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

/
| often implied lack of gentlenesS
and generosity. 1t was his boundless
| love of self that claimed ascendency
| in his every action, no matter wheth-
er ii affected the best friend he had
in the world or his worst enemy.
AS in those awful days of San
Reno, when he claimed, as repre-
sentative of the old Emperor, preCe-
dence over his afflicted mother on
the way to the village church, so
| he used his Emperorship as club
to intimidate all depending upon him
into state of utter submisslveness.
| And this was going on so long that
, the Empress, on her part, had 'be-
come used to it.
| AS to the children, they were there
for dynastic purposes. to learn and
TO grow up; what more can be re-
quired? Her Majesty's complaint,
that they hardly saw their father.
was true; seldom, if ever, did the
| youngsters appear at table, and the
reports of their governor as to con-
duct and progress in learning had to
suffice, time for meeting not being
available.
The Kaiser's idea of women was
that they were wholly for purposes
of amusement or propagation, and
children for the purpose of main
tanning family lineages or the popu-
lation of the Empire-this was Ger
man "Kultur"!
The Kaisers upstairs study, a
large, lofty room, was the rostrum
from which the Empire and the
whole world in general were ad-
dressed (who knows not the date
line: Given at the Neues Palais?'O
Near the fireplace was the Emper-
or'S writing table, a big, clumsy wal
nut affair with machine-turned feet,
and trimmings such as may be found
in any well-regulated household in
Germany. The Berliner calls this
piece of tilted ineleganCy Diplomats s
Desk" for what special reason l do
not know. The top was usually COW
cred with marine views, charcoal
sketches, and photographs of beautl-
full women, framed and unframed.
AS is we'll known, both their Ma
jesties had a passion for photog-
raphy. which William was wont to
call "a royal art" until he heard that
the Duke of Marlborough, who
married a daughter of the republic
for her moneAp practiced it; but,
while Her NJ y sty collected photo
graphs indiscriminately, the Kaiser
showed a decided partially for those
of charming women.
Is This German "Kultur?"
True. he honored men in the SER
vice of the Court of government, or
of social renown, quite frequently
by requests for pictures; but on
receiving them he invariably shut
them away where the flies cannot
get at them" while portraits of
handsome princesses and other fair
ones who made an impression upon
the imperial mind were everywhere
in Williams rooms - figures large
and small in all sorts of costumes,
or even distinguished by an absence
of such; plain pictures, silver prints,
in colors or painted over; personal
gifts, inscribed with sweet senti-
ments, or the output of art stores.
Among the likenesses regularly
found on the Emperor's writing
table, no' matter whether he was at
home or in his private car, or visit
ing with relatives and friends, was
one of the Duchess of --, remark
able for the fact that Her Imperial
Highness was uncovered except for
a necklace of pear-shaped pearls.
COR this portrait the Kaiser profess
ed a special liking, because, he said,
it reminded him of certain master
piece representing Letitia's great
grand -aunt, the Empress Josephine.
Don't you think it does? he
once, after a lengthy dissertation on
the point. asked his wife, who cor
daily detests her cousin.
Other picture favorites of his in
cluded the daughter of a Prussan
General. This young lady figured oc-
casionally in living pictures arrang-
ed by members of the Court society,
and, with her rich Titan hair, big
blue eyes and chaste figure, was per-
haps, the most beautiful German girl
of the period.
Kaiscr's Industry Is n Myth
\ continuous source of amusc-
mcnt to the Kaiser were the minute
accounts of his daily labors i'm the
vineyard of statccraft, and of almost
any other vocation imaginable,
which he ordered published in books,
magazines, pamphlets and news
papers with a minutcnesS of detail
and conceived in a know-all vein of
assurance, intcrlardcd with "deep-
est" and "highcst' admiration. that
make them Soul-Stirring and pa
thctic," he thought.
These descriptions of what is inde-
scribable (for the greater part of
the labors ascribed to the Kaiser
were. creations of the authors fam
cies) commenced to pour in on us al
most with the beginning of his reign.
when in a speech to the municipal
council of Berlin he protested against
the imputation that he travelled
around for the. fun of the thing.
II have placed my health and all
my bodily resources in jeopardy to
serve the cause of peace and to pro-
mote the Fathefland's prosperity by
visiting allies and friends in all parts
of the world" he cried. And German
opinion, always ready to be correct
ed. at once changed its sing-song of
the Kaiser on -the-tramp into that of
the Kaiser at-work.
After that it became the fashion
among sycophants to pronounce Will
liam a perptuum mobile of useful
activity.
/ will not weary the reader by at
tempting a detailed account of the
Kaiser's employments,-of when he
designed to get up and when he
'graciously" retired. worked at gov
erning, and governed the work of
others; listened to reports and as
serted himself; fenced. rode, drove
and what not,-that life which was
but ''whirligig of hard labor for the
good of the people and for the peace
of Europe, or else an attempt to
square accounts with the Supreme
Creator.
The Kaiser imagined he was going
through one of these high-minded
performances continuously. whether