New-York tribune., 1920-02-15
Germans Back
Refusal to Give
Up Ex-Kaiser
Hollands Action Endorsed,
Not for Love of Wilhelm,
but ThatSurrender Would
BE Indignisy to Germany
None Wishes His Return
Demand for Extradition
Fails to Arouse Spark of
Warmth Toward Exile
By William G. Drcher

BERLIN. Jan 2i.-There is great
satisfaction in Germany to-day over
Hollands note declining to extradte
the ex-Kaiscr, and the newspapers are
everywhere applauding hollands ac
ton. 1t has been interesting to me,
in this connection, to look through the
editoriuls of the monarchicul press of
Berlin 10 see if / could discover one
note of personal warmth toward vii
helm: amy indication that his return
to Germany was wished
| did not find It,
The attitude Of all the newspapers
was as impersonal as possible; it was
Germany that was in their minds, not
the cX-Kaiser. He appeared to be i'm
portant 10 them only as a German: only
because to punish him would be re-
garded an indignity 20 Germany Sure
~, il there are any !learts in Germany
That might warm to Wilhelm they
would show it upon an occasion like
this. They did not show it, They
gave not the slightest sign that they
ycarn for his return TO Germany.
And doubtless Wilhelm coldv rccip-
rocates this GOODNESS. BY an odd coin
cidencc Il letter Of his, written TO some
was also printed in the newspapcrs
to-day. In 1t he complains that he had
been deceived by even his ministers and
generals. ollgec and Lu-
dendorff, not to mention Tirpitz, first
deceived NE and then abandoned me"
he wrote. Not only or these men. but
on the German people themselves does
Wilhelm pour the call Of bis bitterness.
" this people from whom | have expe-
rlenced and still daily experience so
much.'
Goodness Increasing
And during these last few weeks the
already low temperature Of the German
people toward him has been sinking
still nearer to the region Of perpetual
ice. His famous marginal notes. writ
ten on the public documents published
about the beginning Of December, and
his letters to "Nicky,' which have also
been partly published here. have had
this frigid effect. The best that his
most friendly critics could say about
the notes was that they did not Law
down the great lines of German policy,
that IN most Instances the foreign Office
had already acted upon the document
IN question before 1t came back with
Wiiheim scolding remarks jotted
down in the margin
And the letters to "Nicky." will
let the most "king-truc" newsnanor Of
Berlin, the "Tagliche Rundschau !"
speak its mind Il SAID that these
letters ''show with terrible plainness
the Instability and arbitrariness Of the
purely personal policy built up upon
romantic conceptions which we carried
on before the World War-a policv
which, with the best win for peace and
the anxious dread of war, gave birth
TO the war The editor proceeds to
say that MS eX-majesty had a patri-
archal policy, that he not only felt
himself to be the sole arbiter and re-
aponsible guide of the destinies of his
people, but also the chosen guardian
of the worlds peace
Duplcity in Policy
And then this monarchical editor
says a significant thing: "He erected
his policy in the main upon the per
sonal relationships of princelv houses
like an absolute rule of century ago.
without ever clearly realizing the
changes OF the world. the equal voice
OF the nations or the decisive i'm
portancc OF popular opinion. Because
he ignored those factors he often came
into collision with the views of hi,
minister's; but he usually submitted
when they brought him to book-vet
only TO push his personal plans in q
new direction
And thus arose a duplicity in Ber
Inns policy the editor continues "a
contradiction between official stiYula-
tons and royal uttcrances and deeds
winch brought upon us the