| Show o 0 THE KAISER AS I KNEW KNE I IM fOR FOURTEEN N YE YEARS 0 I serin ai-serin Far More Interested in Domestic Affairs Than Thanin in International nal Situation Is Highly Respected and and Admired red by German People for Her Many Charitable Acts BY ARTHUR ARTHUE N. N DAVIS DDS Copyright lOIS 1018 by th the S CHAPTER XIII XIII Not Talkative T THE HE empress never nc spoke on political She She was not particularly brilliant and evidenced e some reluctance to air aIr her views S on international affairs as though she were not quite sure of It herself ers elf Certainly she sIte was as not nearl nearly as talkative at the kaiser When hen she sho did unburden herself herse it was ivas usually in connection with domestic subjects J was said in Germany Ger Ger- many that her only interest in life was vas represented by the three Ks l Ger-l Kinder Inder Kirche and Kuche children church nail and kitchen kitchen and and there is no I question about it that s she hc seldom spoke on other subjects when talking with mc me I me came camo to mc me alter trio war with America started but apparently apparently apparently sho she had felt some hesitation about doing so o because the 1 kaiser told rno mo shortly before her visit that she sheI t I Intended coming but pointed out that she Ehe had decided to do so o only upon his I r recommendation e C 0 m m e n d a t Ion In June 1917 i I received a letter I from tho phy physician i trig linG one which he said had been writ writ- I ten by the but which was both unsigned nn and 1 It re requested requested re- re quested ted me rile to visit the royal roal palace at Homburg v v. v d d. d Hohe which In conJunction conjunction conjunction con- con Junction with nith Ith the tho adjoining town of or Kreuznach was then the location of ot the great gleat arm army Headquarters I 1 got in touch by long lonE distance telephone telephone tele tele- phone with one of the ladles ladies In waiting at Homburg and I 1 told her bee I could leave hwe the tho following Friday for Cor or that town but later a telegram telegram telegram tele tele- gram came camo advising nd me to postpone m my trip to the loll following owing week to 0 Get Gd HackI lack Hack I l I arrived at Frankfort on the Main where here It was as necessary for or me to stop oft off about midnight to catch an early train for Cor Homburg At the tho hotel where I sought to engage a room for or the tue t the clerk asked me for tor my mv nass pass and and when h hh h- h he saw i h that t in I was a- a an A Amer American r e-r ican refused to assign me ft n room until I had registered at the local police station which was some somo six she blocks away The streets were darkened as asa a l precaution against air raids and I 1 found the police pollee station with dill dill- culty CUltA When When I finally carrie came to It it it was closed Back Dack I went to the tho hotel and amI ex explained explained explained ex- ex the situation offering to show the clerk the letter and telegram I had received from the but thc they refused to look at the papers and suggested that I go back to the police station ring the bell to arouse some someone someone someone one and register In compliance with the regulations There was nothing to todo todo todo do but comply and It was nearl nearly two In lii tho before I finally got to tobed tobed tobed bed a and I had to rise early carly to catch m my train The rhe consequence was that when I arrived cd at Homberg I was not only tired but hut rather displeased A A big Mercedes car which was waiting for tor forme forme torme me at the station took me mC to the palace palace palace pal pal- ace whore where I was given two rooms looms on tho the ground floor fl a bedroom all and 1 a sitting sitting sitting sit sit- ting room They were simply furnished furnished fur fur- rushed but commanded commande 1 a 11 splendid view of ot the grounds Second breakfast was waiting for tor mo me and consisted of white bread and cold meats meals and cold Mosel Iosel wine I 1 may sa say here that all nil the Die food I had during the tho three days das I remained at nt the palace was wag of ot prewar quality and there was no evidence that the royal household was suffering In the tho slightest degree from the food shortage shortage shortage short short- age which was causing the people at I Ilar lar large e so much distress Reception Ite nt at After Alter breakfast I 1 was con conducted upstairs up up- stairs t to a magnificent oriental room the doors and walls walis of which were wore richly Inlaid 1 with old woods and which a number of oriental relics mid works of at art A subdued light to the effect The fhe came camo In Inn and n 1 greeted me mc I more cordially than usual inquiring I had experienced any dill dill- In getting to Hamburg Hamburg- i I told her hel what my 01 experience had teen been and she expressed surprise staling stating stat stal ing that thal she had given ghon orders to General Gen Geri- eral erat von on the thc comman commander of the tho province of or Brandenburg to see that everything was wa arranged so that I 1 would suffer no Inconvenience on the wa way No Xo doubt tho the reason I had been overlooked b by that old general he general he was 76 Was 76 was because he ho was very much oc oc- oc cupl d just th thon nIn In his coming cO nuptials with Ith a young oun woman of ot 36 I arranged a large upholstered chair near a window overlooking u the beautiful tul ful park pari at the rear Icar of ot the cat castle lIe but the tho would not be seated until her maid m Martha had loft tho the room and amI she seemed er very determined that none nono or of her servants should hould be aWare of or the nature of ot the work I was doing for her When It was wa found that I needed neede a at t table ble In connection with my work the empress summoned Martha lartha loud loudly When hen the tho maid appeared she was di directed directed directed di- di Imperiously to go go to majesty's room loom and bring the small mahogany table tahle which I is there I noticed that tho empress always as referred to the kaiser as majesty when addressing the servants instead of ot saying his majesty as Is more customary but perhaps the sUPreme war lord 1 was wa entitled to less les deference in his own household of or rin rim During the tho time I was there I could not help observing how extremely timId timid tim Urn id the servants seemed scorned to bo be of ot the