Washington Journal., 1943-03-12

Through Durckhelm, so PrlmemllSlef LUZ
learned later, Bismarck privily warned King
Ludwig against his Chief Equerry, Count
lHolnstein. who in 1871, serving as a secret
go-between, had carried Bismarck's draft OF
the now famous "Kaiserbrief" from Yer
msailles to King Ludwig and had returned
there posthaste with Ludwig's signature APP
pended tosthe document. erwin confided to
me as a state secret how his stepfather had
learned that Count Holnstein had been re
warded for his part III the affair by a large
covert annuity from Prussia.
Bismarck's rundown Of Ludwlg's later
bid for a loan must have been adroitly worded,
for the King summoned Herr Won Alegler ana
showed him Prince Bismarck's Every sensible
letter. Taking the Imperial Chancellor's
Friendly advice, he got Won Ziegler to draw
up a memorandum to the Bavarlan parlla-
ment, bidding it to vote the raising OF the
desired loan. To the memorandum he affixed
his royal signature, foolishly adding to it the
French "Sun Kings" famous phrase: "'Tet
est mon plaisir."
Such is my Pleasure
Won Ziegler was hidden to force the issue.
Finding himself quite unable to do so with
out sanction from the Cabinet, he returned to
the King and had the spunk to tell him to
his face that the Bavarian people, as repre-
scented by its parliament would not brook
further deficits and debts for wasteful royal
palaces.
King Ludwig raved and sent Won Ziegler
fl ON him in disgrace. To Hesselschwerdt, his
groom. he said he would send his parliament
backing and might have his mullsh MINIS
Iters beheaded. In a fit of fury he ordered his
door keepers, who had allowed Won Ilegler
to enter his royal presence ~unbidden, to be
|fogged and afterward banished to America.
To appease his wrath, Hesselschwerdt whlsk-
ed the door keepers out OF sight and hood
winked their royal master into believing they
had got their punishment.
Baked il his desires for large funds, and
nc longer having Count Holnstein or Won
lZiegler to do his behests, the King sent one
of his outriders, one Bieller, a former cavalry
trooper. to Munich, bidding him return with
lin three DAYS, supplied with written assur-
Iances Of a loan Of Is million marks. The scared
man, at a loss where to turn to III Munich,
went to his former squadron commander.
That officer merely shrugged his shoulders,
telling the bewildered outrlder to go back to
where he came from. Poor Bieler returned
to Linderhof and skunk trembling into the
Kings presence. Seeing him empty handed,
the King ordered Hesselschwerdt to f1og Bic
Ter and ship him off to America.
Money Lenders Got Busy
While Bieler wandered about Munich he
must have gone to some shady money lenders,
Oh maybe the royal art purveyors told OF
King Ludwig's unpaid purchases, for now
certain fnanciers got wind OF the Kings
straits. One Isaac Sohnlein, from Firth near
Nurnberg, having private money dealings
with Privy Councillor Klug, offered to raise
10 million marks for the King "against writ
ten security. If the privy councillor could
bring the King around, Klug was to get a
large underhand commission.
Klug went to Prien and there got in touch
with one Mayr, the Kings valet, at Under
hcf. Mayr, at his royal masters bedtime,
told him about Sohnlein's offer. Ludwig was
overioyed and snapped at the bait. All he
wanted was money, and that at once. NO
matter to him, whence it came. When Sohn-
Iein's dickering dragged, the KING dictated
a note to Mayr for Klug saying: Dear Prlvy
Councillor, I implore you to fix this matter
once and for all. Get what / want in the
quickest possible time!'' The proposed loan
fell through, because Ludwig could not qua
rantee sufficient security to satisfy Sohnleln.
Other fnanciers took up the scent. Ihe
House of Rothschild in Paris got interested.
Baron Rothschild's agent in Munich took up
with Hesselschwerdt, the Kings favorlte
groom, who got next to Ludwig at Linderhof.
Almost daily Hesselschwerdt came to Roth
schild's agent in Munich. At length an agree
ment was reached, by which the King was to
obain a ten year loan of 40 million francs
from the House Of Rothschild at 4 percent
annual interest. The royal castles themselves
we're to be the security. Hesselschwerdt was
told to go to Paris with the Kings signature
to the contract. Ludwig, burning to get his
hands on the money, waited at Linderhof for
Hesselschwerdt to return with the funds.
But observation-disclosures a simple stable
boy-felt qualms about so large a deal. Al
ready he had told Count Holnstein, the Chief
Eouerrv about il. The Count made him