THE MEN ROUND THE KAISER.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume LXVIII, Issue LXVIII, 15 October 1914, Page 5

THE MEN ROUND THE KAISER.

"A Gunner" re^sntly wrote as follows to the London Times:

Discussing the-, Anglo-German situation with my old friend and brother officer, the late Sir James Grierson, in 1907 at Aldershot, where he then commanded the Ist Division, he made the following remarks/which are, I think, of special interact at the present time.

I asked him why he did not stay but ' his full time at Berlin when military attache. He said, ''Because I simply could noi; stand any more of it. place is a perfect hotbed of intrigue.'' "What sort of a man is the Kaiser himself?" I enquired. "Oh," he said, "he is all right, he's a gentleman. But those around him are perfectly poisonous. This is the sort of thing they do. One day the Emperor suddenly said to me: 'I am told, Colonel.Grierson' but "I need hardly say that I don't for one moment believe it, that you have-given : ,away;: to'i the. French all the secrets of j our Q:F. Artillery. Now I wish you would -find out .where .that statement ' pomes fijoni, an|3 put it in;the form of i an official report, and: send it iii to me throiiigh I the War Office, saying tr.at you do co by my epebial personal: tequest.' In less than a week," Sir James continued,'"l found that it had origin-. ated with — —, exactly as T eypected it had, and so I duly sent it in as re- | quested. Shortly afterwards I went on leave for about a ; month, and-when I returned, the first 'thing the Emperor said to me was, 'Oh! Colonel Grierson, you never sent me in that report I asked you for about our; Q.F. Artillery;' 'I beg your Majesty's pardon,' I said, 'but I sent it in in less than a week, after you asked for it.' 'Well,' said the Kaiser, T have never received it.. But I will enquire about : it.' - Sure enough, the very next morning,'?" said the General, "a whole row of them were down at my place, headed by -—^-himself, making most profuse apologies for the unfortunate oversight by which my report had been delayed, etc."

It seems to me that peonle who can deliberately accuse a British officer behind his back of such an unspeakable offence. in an attache as that alleged asfainst General Grierson, a,nd then calmly suppress a report; on it asked for by their Imperial master, will-stick at nothing, a view confirmed by recent diDlomatic revelations.

Perhaps, therefore, it would be. as well if some of those sneakers and writers—clerical and- otherwise—-in this country who . are calling the Kaiser every name they dar© would he" well advised to somewhat moderate their accusations as to his -personal responsibility for the present cataclysm.