New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1921-04-12


Prince Bismarck. "Unsor Fritz" and
The Grown Princess were pleased with
the simple, domestic disposition OF tho
bride and hoped, though vninly. that
he would incline her husband away
rom Bismarck's influence since they
had been her fathers friend and cham
ZION, while Bismarck had been his
cynical dcspoilcr; and Bismarck, on
he other hand, thought that the mar
riage would reconcile the people Of
the duchies to Prussian rule.
Influenced by Waldcrsee
'rne young couple went to live In tho
Marble Palace at Potsdam. There they
aud Countess Waldersee, as we'll as that
# Bismarck. Countess Waldersee was
IN American, formerly Miss Lea, of
New York, and was one of the leaders
Of the evangelistic and missionary
movement in Germany at that time
and also a friend and patron Of the no
torious jew batter, the court chaplain,
Dr. Stoccker. She interested the Prus-
sian prince and princess in that move
ment and gave to them the religious
bent which was so noteworthy all
through their lives.
The princess was quite content, how
church duties, and appears to have had
little or no part in the political in
trigues in which her husband engaged
She did not. so far as is known, pro-
test against his unfiiial antagonism to
his father, nor even against his scan
dalous arrest of his own mother at her
husbands bier.
Became German Housewife
Her talents were directed to the by
no means easy task of being q helpful
wife and devoted mother. That she
succeeded in this her husband fire
qucntlv testified.
He once described her as "the
ideal of the virtues of German
princess She it is," he declared, ITO
whom owe that l am able to Lear the
weighty responsibilities Of my posi-
ton in joyful spirit"
Concerning the attitude Of the En-
press toward the war little is known
There has been nothing to indicate
that she differed from her consort in
the German ambition for world domi-
nation. Some indication of her point
of view was given in her reply in July.
1918, to letter written by the wife
of the Dutch Minister Of War. In re-
spending the Empress declared that
Germany repeatedly had manifested
her readiness for peace, which. she de-
clared, had not been entertained by
the opposing powers.
Labors in the War
That she subscribed to the conten-
tion Of military leaders that Germany
WAS fighting a defensive war was
shown by statement she issued at
the beginning Of the great conflict, in
which she said that Germany was arm
ing itself for fight (which it did not
cause or begin ana which it is carry
ing on only tc defend itself" In this
appeal she asked German women to aid
in caring for the German wounded
Numerous instances in which tho
Empress visited German hospitals and
oppressed lively sympathy for the
wounded soldiers have been reported
was said to have broken down at the
sight of great NUMBERS of. the German
wounded sent home after one of the
| great battles in 1918.
For more than ten years the Empress
suffered in health, and this was attrib-
uted to disease Of the heart, but
after treatment at German watering
places she recovered her normal health
Her sympathy with underpaid work
crs of Germany was disclosed on a
visit which she paid some years ago
! to an exhibition of home industries in
! Berlin, where it was stated that she was
deeply moved by the evidence she saw
there of the fact that many German
workers earned only starvation wages.
What can be done to stop this
misery?" she inquired.
Her tenderness as a mother was re-
vealed during the illness of her second
son. Prince Eitel, whom she attended
day and night. Arriving at the house
where he was under physicians care
at q. m. one day, she refused to
rouse any one for fear Of disturbing
him and with her maid walked up and
down for an hour in the wlntry morn
ing until the doors were opened by
the servants
One of the stories told of her is that
she enjoyed visiting schools in country
districts, selecting one of the pupils
and promising the child to fulfill any
wish the child might express. A dis
concerning instance happened when she
did this in Alsace, where the schools
we're being Germanized and the French
| language suppressed. A little girl, re-