Evening star., 1928-03-10
Nv the BOOhI0per

wigs biography, "Wilhelm HohenZol-
lern," not as the redoubtabIe war lord,
responsible for the World War, but as
ioquacious, egotistical neurotic, eager
for popularity at home and abroad, but
incapable of conceiying or carrying out
a settled policy. The desire throughout
life to conceal his physical affliction, an
arm crippled from birth, added to his
nervous instability, made him do every
thing in an exaggerated fashion. OF
the Kaiser at the time Of his accession
DIR. Ludwig says: But now, in the new
ruler, the consciousness Cf documen-
| tary rights was united with a prOdigious
self-e5teem, and thus possessed by the
| idea that he was the instrument of God
too suddenly and much too early called
10 supreme power, a man or 80 fell
prey to all the dangers of infatuation,
OF delusiOn: William was driven to an
ostentatiouS display Of his authority by
| the Wisf-perpetual still, even though
perhaps unconSciouS-to betray no sign
Of physical weakness" The new Kai-
Ser's love of ostentation sometimes took
both childish and extravagant forms, as
when on his first trip to Vienna and
Rome he took as presents "80 diamond
| rings $50 silver orders, so breastpins,
3 gold photograph frames, 30 gold
| watches and chains, hundred casketS
and 90 diamond-Set Orders of the Eagle.
That was the way to be popular every
where" His interest in the position of
Emperor was more concerned with the
prerogativeS and the publicity than with
the duties, and this continued to be true
throughout mis- life. even during the
World War. 1t became evident to his
hi 4kooA
MS careful attention to affairs of state
! could not be expected. His friend, Wal
| dersee, wrote: quite gradually there is
growing certain diSillusionment; his
frequent Journeys, his restless activity,
his numerous interests have their nat
ular consequences in lack of thorough
ness. The cabinet ministers complain
| that they can only with difficulty OBJ
| tain an audience, and that then every
thing has to be settled too cursorily and
hastily The forcing by the Kaiser of
| Blsmarcks resignation as chancellor
was fully as much because the crotchety
| old statesman did not fiatter the young
rulers vanity as because of differences
of opinion about policies.
| X x 4 ::
Throughout his reign the Kaiser. ac-
| cording to DR.. Ludwig, showed little
| development IN stability and response
Diilty. Gen. Freytag- g-Loringhoven said
of him: The Emperor, during the war
| refused to face facts and mtrenched
himself in optimism. The con-
traSt between the maSterful personality
which he tried to assume (and, indeed.
| was Obliged to aSsume) and the absence
| OF any real force of character grew
daily more glaring until the bitter end"
Inc war was even, Ludwig implies,
something of diversion for him and
! certainly his own safety and comfort
were, with him. a prime consideration.
HIS days were spent well behind the
lines. in walking. talking, lunching with
guests. mapping. reading and tracing
lne military operations on the maps.
rive million Germans are fighting 10
save five-and-fifty. Behind the lines
their supreme war lord sits at table
| he now, after the fatigues of the
day, sits with his boon companions
cheery souls. or pretending to be So
who tell him anecdotes Of heroisn at
the front" Nor did he share war dep
riyations. while in Brussels the Ger
| man command was requiSitioning the
brass handles and the weather-cocks
and communicating every scrap of cop
per-while millions OF German house
wives were emptying their kitchens of
the gittering utensils handed down 70
them through generations--the En-
peror ordered from Belgian craftsmen
bath for the royal train in pure
copper. to be made in the workshops
or the Brussels State Railway" And
when. at the end. he fled to Holland,
nobody held the Emperor back-the
saddeSt of all epilogues"
~ %
"Iron and Smoke" the last move, OF
Sheila Kaye-Smith. shows the conquest
OF agriculture by industry-the desc
Grafton Of land, which has for genera
tions been cultivated, planted and graz
ed upon. by the drill and shovel when a
vein of coal is discovered deep down
under Its nleadowed surface For love
Of Yockletts. Sir Humphrey Mallard has
sacrificed both the mistress he loved
and the wife he did not love and. dy-
ing. has bound his wife TO preserve
Yockletts intact. at whatever cost But
his son. Sir Aubrey. cares nothing for
the land itself and reSents the necessity
Of always neutrality-suspicious. it
the money he wants for the pleasures Of
himself and his demanding young WIFE
So. when coal Is found. he joyouSly
turns over Yockletts to q mining COM
pany and exuitS In the thought OF his
generous ROYALTIES. while his mother,
turned out OF her country home by Au-
brev and his wife, reflects bitterly that
by both husband and son she has been
sacrificed.
The history Of the Goncourt Acad-
envy. founded br the will OF Edmond de
Goncourt rs a protest against the con-
servatism and ofiicia!dom Of the French
Academy, and as an ENCOURAGEMENT 10
{,,i sptk ~ L
by the present president Of the Com
court Academy. j. II. RoSny, the elder.
In his Memories de In vie Littcraire,
BY the will of Edmond dc Goncourt
each Of the 10 members of the Con-
court Academy received pension OF
6 600 francs, reduced by litigation 10
3 900 francs. Each year the Goncourt
prize is awarded by this academy To
the writer OF novel of striking erig-
! inality and modernity. Twenty-seven
writer's have received this prize. among
them Marcel proust. Georges Duhamel,
Henri BarbusSe and the negro. Rene
Maran. author OF the prize novel IA
touala" and the recent novel "kongo,"
Kit Carson. hunter, trapper. guide
and soldier Of the d0S and SOS. Is vividly
drawn in VILLA Gathers romance OF the
early days of New Mexico and Arizona.
Death Comes for the Archbishop"
Father Latour. coming as Bishop 10
New Mexico In 1850 is referred by the
commandant at the fort to the scout
XII Carson. at Taos, for information
about the extent OF the territory In
the diocese and the trails by which II
IL traversed. Later the bishop and the
scout meet under dramatic circum-
stances. when Kit Carson takes to his
home and his Mexican wife the COVER
ing woman. Magdalena, whom the
bishop has rescued from mirdcrouS
husband Father latoWr had looked
forward to meeting the scout. He had