The New York herald., 1922-07-23
By PRINCE
ALEXANDER HOHENLOHE.

Prince Wilhelm" which is the latest
addition to the autobiographies OF
German and Austrian world war
actors that have been flooding the
market these last few years. Readers
Of the book will be thoroughly con-
vinced that Germany,s silent acQui-
escence at the time Of the abdication
of William II. was the result of the.
belief that the Crown Prince would
succeed to the throne.
One need not be an admirer of
William 1.-THE author of this article
never was one-to feel that there is
q lack of good taste in the Princes
book which may be accounted for
In the fact that he is the. son of his
father, for it is well known that the
father also showed a lack of this
same quality. During all the years
of his fateful government, from be-
ginning to end. urbi ct orbi, he
showed this sufficiently.
Just as repulsive as the above is
the Princes continued emphasis of
his democracy. his little anecdotes of
how he talked with common peo-
ple." how he associated with his
''brave boys" on the field. 1t pro-
duces an unpleasant effect. and will
produce a more unpleasant effect on
those who were really at the front
when he speaks of the way he
pressed forward to the front and
on the field of BATTLE" although no
one ever heard of his going further
toward the front than a safe point
behind the firing line. He need not
be reproached for this. for in modern
warfare the leader sits before a table
with his maps spread out, listening
to the telephone in comfortable
quarters far from the battlefield.
while the human materier' out in
the muddy and dirty trenches are
starving and freezing and being shot
to pieces. The man who really did
not bring them back whole-who was
one of the heroes himself-who
fought against the overwhelming
forces with courage and endurance
which aroused admiration among the
enemy-may at least demand that.
when .he reads such a work. it con-
tain a little more respect for the
truth. 1t is scarcely probable that
q reader of this type would be pleased
with the patriarchal. affected and
sentimental tone with which Mr..
ROsner allows the Crown Prince to
speak of his boys" The times have
changed. but this the author does
not seem to comprehend. Frederick
the Great might have INDUCED In
such an attitude. He was Frederick
the Great. And even the famous
Napoleon. whom the Crown Prince
is supposed to have admired so
much. spoke of his sSgrognards' in |
different tone.
The same unpleasant impression Is
made when the author discusses his
role before the war. He underesti- |
mates too much the memory of his
readers when he attempts to clear
himself of the accusation that he
tried to incite the war when he in
terfered in the famous Zabern affair
by depicting the incident as a HARM
less matter, contrary to facts. The
affair was deeply discussed through
out Europe because it threw the po-
iitical situation in Germany sud
denly into the iimelight and iiiumi-
mated the overwhelming preponder-
ance of the militarists and the i'm
perial governments submission to
their demands. The impression made
was more lasting because of the in
reference of the Crown Prince. who
unreserveedly took sides with the
military elements. At the time the
whole affair was recognized, and
probably not unjustly. as an attempt
to bring about immediate war. Peace
had lasted too long for certain mill
tary groups. and they desired war
for their own advancement.
For this reason few will believe the
author when he tries to justify his
attitude at the time. his famous tele-
L. r.