The Lancaster news. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1905-current, 1918-09-13


enough, and from all 1 was able to
observe Of him during the visits he
paid me after the resumption of our
relations. these criticisms were well
founded. The newspapers. however,
which were naturally inspired, always
brought his name to. the front when
ever the army he was accredited to
made any successful showing just as
they did in the case of the kaiser.
During his various visits to me l
tried to draw him out a little on diff.
ferent aspects of the international sit
uation, but the ideas he expressed
were not of much moment.
"The allies think we will run short
OF man-power," he said on one occa-
sion, "but we've got 100000 youths
growing up and Wen soon be able to
put them in the war. There's no dan
ger OF our running short of men, but,
really, l wish it were all over. This
war is lot of damned nonsense, you
know !" He talked as If the two mil
lion growing-up youths of Germany
were created for the HohenZoll erns to
use as they pleased.
Another remark he made which in
dicated how sadly NJ misconstrued the
epoch-making Significance of the great
war in which the whole world was
involved was quite characteristic.
with so many men at the front"
he said, "the men vt home ought to be
having fine time with the women,
eh, what? Do YOU see many good
looking girls in Berlin now?"
In this connection l may mention
that many of the more sober officers
= d me that they We're disgusted with
the manner in which the crown prince
was acting ut his headquarters. at is
really disgrace" they complained,
for the crown prince to have so many
questionable women visiting him. II
certainly doesn't set much of an ex.
ample for the rest OF the staff"
The whole situation appeared to the
crown prince very much in the light
of II joke.
"Tvc t'ISt come from the western
FROM" lie told me. "My men, are up
30 their knees in water and m,,l
We've 'een having lots of fun pul,.,. :.
Ing the water out OF our trenches into
the French trenches"
Well, l suppose the French pump
right back again, don't theyY
You're quite right, quite right.
Hhats exactly what they do. Really,
IT'S a great lark"
Remarks of this kind rather sickened
me of this sclf-Satisfied young man.
realized, OF course, that his part in
the war was played at such safe
distance from the front lines that he
was probably not familiar with all the
horrors OF trench warfare, and vet IL
could not be possible that he was un-
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-
Iped.
After diplomatic relations were
broken off 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.
or the kaiser's other children.
Prince William Eitel Frederick and
Prince Oscar were the only ones /
never met.
Prince Adelbert, the kaiser's third
son, was very HANDSOME and charm
ing man. He always came to me at
tired in naval officers uniform. I
saw him but 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 taXicab ana he
was the only one of the kuiSer'S sons
whom ever 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 i'm.
evitably lead to II general war.
In January. 1913. in speaking OF the
part that America would take in the
war, he mentioned that his officers had
told him that 10000 Americans were
on the western front. "We don't be-
lieve 1t, however," he added. "How
could they get thore without our know
Ing it2 Our U-boats would certainly
have found 1t 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
mol of te, 81,