The circle banner. [volume] (Circle, Mont.) 1914-1939, 1918-12-13

the kaiser almost invariably displayed
inshis relations with me did not pre-
vent him on one occasion from show
ing his Indignation when l touched him
| upon what was evidently a very sore
| point--the part that America was 60
ing to play in the war, although he al
ways claimed to be unperturbed about
| the American situation.
He had pointed out that America at
that time had only 10000 men In
France and he believed that the o.
boats would effectively prevent any
great addition to our forces abroad, II,
indeed, they ever left our shores.
"As matter of fact, however" he
added, "your countrynen would be
very willing, no doubt, to fight for their
country to protect 1t from invasion,
but don't believe you'll ever get many
of them to leave home to gght abroad.
America will really be ve1J aman
factor in the war, Davis"
"Your majesty is Understanding
the power of America r' replied.
He turned to me Indignantly, and In
his most imperious manner exclaimed:
1--WE underestimate no one! We
know exactly what we-are doingp
How seriously he was mistaken In
this respect has since been sufficiently
proved.
No matter how gloomy the outlook
for Germany, the kaiser seldom show
ed concern. 1t is true that whenever
things were going wrong, as when the
Russians in the early part of the war
We're sweeping everything before them
In their advance on the Carpathians,
he and the rest of the royal family
kept as far in the background as pos
sible, whereas when the German cause
was triumphant, as In the case of the
offensive against Italy, he could not
make himself too conspicuous at the
front.
But even when Germany's adversely
was greatest, the kaiser always put on
brave front. At such times / have
seen him stop in the street, after leav-
ing my office, and before the hundreds
of people waiting outside to greet him,
ostentatiously put cigarette In his
mouth and light it, that everyone might
notice how steady his hand was and
how little he was worried by the turn
things were taking.
At the same time, on one or two oc-
casions after the war started, noticed |
that he acted differently when In the |
dental chair than had been his custom
when everything was serene.
The kaiser once boosted to me that |
not building was erected in Germany,
not bridge built, not street opened,
not park laid out, but what the prof.
ect was first submitted to him. He
kept posted on everything that was
going on, not only in Germany, but in
the world at large, and, as far as he
was able, he endeavored to have his
finger in every development of world
wide Importance. 1 cannot imagine
that he was less interested In what his
were doing in connection
with the war than he was in their
achievements in time of peace.
If he did not actually order the sink.
ing of the Lusitania, therefore, l am
convinced that he was thoroughly
aware Of the plan to blow it up and
it. That he could have
averted 1t If he had been prompted to
% do so Is clearly indicated by another
Incident which left very deep Inn
preston upon me.
1 was Informed by one Of the Ger
nan aviators that plans had been
made to drop gas bombs on London
which contained deadly gas which
would penetrate the cellars Of houses
n which civilians were in the habit
# hiding during air raids.
Shortly before this hideous idea was
o be put into effect the papers an
lounced that bombs Of this character
lad been dropped by the allies on
but that. fortunately,
hey had fallen in a clump of woods
q the center of the town and had fail.
d to explode, which had given the
iermans an opportunity to take them
part and ascertain their nature. {