The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1922-10-17
Ex-Kaiser Tells How He Tried
to Induce Papal Nuncio to Try
TO Get Pope to Stop Conflict
BY WILHELM HoHENzoLLERN


against the monarchial Central Powers
by the policy of the International
Great Oriental Lodge; policy ex-
tending over many years and always
envisaging the goal at which 1t aimed.
But the German Great Lodges, / was
furthermore told-with two exceptions
wherein non-German financial inter
ests are paramount and which main
tain secret connection with the Great
Orient" in Pairs-had no relationship
to the Great Orient" They were
entirely loyal and faithful, according
to the assurance given me by the dis
tinguished German Free Mason who
explained to me this whole lnterrela-
tionship, which had, until then, been
unknown to me. He said that, in 1917
an international meeting Of the lodges
of the Great Orient" was held, after
which there was a subsequent con-
ference in Switzerland; at this the
following program was adopted: Dis
memberment of Austria-Hungary, DEM
ocrazation of Germany, elimination OF
the house of Hapsburg, abdication of
the German Emperor, restitution OF
Alsace-Lorraine to France, union OF
Galicia with Poland, elimination of the
Pope and the Catholic church, elm
ination Of every State church IN
Europe.
| am not now in position to inVes-
tigate the very damaging information
which has been transmitted to me, in
the best of faith, concerning the or
ganization and activities of the Great
Orient Lodges. Secret and public po-
litical organizations have played i'm
portant parts in the life of peoples
and States, ever since history has ex-
/ hnya
eficial most of them have been de-
structive, if they had to have secret
passwords which Stunned the light of
day The most dangerous of these
organizations hide under the cloak of
some ideal object or other-such as
active love of their neighbors, readi-
ness to help the weak and poor, and
so forth--in order that, with such pre-
texts as blind, they may work for
their real secret ends. 1t is certainly
advisable to study the activities of
the Great Orient Lodges, since one
cannot adopt a final attitude toward
this worldwide organization until it
has been thoroughly investigated
| shall not take up the war opera
tions in this work | shall leave this
task all the more readily to my officers
and to historians, since /, writing as
| am without a single document, would
be able to describe events only in
very broad outline.
When / look back upon the four ard
uous war years, with their hopes and
fears, their brilliant victories and loss
es in precious blood, what is upper
most in my mind is the feeling of
ardent gratitude and undying admira-
ton for the unequaled achievements
of EnrOnan Nation in arms
Proud Of German Army
Just as no sacrifice in endurance
and private was too great for those
staying at home, SO also the army, in
defending itself during the war GRIM
inally forced upon us, did not merely
overcome the crushing superiority of
twenty-eight hostile nations, but like
wise, on land and water and in the
air, won victories whose glory may
have paled a bit in the mists of the
present day but, for that very reason
will shine forth all the more bightly
in the light of history. Nor is that
all. Wherever there was distress
among our allies, German interven-
ton, often with weak forces, always
restored the situation and often won
noteworthy successes. Germans fought
on all the battlefields of the far-flung
World War.
Surely the heroic bravery Of the Ger
man nation deserved a better fate
than to fall victim to the dagger
that treachously stabbed it from be-
hind; it seems to be the German des-
tiny that Germans shall always be
defeated by Germans. Recently
read the unfortunately not entirely
unjustified words: In Germany every
Siegfried has his Hodur behind him.
Finally, let me say word concern
ing the German atrocities" and give
two instances thr~eof
After our odvance into Northern
France r Immediately ordered that art
treasures be protected. Art-historians
and professors were assigned to each
army. who travelled about inspecting
phosograpLing and describing churches
chateaux and castles Among them
Professor Clemen, Curator of the
Rhine Province especially distinguish
ed himself and reported to ME, when
was at the front, or the protection Of
art treasures.
All the collections in towns, mus
Gums and castles were catalogued anC
numbered: whenever they seemed tC
be imperiled by the fighting they were
taken away and assembled, at Valen
cienaes and Maubeuge, in two splendid
museums There they were carefully
preserved and the name Of the owner
marked on each article.
The old windows Of the cathedral o
St Qaantin were removed by German
soldiers at the risk Of their lives, I'm
der English shell-f:rc. The story o
the destruction of the church by tht
English was told by German Catholi,
priest. who published it with photo
graphs, and it was sent, by my orders
to the Pope.
AT the chateau of Pinon. which be
longs to the Princess of Polk. who hat
been a guest of mine and the Empress
the headquarters of the general com
manding the Third Army Corps wa
located l visited the chateau an,
lived there Previously the Englisl
had been quartered there and had rev
aged the place terribly. The com
manding general, Won Loehow, and hi
staff had a great deal of trouble get
ting il into some sort of shape again
after the devastation wrought by tn
English.
Accompanied by the general, l visit
ed the private apartments of the Prir