Winslow daily mail., 1926-12-26
FORMER KAISER
GIVES OLD TIME
HOLIDAY PARTY

-
Surrounded by friends and rela-
tives, former Emperor William OF
Germany, spent one of the merriest
ChfistmaSeS since his exile in his
barbed wire retreat in this little
Dutch village. I
Doorn House saw real old fash
ioned Christmas with William and
his wife, Princess Hermine, hosts,
to Prince Du Reiss, number of
German aristocracy and Dutch. no
blemen with whom William keeps
up desultory acquaintance. None
lOf the former kaiSer's own Chill
dren attended the festivities.
| Princess Hefmine received gifts
pf4 gowns and furs from her hus-
band, but what she gave him Mas
not divulged. Christmas presents
from, Germans living in southern
l'ahd middlewestern states of 1.-The
United States helped to makel the
hext kstser's yuletide an unusually
4hAnpt one. ,I
All Have Marry Time
The former kaiser, now an exile
for nine years but still hopeful OF
ending his days on the soil off the
| fatherland, had merry time; ffoni
4 all appearances the yuletide had
much of the time -honored festfity
that prevailed when the HoheHzol1
iF1elH family passed the holiday in
! the Potsdam palace before 1.-THE
world war.
! Preparations for the celebration
! of a typical German "Weinachts-
| fest had been going on for weeks
and it was late last night when. the
/ last sprigs of holly and mistletoe
were fastened to chandeliers, man.
atelpieces and the heavy goblin tap
estries on the walls. Large sprays
of Christmas green's set off life.
sized portraits of Frederick the
Great and other ancestors of the
ipresent Lord Of Doom House,"
This years Christmas tree, al tai
4 fir from the chateau grounds, was
! felled a week ago under William:
personal direction 1t was placed
/ in the great hall where the tasl
| Of decorating fell chiefly to Rrin
cess Hernine and her children
l home from their schools in Ger
many. Hermine personally tool
charge of the large list of gift
4 for relatives, friends and retainers
while William was engaged iIf hi
/ favorite pastime, busily saving. an(
fashioning blocks of wood, brand
4 ed with an imperial "W," in accor(
with his usual custom, he present
ed to all
PresideS at Prayer
1 Everybody in the castle was III
] early for family prayers, owe
4 which the former emperor presid
ed Then followed a ceremonioui
breakfast in the large dining room
in Cne corner of which stood tn,
/ traditional German "Weihnachts
4 krippe,' representation of tn,
stable with the Christ child in tn,
manger.
4 With a few companions, William
fstrofled through the village. 5Th,
novelty of seeing the former kaisel
moving in their midst has Ions
since worn off as far as the villag
ers are concerned and those twh,
saw him merely touched their capi
or bowed respectfully, just as the.
, would do to any prominent citi
: zen.
| When he returned, he changed
| into a generals uniform for th.
Christmas feast. He wore this uni
i form for the rest of the day.
4 Soon the company adjourned Il
the marble, hall, where the tree wa
Illuminated, Christmas hymns wer,
sung to the accompaniment of tn,
village church organist, and ;
large heap of gifts distributed
For William himself there wer,
many packages, most of them from
Germany, but some from admirer
/ in all parts of the world includini
the United States. .--