Show i- i The Kaiser as I Knew Him for Years T v I 0 0 o. o By ARTHUR N. N DAVIS DAMS D. D D. D S American S.-Amer American can Dentist t to the Kaiser from 1904 to 19 1918 8 F c j I. I I PREFACE l tor For or 14 14 years the kaiser was J my my patient All Alt I know of him a and all that he tod me came came ne to tome tome f me me while the relation of patient and dentist existed between us For that reason I felt at first that no matter how vital to the allied cause might be he the Information matlon mation I could give as to the kaisers kaiser's kai kal- sers ser's viewpoint ambitions and plans the lire requirements of ot professional professional pro pro- ethics must seal my lips Ups and compel me to withhold It from the world at large When however I considered the grave crisis that confronts the world and In which my own country Is playing so Important a part and realized that what I knew of ot the kaiser might prove of some value to civilization I Ico co concluded that my patriotic duty was paramount and rose su su- superior superior to any of the ordinary demands de de- mantIs mands of ot professional ethics In this conclusion I was WM wast t strengthened by the urgent solicitation solid solid- tation of ot the leaders of my profession profession profession pro pro- who were most emphatic in in their contention that my ethical qualms were entirely unwarranted unwarranted un un- warranted in view of all the cir circumstances ARTHUR N N. DAVIS D. D D. D S. S F 1 CHAPTER I Ii I. I i r t 1 1 ty y t fV r America Must Be Punished 1 4 x When When- j war war broke out between the United States and Germany on April 4 6 1917 1017 I was in Berlin BerUn I had lived liver live M and practiced my profession as a dente dentIst dentist dent dent- e 1st there for 14 years and the kaiser had been one of my patients during all aU that time I ir il ij I dont don't know exactly how many 4 visits the kaiser alser J paid me professionally profession profession- ally but I know I am safe in saying they w were were r not less than and the probabilities are they were closer to Almost Invariably after my work T was done on the kaiser remained anywhere anywhere any any- where from rom ten minutes to an hour hourY Y and d Ii halt half to discuss ss the topics of the hour with m me v- v s When we declared war against G r- r man many therefore while I was still an American citizen as citizen as patriotic an nn American I I believe as might be found y anywhere I I had lived In Germany so go gol soi i l long ng had d developed so many many profs professional t friendships in Germanys Germany's mo mot most t y favored circles and was so generally generality y regarded as ag tit a 1 particular favorite of f fth th the kaiser himself that I found It hard to realize ze that nevertheless I had become be be come an enemy The same day the breaking off of diplomatic relations relatIons relatIons' was announced the German newspapers had published the provisions of ot an nn old treaty trea between between be be- tween Germany and the United States which gave g ve Americans In Germany nn and l Germans Germane in America nine months r after a declaration of war between the 2 two nations within which to Settle their aff affairs and leave the country i the newspapers pointed point point- ed out was was made In the time of Frederick FrederIck Frederick Fred Fred- erick the Great Grent It has bas never been t repealed Germany will respect it it 1 As there were so many more mor Germans In America than there were Americans In Germany this prompt announcement announce announce- men meat ment of Germanys Germany's Intentions regardIng regarding regard regard- Ing this treaty was quite understand understandable able Sand and it seemed most improbable ble that Germany would adopt any harsh measures toward Americans andly and ly- ly thereby Invite In reprisals Had the situation situation been reversed of ot 1 1 i r course the Germans would undoubtedly edly have thought it expedient to o int intern in In- t tern Americans ns no matti r what happened happened happened hap hap- to their I own countrymen in America and In that event this ancient an nn- cleat clent treaty would have shared U the e i fate tnt of t that guaranteed Belgium's Belr Bel Bel- r gium's glum's neutrality One scrap of ot paper pa pa- 4 per per pr Q r r less ess would never have allowed to Co Interfere with Germanys Germany's Ger Ger- many's mapy's destiny 1 t Influential Germans who called to see J 1 me professionally during that perlo pe pe- almost invariably expressed the hope hop bat that I was not planning to leave Merlin Berlin jo r No No matt matter what happens doctor tb they Y even declared declared even een If th- th the worst wort comes to the w worst and war Is declared declared de de- clar d between America and nod Germany youma you fecI quite sure the kaiser r will never let anyone an one harm you I had not let let the matter rest there however er I had called at the Am Amen Ameri American rl can embassy where It was pointed out to me that while bile diplomatic relations relations relations re re- lations had been severed it was not y at all certain that war would woul result and there was as therefore no reason reason for tor me to leave Berlin precipitately Had the kals kaiser r been in Berlin B r at