The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1921-02-11
KAISER NEVER WISHED
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baby 1 arrived at Rome. Who could
then have guessed that the friend
would become the enemy of the
world? I was sometimes warned and
it was not without intention that I
showed the Italian, Victor Emanuel,
in July, 1913, my fleet in Kiel."
General Won Gontard diverted the
attention of the kaiser hurriedly from
political questions with the neutral
question:
"If your majesty will permit, this
young Hollander is a higher teacher
of the German language
The kaiser understood the intention
of his constant companion. He was
silent a moment and then said:
$50 1 hope you understand things
of the middle ages. You recall Wal
ter Won der Voegelweide. The affairs
of his home land were a matter of
holy seriousness with him, and what
produced over the glory of his father
land"
Lives in the Past.
The kaiser looked with glowing eyes
past me and said softly:
For me the middle ages have an
extra ordinary charm and 1t won't be
right for you to prove to me that we
are better off now than hen. 1 pass
my days partly in the past of the
wonderfully beautiful, heroic middle
ages.
1.-The problem of the NibeIungen
also interests you. How strong and
sound must the people have been who
produced such heroes. All the more
it will be revenged when such a ma
tural folk bellies itself, that is to say
it's national pride"
Anew Won Gondart intruded with
comment
your majesty will permit me to
note that it is gradually beginning to
rain. May I-bring an umbrella? 20
The kaiser looked coldly and IRON
motioned equivocally with his right
hand. That could mean disappear"
or could mean, fetch the umbrella"
The general evidently did not under
stand. He hesitated a moment, then
hurried nervously away.
"How does your majesty hold 1t
possible that his people have fallen SO
Iow?" 1 asked mmediately.
The kaiser suddenly stopped, threw
his cigaret out of his left hand and
said, harshly:
Germany Betrayed Itself.
''My people has betrayed itself, its
God, and me. Already during the war
Social Democrats Socialists and Ma
jority Socialists) took care of that.
They are chiefly guilty.
every German soldier during the
war returned home to his wife and
children on short leave was systematic
cally worked upon-that is to say,
spiritually spoiled. So he returned
to his work under false influences and
he wasn't a soldier anymore. He then
sought to work upon his faithful COM
rades and often succeeded.
1t was at this point that the kaiser
made the remark that the betrayal
of the German people signified their
death sentence as quoted above.
| I could see Won Gontard hastily re-
turning with two umbrellas which he
had seized from some flunky and as
he approached I asked quickly:
Does that mean the death sentence
forever?"
Nobody knows that the kaiser
said. "Only Almighty God can help
there. For the near future. / don't
, expect much. The world looks darker
every day. 1t was never so far re-
moved from peace as now. The whole
world has denied God-not only my
people have denied their God.
Fought for Peace Twenty-Six Years.
| "F'or twenty-six difficult years I
alone led the fight to keep the peace
| of my folk-then the sword of peace
was struck out of my hand by my best
friends.
q never wished the war" (sich
habe ME den krieg gewollt").
| At this moment General Won Con-
/ tard cried anxiously:
IF your majesty will permit. will
give you an umbrella"
! The kaiser looked at HIM with irr1-
tation and said sharply:
] whoever fears the rain can walk
| under the arbor"
| BY this time we had reached the
castle bridge. Won Gontard gave me
kindly nudge and 1 accompanied the
kaiser to the door of the castle. Here
I the kaiser shook my hand and said:
Tell your father it was a pleasure for