many times and I haven't
the slightest doubt that he was quite
sincere
After the war started, when ROose-
welt showed very plainly that no mat
ter what nice things the kaiser might
have thought and said of him, he GER
tainly didn't reciprocate the feeling,
the kaiser was very much disappointed.
I'm terribly disappointed in Mr..
Roosevelt" he declared. after the
way my wife and I entertained him
when he was here as our guest, for
him to take the stand he has Is very
gave great review
for him-the greatest honor I could be-
stow upon him and thing which had
never been done for private citizen.
He was not president then, you know.
1 used to admire him very much, but
now I think the man has gone crazy
and lost his mind. I never thought he
would turn against us like that!' He
did not seem to realize that a patriotic
American owed allegiance to his own
country.
In 1916 asked him whether he had
heard that Mr.. Ford was on his way
over from America in chartered ship
with a delegation.
"Who, Peace-Ford?" he inquired.
told the kaiser what I had read Of
the Ford expedition.
"How can your country allow man
like that to do this thing-a man who
has played no part in the politics of his
own country and is entirely ignorant