nt atthe atthe the time I might of course have had hadan hadan hadan an opportunity to put the question to him squarely as to what my fate might declared but he be was be if war fil were chamberlain had The court away been appointed but a short time b before tore and I did not know him personally lint hut his predecessor Count August von rc 4 l' l Eulenburg one of ot the wisest and most y respected u men toen in Germany G was one I t c A- A r tl l r. of ot my oldest patients and I decided to discuss the situation with him im Unfortunately Unfortunately Un Un- fortunately however I f found und him too ill to receive me He lIe was eighty years ears old and and although unusually well preserved pre preserved served was In nd condition on this tIlls occasion to receive visitors Another Influential patient of ot mine whom I sought out at this time was Ambassador cx von on Sturm Although he was now retired from official life he had formerly heen been a powerful figure figure figure fig fig- ure in German state circles and still kept more or less in touch with the new court chamberlain and others in high office Ills His nephew was as under undersecretary undersecretary undersecretary secretary of ot foreign affairs I found the ex-ambassador ex at nt his private apartment in the Adlon hotel What will happen to Americans I asked if my country declares war against Germany That doctor will will depend entirely upon how America treats our subjects subjects subjects sub sub- he lIe replied somewhat more coldly than I had expected of him If America interns Germans of course we shall undoubtedly treat trell Americans the same way and you could hardly expect any special consideration although al nl- although though if you will write a letter to the court chamberlain who is a personal friend of mine I shall see that he gets it But excellency I replied there isa Is Isa Isa a tr treaty aly between Germany and AmerIca America Amer- Amer Amer Amer- ica lea I understand which gives the subjectS subjectS' subjects subjects subjects' sub sub- or ox citizens of one country who happen to be sojourning in the other when war is d declared nine months within which h to close up their affairs and leave Would not that protect me Of course doctor he answered Germany will respect the treaty if America does and then there will be beno beno beno no trouble It seems seems to me you must await developments and in the meantime meantime mean mean- time you have no cause for worry S Suppose some of your our subjects In America should act up and start blowing up bridges or m fac factories a- a tortes tories and should be be lynched which they probably would be I suggested what would Germanys Germany's course be What Germany would do then doctor h he replied slowly and thoughtfully as though such a contingency contingency contin contin- gency had never neter occurred to him before be fore for really fore really doctor r I dont don't know what what w we would do I This somewhat some unsatisfactory Interview Inter interview view with Von Sturm might have worried worried worried wor wor- ried me more perhaps had it not been for a visit I 1 received only a day or two later from Prince von Pless one of the kaisers kaiser's closest friends and advisors ad nd- advisors visors who called on me professionally profession profession- ally For a year and a half the kaiser had bad had his great army army headquarters at the princes prince's palace at Pless in southeastern Germany and I knew that he be enjoyed his monarchs monarch's dence When I 1 asked him regarding the possible internment of A Americans he assured me that come what might t 1 I and my family had not the slightest reason for alarm No matter mattel what may befall other Americans doctor he asserted inI ina in ina I a confidential manner the kals kaiser r has gone on record to the effect that you I and your family are not to be mo mo- Another incident which made me feel that I could proceed with my preparations preparations preparations prep prep- for leaving Berlin without undue undue undue un un- due haste was the receipt ear early eary y In the year of a most extraordinary post card from the kaiser which it occurred tome to tome tome me wa was quite significant as to his Intentions intentions in In- regarding my welfare On Ou one side was his picture and on the other written ritten and signed in English in In his own han handwriting was the message Dear Doctor Davis I Wishing you ou a aery very ery good p year jear ear for i 1917 WILLIAM WILLIA I I. I 11 n. i Tide This was The first message of ot It its kind that I had ev ever er receIved ed from the kaiser Even in peace times the picture picture pic plc- ture which he be had sent to me r from time to time and anal which were autographed by him bim tit Were ere always signed In German When on February 1 I the Germans resumed their ruthless ruthless ruthless ruth ruth- less submarine warfare a a move mo which was immediately followed by the breaking off qi diplomatic relations I I felt that the kaiser must mut have foreseen foreseen foreseEn fore fore- seen this consequence and hail had I sent me the postal as an intimation that he lie wanted me to r remain maln in la Berlin nev nevertheless When the Germans sank tank the Lusitania LusI LusI- tania living and practicing