One expected d to find the Utmost ut utmost ut- ut most servility among the kaisers kaiser's underlings un un- darlings but I confess it came rather a as a 11 shock to mo me to sec see tho the maids walking so ISO timid timidly an and 1 talking so 50 fearfully when In the presence of or their white haired royal mistress I noted particularly how cr very gently the they knocked at the tho door before entering and how ho after alter knocking the they Immediately Immediately Imme Imme- me- me placed their heads a against aln t the tho panel that lint they ml might hl catch the kaiser kaiser- ins in's low command to enter the first time and so o make mako It unnecessary for her to repeat It Their wa was particularly larl noli noticeable cea ble because o t the h never seemed to display the slightest t Impatience or temper Ill-temper I when dealing with her servants Indeed I sue seemed to me to act acl no differently from the humblest In the I country countr In the course of or my work on n the empress em- em 1 I press I frequently hn had 1 to stop while I em-I j sho perused a n. telegram ram or message that I II t I had be been n brought to her While of oC I II I course 1 I made no effort to pry Into I j I I the communications sho she was reading I she usually held them In such a a. manI manner man- man I ner ncr that It would have been difficult for me to have done so had I 80 so desired desired de de- de- de sired but I could not help noticing part IJar of ot the contents of ot one of ot the tho tele tele- grams It was from VOlt oil Gottard the adjutant and began The English are attacking on our left Jert from which I I I Inferred Interred that the empress was being kept informed of or nh all el de developments In Inthe Inthe inthe the military situation i of or I The kals spent a Joo good 1 deal of time Ume in the tho military hospitals and sometimes spoke e of of the horrors o of war var but never discussed an any of or the political phases of ot the conflict She Sho asked man many que questions about churches and life home in America and told me mo of or the tho pleasure with which she he looked 1 forward to the I baptism of or her daughters daughter's two two- two two-I I old baby at Braunschweig where she sho was going for Cor the occasion She ask asked cd about baptism ln Ira America and arid was shocked when I I 1 t told ld her I 1 had hadnot hadnot hadnot not been baptized until I was five lve years ears of ag age Before Defore I left lett Hamburg she asked mo me whether I was comfortably situated an and 1 If It everything was wa all right f for r me I told toM her that everything was quite satisfactory and mentioned 1 particularly how nice It was to have food exactly as we had it before the war Yes she replied wo we have everything every every- thing I am nm cr very careful what I cat I watch m my health Yer very closely I remarked too how wonderful It must be to have hare sixty palaces like the Homburg establishment the tho beauties of oC which h had d deeply Impressed me 1110 adding His ills majesty maJest I understand d. d has sixty of or them has he not Not quite sixty she corrected Between Between Be De tween fifty and sixty sixth Between lift fifty and sixty palaces I 1 could not help thinking of or the re remark remark re- re mark marle the tho kaiser once made to me when talking of or the tho manner in which American Amerlean Amer Amer- lean ican millionaires made mado their fortunes It breeds socialism When hen the time came for mo me to re return return return re- re turn to Berlin the tho bade me inc adieu but uttered not a wor word 1 of ot thanks for my 01 having ln given up my 01 practice pr for three days s to work exclusively for Cor her War orAll or All the time lime I was at Homburg Homburg- the Kaiser was at the adJoining town of or Kreuznach ad so I had no opportunity of ot observing the tho two of ot them to together ether on this occasion It did occur to me however howe th t the tho empress looked better better better bet bet- ter and happier than I 1 had ever er seen her before the war nn and 1 I attributed condition condition condition condi condi- the tho Improvement ement In her general genera tion to the fact tact that the tho kaiser now seemed to depend upon her her more than I. I ne no ever er utti Delore No 0 doubt doubt the kaiser had always shown respect for lor his royal roal partner Ho He hind had a statue of ot her hor er In inthe the tho Tiergarten somo some of the beautiful trees having been cut down to make room for the tho rose garden In the center of ot which the statue was placed The Tho was portrayed In the tue prevailing prevail prevail- In ing style stylo of ot the time and anil as fashions changed h her r attire became more nn and 1 more moro out of ot date late and looked more or orless orless orless less ludicrous to the public I never I bellev ll however that there was nn any particular between n them and the s always Impressed me as deriving her greatest happiness In looking after alter her homes homell her children and her hel grandchildren The papers constantly referred to the tho activities of or orthe the empress In visiting hospitals children's childrens chil drens dren's homes and homes tOI foi the blind to which she hc frequently made mado donations dona doria- and I 1 have often oCten thought that If tho the war had depended upon her sanction sane sanc tion It would never neer have havo taken place The people respect their empress and admire her for tor her charitable acts but they have not the reverence for tor her that they the have havo for the kaiser She Sho h ha har harthe the reputation of being unbending ana aria the comment was frequently made malle She Sho ne need d not bo be so haughty She occupied no 00 position until the kaiser married her The last time I 1 saw her was at the palace In Berlin where I Iwas Iwas Iwas was summoned but a few Cew days das before beCore I left lell that haL cIty It In January Januar of or this year Since the tho war var the they occupied the tho Bellevue palace when in that city because because be be- cause causo It required fewer servants There Ther was an atmosphere of ot sadness about her that day ar which impressed mo forcibly tore forc Ibl ibi and I wondered If It her feminine intuition had not given her heran heran heran an insight Into the future which had hall been heen denied the kaiser and left him unperturbed To Be De Continued Tomorrow |
