Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1924-02-15
Williams Court
Intimate Memories
Find Ready Sale

beEHn, Jan. 25-(A. T.. by MALL
Count Robert Zedlitz- Trutzschler
whose memoirs laying bare the inner
history of the Hohenzollern court for
the IL years he served William II as
court marshal. will probably 90 into
history as one of the worlds great
est diarists.
Ills family and friends have ostra-
ciZed the Count. and the denuncia-
tlon heaped upon him by the officers
unions and other societies connected
WIN lhe old court has insured
democratic Germany to read his book
ana SEND its circulation up to a point
Whlch may well make William II and
the FORMER crown prince extremely
envlous. Their memoirs were forgot
ten few weeks after they had left
the press. But Count Zedlitz has
Eeen far more frank, and has given
a picture of the childish antics. sell
nshness and egotism of the imperial
iainl!H, especially of the ex-kaiser.
winch is regarded here as proba blv
true. AT least the democratic masses
Oh central Europe believe 1t is true:
and the royalists must read the book
to find out how they and their friends
and relatives have Jared at the hands
OF the unusual diarist.
Count Zedlitz shows the ex-kaiser
TO have been about as stupid as the
late emperor of Russia, whose p,b-
ilsfed diary caused all the world TO
gasp and wonder whether he and the
late empress ever thought OF the well
iare or tliSsia and the Russian peo-
PIE. Nlillam'S own memoirs. which
ms publishers insist he wrote him
sell, threw little light on the domestic
life OF the court. Count Zedlitz has
filled in the gaps and supplemented
the ex-kaiser's work in way that
has delighted the exiled emperor's
enemies.
but IN measure one may forgive
the former emperor some of his rude
ness and eccentricity after reading
count Zedlitz' picture of the duh life
o. the Potsdam imperial family and
me awful monotony with which the
ffohenzollerns attempted from dav to
day to stage their pomp and grand
eur. The late empress was n faith
lul mother and doubtless had many
womanly virtues. but one cannot pos
sibiy gisan from Count Zedlitz' book
mat she was companionable or enter
tanning in the slightest degree. Pic
lures he gives of evenings In the
great palace at Potsdam show them
10 nave been so dull that apolosists
Tor William ii will find much ma
terial to use in his defence.
The late empress permitted her
husband to smoke a cigsr or cigar
cite after dinner. but she seldom al
lowed any guest to smoke in her
presence. She and the women dinner
guests accompanied the men into the
billiard room after dinner. and sat
there until retiring time. The former
emperor frequently read kilograms
and messages aloud to the company.
Meantime his wife did needlework.
Sometimes members of the party Sc
lected magazines or books and read
in silence.
Count ZedIitz says frankly that the
evenings were tedious and irving.
and everyone watched for the
empress TO announce il was bed
time. She usually did this about
half past ten to the great relief of
the guests. On one occasion when
the foTaer emperor had read to HIM
self the whole evening. and the sill
ence had been appalling. he sud-
denly exclaimed: Are you going TO
stay here ali night"
The empress replied: mo, William.
tut did not want to disturb Won:
you have been so busy reading" Will
liam retorted: what else conld I do
when 1t is SO unbelievably dull here?"