In Germany GerI Germany Ger- Ger I many lost many mm many of their attractions for me I made mad up iny my mind then that i I would rather return home and commence commence commence com com- mence my professional proCessional career all over again if necessary than remain in a country which could sanction s such ch a hideous form of warfare the warfare the wanton d destruction of women and children To that end I went to New York in the summer of 1915 to investigate the requirements requirements requirements re re- for fer the practice of my profession profession profession pro pro- in that state I had an Illinois license but I wanted to be In a n position position tion Uon to practice in New York and the following year I went to New York again agala and took the state dental exam- exam nation I returned to Germany late in inthe inthe Inthe the autumn of f 1916 1010 and later Inter I learned learne d that my certificate had been granted Then I commenced ed active preparation ns ht 1915 by the McClure Newspaper Syndi to dispose of my German practice and return home My Sly second reason fo for for- wanting to get et out of Germany as soon as possible was the fact that food conditions cO in Germany were becoming more mo e precarious precarious pre pre- carious ever every day ay My wife wIre and I feared that our child who was two years ears old might suffer sutTer from lack of ot proper nourishment if It we remained and I determined that no matter how howlong howlong howlong long it might be bo necessary for me to remain in Berlin my wife wICe and child at any rate should leave at the earliest possible moment My third reason however was by far the most insistent of all I had become convinced con that what I knew of ot the kaiser and his plans now that we w we were at war ought to be communicated communicated communicated com com- to America without delay and that the only way to do that adequately adequately adequately ade ade- would be to get home as soon as I possibly could no matter what personal sacrifice might be involved in abandoning my European practice and interests It is true that in the early years of my relationship with the k kaiser iser our conversations naturally embraced only the most general of subjects but in later Inter years when he be came to know me bEtt better r he cast aside SIde all reserve and d talked to me O on ou l whatever was upp uppermost uppermost upper upper- r- r most in his mind at the time After the war started that of course formed the principal subject of our discussions discussions discussions discus discus- and the part that America was playing in the conflict was frequently brought up because of the fact that I Iwas Iwas Iwas was an nn American One memorable interview I had bad had with him influenced me perhaps more than any other single to hasten the settlement of my European affairs and return home It w was s In the fall of 1916 Th The kai hat kaiser kaiser ser had come to me for professional attention an and after my work was completed com com- co completed he remained to discuss Some of the aspects of the war whir Perhaps the fact that I had just returned from from from-a a visit to Am America rIca made him more than usually eager for a chat with me We had discussed various phases of ot the war when the kaiser changed the subject abruptly with the question Davis what's the matter with your country In In Ia what respect your majesty I aske Why by is it that your country is so unfair to Germany Why do you persist per per- list in supplying munitions and money to the the allies ames Why doesn't your president president pres pres- ident treat the European warring na natIons nations na- na the same as as' he ne treated Mexico by putting an embargo on munitions and letting us fight this thing out ourselves ourselves our our- selves You 1011 do not ship munitions to tous tous tous us why do you ship them to the other side 1 I was on such terms with the kaI kaiser er that I did not hesitate to answer his question with another I have always understood your majesty that during the Russian Jap anese war Germany continually supplied supplied sup sup- plied munitions s to Russia Why was that any more justifiable than America supplying munitions to the allies ames Then again in the Spanish-American Spanish Davis you surprise me l the kaiser kaiser kals kai kal- ser s r interrupted rising from the operating oper operating chair In which he had remained walking towards towards' me me throwing back his shoulders and rising to his full height The cases are entirely differ differ- ent eat When we helped Russia against Japan we were helping a white race against a yellow race dont don't ont ever Jor- Jor torget or- or get that that that- that that-don't don't dont ever forget that But with America that is certainly not the i cas case Your country is acting from purely mercenary motives It is a n case of dollars dollars dollars and and each time he repeated the word he struck his partially helpless left left- lefthand hand violently with his powerful right An America values dollars more than she fihe values German lives I 1 She thinks it right to shoot oot down my people He lIe had worked himself up to a ade- ade degree degree de de- gree of indignation which I had seen him display only on two or three previous |