The daily monitor. (Mount Clemens, Mich.) 1940-1942, 1941-06-04
LOchner

VOVuSIuUVO bSVSu S8Be ~
of the Hohenxollern family,
Crown Prince Friedrich Will
helm, had been at his faith
er's side earlier. but left late last
week when the former kaiser
seemed to rally.
Second In the family line,
Prince Louis Ferdinand, also
was away from Doom.
1t was reported here that the
former emperor talked for sew
eral hours yesterday afternoon
with his major dunno. but showed
signs of a relapse later, ap-
preached crisis at 8 p. m, and
shortly thereafter lost conscious
ness.
The Hohenzollern flag flew at
half-mast from Castle Doom.
With Hitler's explicit per-
mission, the flag Of the former
ruling Prussian house also flew
at half-mast from the Neither
lands palace, now the admins
tration building of the Hohen.
zollern family, and froi the PAL
ace of William I, both in Berlin,
as we'll as from the Cecilienhof,
the castle of the crown prince
at PotSdam.
FLAG AT HALF-STAFF
The flag has a black iron cross
against white tield with the
royal Prussian arms in gold in
the center, topped by crown in
gold.
A number of generals and ad-
mirals who served in the kaiser's
imperial forces will 60 to Doom
for the rites and Hitler has
placed a special train at the dis
posal of the family to travel
there. 1t is understood that Ar
thur Seysz-lnquart, as German
commissioner for The Neither
lands. has been requested to rep
resent Hitler 1T the funeral.
The casket bearing Wilhelm's
body will be inferred tempo
rarily in q little chapel on the
Doom, estate, since no mauso-
leum or crypt has been built.
1t was only on May rs that
the intestinal trouble which re-
suited in death became evident.
Deeply religious, Within often
had told his family and entour-
age that he was ready for death.
His death was a more impor-
tant event to the Hohenzollern
family than would seem to be
indicated by the fact he no long
er was ruler.
IRONCLAD RULES
The family has an ironclad law
of succession whereby the head
of the house has control Of the
family fortune.
Crown Prince Friedrich Will
helm now succeeds to this con-
troll, with Prince Louis Ferdi-
nand next in line.
The family still is Germany's
largest landholder, although
under Hitler's back-to-the-farm
movement large sections Of their
big estates have been turned over
to settlers.
The Hohenzollerns also own
palaces in various parts of Ger
many, factories, forests and city
properties. The crown prince,
who, it is said, never personally
abdicated, would be in line for
succession to the throne If the
dynasty ever were reinstated.
He seems resigned, however, to
never becoming king or emperor.
He has kept almost entirely to
Cecilienhof castel at Potsdam
since his offer to join the colors
during the war was declined.
GRANDSON SLAIN
The crown princes eldest son,
Prince Wilhelm, was wounded
fatally in battle in Flanders, May
%, 1910. Oscar, another grand
some of the former kaiser, died
in the Polish campaign.
The closing years OF the for
mer kaiser's life were bright
cned, however, by four other
events:
The marriage of his favorite
grandson, Louis Ferdinand, to
the Russian Grand Duchess Kira
May 2, 1898; the gathering of
almost the entire ia lilly for his