Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1919-03-08

low BEFORE his nephew, keeping up
the farce all through the perform
ance without William in any way re-
straining him.
And this reminds me. by way of
contrast of conver sation at which
l was present some time previous to
that public exhibition of senile adula-
ton.
Tell me, honestly, who helped
His Majesty compose this frightful
Song to Aegir. -?
State secret. Your Royal High
time" and Adjutant Count Moltke
looked up helplessly into the beauti-
full eyes of the Emperor's sister.
''As my big brother remarked the
other day to the Burgomaster of
Thorn: 1 can be very disagreeable
If need be- said the Princess of Mein-
ingen Now Major, answer and pat,
1 command YOU"
His Majesty composed the song"
Kaiscr's Frauds
That is the official version, /
know; what l am interested in is, to
find out how he did 1T
AT the piano, Your Royal High
ness"
Since when does His Majesty
play?
He has the finest ear for music,
that Your Royal Highness will not
deny. He struck the keys with one
finger. and, If you promise not to
give me away, your humble servant
had the honor of putting the all
highest composition on paper"
Thanks, awfully." said the Prin-
cess, and, turning to her lady-in-
waiting, Won Ramin, later Madame
Won Brochen, she added: Not Il
word of this to anybody; our dear
Moltke must not be punished for
amusing u.s." And once more address,
ing the adjutant she continued with
her usual mocking laugh: Il will now
tell you how it was done, you inno-
cent. The Emperor was strumming
the piano with one finger, when Il
! certain blonde giant about your size
stepped behind him, and, striking the
keys, gave life to musical compo-
sition he, the giant, had half per-
| fected in his head. The air pleased
| His Majesty, and he added a note
here and there. And as the thing pro-
Sressed, my big brother said: This
would be an excellent accompani-
ment to Eulenburg's northern leg
end. Call him at once When the
I tIOuDduOT dppedTeu, all lnTee VI you
set to work on this frightful piece of
clap-trap, and, as you correctly re-
ported, the honor of putting the COM
! position on paper fell to you as the
only capable musician of the trio
the composition, l said, not the all
highest one"
Robs Artists of Regulations
This lively colloquy occurred few
days after the much disputed air
had been performed at a concert in
honor of deputation from the Brit
iSh Royal Dragons visiting Berlin
to congratulate their new chief, the
Kaiser and it gives the true story of
the birth of that song. For the or
chestration, Professor Albert Becker,
was responsible and got the Hohen-
zollern Cross in acknowledgment.
Besides clearing up the "Aegir"
mystery, the above affords an inter-
esting illustration of Williams mode
of work. He has talents, undoubt-
edly, but they are creative only in
giving work to others, the product
passing for his own in the end. AS
Moltke and Philip Eulenburg are the
real authors of his" Song to Aegir,"
so Professor Knackfuss, composed
his cartoons, though being credited
only with their technical execution.
The late Court chaplain Frommcl
used to write the imperial sermons
delivered with so much eclat on the
deck of the yacht HohcnZollcrn; OIL
'ccrs of the military household pre-
pared Williams lectures, and the
artist Karl SaItZmann painted his
landscapes and marine views.
To shield their master from the
accusation of frittering away his
time in useless dilettantlsm, the Ger
man official press printed, every lit
tie while, historic reviews purport-
ing to show that the Hohenzollerns
of all ages have been among the
most gifted of mortals - authors,
poets, musicians, artists.