| Show I Thinks Things ns Death e a of o the e een ef Kaiser steer I Might f Open en W a ay to o Peace care carey y Sidne Sidney y Whitman Sa Says y s Em Emperors Emperor's p eror's Role oe in War Var 1 Is to Kee Keep 1 German Germany y H Hypnotized an al Achi Achi Achievement t the e Crown Crown P Prince in e C Could Not A A Accomplish p lisp I r LONDON Feb 12 Sidney 12 Sidney ma mant mau student of international f politics and author of oP My Reminiscences of Bismarck Life of the Emperor Emperor Em Em- Frederick and other volumes dealing with recent German history has contributed an article on the kaisers kaiser's role in the he war to the Daily Dally He says Since the death of King Icing Edward there can hardly be anybody left in England who is in a position to know the essential facts concerning the German German German Ger Ger- man emperor and his real character At least I have never seen anything in print or heard aught in Conversation which would lead lead ins me to any other con con- Yet such knowledge is needed if we are to arrive at a reliable estimate estimate estimate esti esti- mate of the probable effect of his death on the course of the war We Ve ought also to be in a position to apportion his share in the military operations as aswell aswell aswell I well as to form fonn some Idea of his In Influence influence influence in- in J fluence as an irresponsible autocrat disposing of the resources of a mighty empire according to his own free volition vo volition volition vo- vo in peace as well as in war Unfortunately we are reduced to guesswork in this matter inasmuch as a veil has been cast over the war warlords warlord's warlords warlord's warlords warlord's lords lord's movements movement since hostilities started And as for the Information which used to reach us through the press regarding his peaceful activities verily it was scarcely of a nature to help us today to arrive at a well weighted impartial judgment If It In spite of these drawbacks I venture to express an opinion on this most hy hypothetical ay- ay question it Is because I have had exceptional opportunities in inthe Inthe inthe the past for forming some vague conjectures conjectures conjectures con con- as regards the present if not the immediate future Plays Spectacular Role For Far instance it is possible to es establish establish es- es the fact tact that as regards the conduct of war as in everything else the emperors emperor's role the part he has played played for for we must invariably employ the terms of the theatre in dealing with him him has has been a n. spectacular orie one His father as as well as his grand grandfather father were often otten In the thick of t a fight They led In battle and both had occasionally to be restrained by their entourage from exposing themselves themselves them them- selves selveR recklessly to the enemy's fire The kaisers kaiser's action this action this at least is known known has has been mainly that of flitting flitting flitting flit flit- ting backward and forward fr front from ni east to west in a bombproof motor car a Al Always 31 1 ways keeping away at a respectful distance dis dis- distance tance from danger Inspecting egi- egi ments meats jolting Joking with his generals being Interviewed by German Gennan Journalists I talking to French prisoners telegraphing telegraph telegraph- ing to his relations the foremost of these Tino of Hellenic fame and distributing distributing distributing dis dis- iron crosses Such are the functions as we are credibly informed which have filled up his days ever since the began All this as will be readily admitted does not point to the emperor having much to do with the strategic leadership leadership leadership leader leader- ship of the German armies in the field And sundry evidence even though of an indirect circumstantial character tends ends to SUI support the view that what what- whatever whatever ever success has been obtained by the German armies is due to the dispositions of what the Germans term die the staff which In dealing with the kaiser has probably exercised that hat kind of collective pressure familiar to us under the name nam of a a. a round robin For instance as far tar back as twenty years ago the invasion of ot Poland and sea the he taking of Warsaw by the combined armies of Germany and Hun Austria gary In spite of Bismarck's warmed warning to o avoid a conflict with Russia u uto used by Pruss Prussian i Ian to o be openly discussed staff officers Neither the singer emperor of or William WilIlam w w-s w was was-to to a Austria Emperor nor m mat mat- in the I have directing power any ter The latter would be he e In the hands ds of the Prussian headquarters th staff starr headge which would manage ev everything Y rag T The e I kaiser would have pit su zu This i was teas the slang term terns us used d. d I Histrionic Ability an Asset i Thus If any reliance may be placed on these gratuitous obiter dicta of men in the very favorable position to know the the ropes it is only fair to I assume the probability that this restless restless rest rest- less gentleman has been rendered rest rest-I powerless for tor mischief by his own military surroundings and that th the 1 same stringent conditions limiting hi his personal t Initiative would in the even event I of his de death th await and be forced upon I his successor the crown crown- prince 1 What the attitude of the German I people might be in such an eventuality I it is Impossible to forecast st In view o othe of i ithe the fact tact that their present abnormal I frame of mind has given the lie He to th the expectations of t everyone who thought though he knew something about prevailing currents of German fueling fe-eling and opinion opInIon ion my humble self included Amid so much uncertainty however there i ione is isone isone one fact to be noted concerning which there can be little doubt and In which a gleam of hope for peace might be de de- de As long Jong as the present emperor was in nominal control of the Pr Prussian man slaying machine his capacity as asa asa asa a great actor before the world enabled him not only to bluff his own awn people but a a. large section of the outer world besides His death would immediately deprive the German state machine Ofa of ofa ofa a first class histrionic artist This in Itself Is no m mean an asset BoSset for tor according to the testimony of ot his foxy ally King Ferdinand of Bulgaria an efficient ruler must above al all all' things be a born actor Now it is admitted on all hands that as an actor the crown prince is a failure Even as reg regards stage properties properties prop prop- this is evidently the case For whereas the father has appeared before be before before be- be fore us in a thousand kaleidoscopic attitudes in several hundred different uniforms the son is only known knows to the public in his everlasting Deaths Death's Head Bead I hussar uniform with that typical grin ever on his lantern jaw face tace Both of which have haye become as Lord Byron said Bald of Tom Moore's Moores collar decidedly monotonous Crown Princes Prince's A Authority tl Weak A man so devoid of the histrionic Instincts instincts' would In to all probability be incapable of keeping up the stupendous deception on the old lines toward his own people as well as toward the outer I world He might prate about Germany being atta attacked ked about her claims to the freedom of the seas sea's he might ap appeal appeal ap- ap peal to the Deity with the same same effrontery effrontery ef effrontery ef- ef as his father but it is almost certain that he would not meet the same credulity on the part of ot a gullible world histrionic talent to the Without W h out deceive to bluff to hypnotize and gas gas' that the son would wool lack ark that his audience e. e prestige which the father in s spite to its of everything which may be said to his disadvantage has IncOntestably pos- pos It would also be difficult i ii for r him to maintain his hs authority in m military 1 ary matters matters matters mat- mat among among his generals who as we may mav well wells well's s surmise from from the published records of previous wa wars s are se too to dissension je Jealousy ou y and Intrigue intrigue in- in prone against each other This might bring ring about a serious loosening of the discipline of the army and hence a breach in the uni uniformity Y of operations Germ Germanys Germany's nys ny's civilian copulation population long tong longheld longheld held spellbound by a t comedian g Comedian o of high digh d degree gree and capacity might begin to ask awkward questions and what Is more to Insist upon a satisfactory answer All this should tend toward a groat change coming oe over a hake the situation and thus hus increase th the c chances races of the only peace the allies will ever be inclined to o namely accept accept namely one implying the final renunciation of Germanys Germany's insane ambition 1 |
