The Caucasian., 1919-02-23
LAST DAYS OF
KAISER At SPA
Gusra SelYs 0? the Escape Of Ger
gaan ex.RuIero

Man 6x'Ruiefo
QUITS 4 TRAIN FOR BERLIN
Is Stops sA opes Country and the
Amazed Body-Guard See War Lord
Flee IN AutomobiIe~Erzberg and
&cheidemanR treat William as
Grown-Up ChiId-Mad Scramble to
leave Sp4 When End Comes.
Some day che eragieomedy Of the
ex-kaiser's fighs Will assuredly be
known in all les "details ana will prove
one of The mo3 h'enanls Interesting.
IL noe one o. toe eaoso s.!ifying, epi-
codes 10 history, v:otss Julian Grande
in New York oe.ncs. On all proba-
Dility, howe~es, olany Of chose who
would End this narrative most absorb
ting wils no gongss ae here 60 read it
when it appears. Any eyewitness ac-
count. therefore, of Williams last
hours as kaiser cannot but arouse at
tention, especially il il bea, every
mark Of veracity.
This particular eyewitness was Ger
man acting color sergeant, who, with
bis company, was on guard outside the
Belgian castle az Spa where William
HohenzollsrR had his quarters when
the ultimatum, concerning his abdica-
ton was delivered by Erzberger. Schei-
lemann, and the rest.
One day this eyewitness noticed the
kaiser walking with some one else il
the grounds of his residence, and over
heard his majesty's companion saying
90 him:
Seems ls4s an ever again, just the
same political eonjuncture! But that's
not saying it'll end 50 tragically."
TO which che Kaiser replied fre.
9uentls, ga, ia"
This conversation took place oa the
morning afte9 the famous six motor
ears with Erzberger, ScheidemanD an9
company had returned from the French
front az ~ p. m., bearing the armiS-
sice conditions. which apparently were
not taken SO very tragically. for these
gentry were heard laughing and crack.
in. Jokes about them with the kaiser.
'Treaa ka:e. q: Child.
The interview Of the kaiser with
Scheidemann, Erzberger and company
will perhaps one day be made known,
but one thing is certain. Even at that
hour William Hohenzollern seemed to
fail to realize the situation, and Err.
berger and Scheidemann did not unde'
eeive him. In other words, they treat
ed him as a grown-up child.
On the day after the armistice terms
were made known to the kaiser,
Thursday, the atmosphere in Spa must
have been exceedingly electric, for
our eyewitness tells US that his regi.
ment was fully armed and always on
picket duty, and that it was only be-
cause they were well provided with
hand grenades that any sort of order
was preserved.
Friday night was the last night that
che kaiser slept. or rather spent, at the
white castle or country house in which
he had installed himself i'll Spa. In
the town the excitement was at fever
heat. The battalion to Which our eye
witness belonged vas para';ine the
streets, fully armed. with fixed bay
snets and hand grenade bags full.
The next morning, Saturday, his
company was ordered TO be at the rail-
way station, where they were told
that a train was ready to take them
to Berlin. At the station they found
that the ex-kaiser was already in one
of the carriages, attended by a small
suite. The train left as usual, but
after two hours run it suddenly STOP
ped, tight in the open country, and
the sx-kaiser and mis- suite got out
and entered some mOtorcars which
were awaiting them And away they
went! To quote the solor-sergeahj's
own words: "The troops accompany
ing rim hung their amazed coun.
tenanceS out of the carriage windows,
and spent the time on the return jour-
Dey discussing what had happened.
Every Man fos Himself.
They went back to Spa, and it was
then a ease Of every snaD fer himself.
and the devil take the hindmost. Off
GERS Aastened to get Mold Of che first
available snotorsar and secure as much
benzine or petrol as possible, 6lling
Che ears with anything oD which they
could lay hands. Whether il belonged
to thesA - noe was quite = secondary
considerations. And then off ehey went.
eo". She grand generas staff began
packing up. and shae ver5 morning
Gindeabusg thoughs il UrudeAt ets iss
sue an order 10 forns soldiers councils.
apparently 9Ae company 90 which
mis- eyewitness 9elongeS muse still
nave been considered the mos. faith.
4ul of all, fos ne himself left with the
same eraiN thae rad Eindenburo on
Board aod Whae was left s,f ''ge gem
oral staff. sIindenhure apparently
kept his head or rather tried to Keep
it, to .he very end. IF he had not is
sued oeders for the formation Cf sol