The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1918-09-23


part that America would take in the
war, he mentioned that his officers had
told him that 10000 Americans were
on the western front. 1--WE don't be-
lieve 1t, however" he added. "How
could they get there without our know
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
very much of his eldest brother, the
crown prince. He was tall and slender
and would have been goOd-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 was
on its way to America principally to
bring back cargo of rubber, the sup
ply of which was exhausted in Ger
many, this sixth son of the kaiser was
driving around the country in a big
car and using up enormous rubber
/ tires, while rubber was worth it's
army were supplied with plain iron
wheels.
This prince was the only member Of
the royal family to get near enough
to the firing line to get shot. The in
j jury, which he received while at the
western front. was only a slight flesh
wound of the thigh, but it was enough
m <fort bip, Hv,pino <brorrh h;cforx,
1t was such a superficial wound that
1t couldn't have caused him one-half
as much pain as it gave the whole
royal family pleasure.
The fact that 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
but by just what accident the prince
happened to come within range Of the
bullet has never been disclosed. New
ertheless he received the Iron Cross of
the first class, or, as some one who
realized the significance Of the Incl
dent, remarked, "a first-class iron cross
for second-class wound"
As he linped into my Office, the
young prince-he is now only twenty
eight-remarked: "See what one of
your damned American bullets did to
mel"
'How do you know 1t was an Amer
lean bullet?' asked.
'The Russians have nothing else !"
told him on one occasion that the
people were complaining of the food
shortage.
'They have food enough" he an
swered. "The best thing they do is
to complain! Don't they complain in
America? The fact is they have too
much to eat, anyway. They don't know
what they want"
The Kaiser at Army Headquarters.
To what extent the kaiser is respon-
sible for the failures and entitled to
credit for the successes Of his armies
in the present war, am not in q POI
sifion to say, but if he did not actually
direct the military policy, he at least
kept closely In touch with everything
that was going on. From the very be-
ginning of hostilities he lived the ma
jor part of the time at the great army
headquarters and was in constant con-
sultation with his military leaders.
/ had several opportunities to see
the kaiser while he was at the various
great army headquarters.
In the spring of 1915 received a
long distance telephone message from
the great army headquarters, which
vxyoC IN hn IF hn DySn
Won Pless at Pless, to the effect that
the kaiser wanted me to go there.
During the course of my work one
Of his private secretaries came in re-
peatedly with kilograms and messages
for the kaiser, AND he would usually
excuse himself and read them. Some
times he would be summoned outside
to consult with important persons who
were there to see him, but he was
never gone more than ten minutes at a
time.
/ did not think he looked exception
ally WELL He seemed to be very tired
and he had very little to say-in itself
an indication that he was not exactly
| normal.
| When my work for the morning was
] over and his valet, who had assisted
me, had been excused, the kaiser
| gazed at me for a moment or two and
then, apropos of nothing, burst out
/ with the rather remarkable announce
ment: "The man who brought this
catastrophe on the world. Davis,
should be strung up by the neck, and
that man is not /. as the world seems
to think. The car of Russia and he
king of England, when they were at
the wedding Of my daughter-guests
at my own house, mind you, and my
blood relatives-hatched this plot
/ against me. They were enviOus of
my power. but they will now learn
what that power is"
In the same breath almost he made