"Their Majesties"

Auckland Star, Volume LXXI, Issue 70, 23 March 1940, Page 2 (Supplement)

"Their Majesties"

XXIX. — Germany's Pretender

MONARCHY and mass production make strange contemporaries. It is increasingly difficult to reconcile the existence of kings and queens with the Machine Age. And yet the remaining monarchs of the world appear not only to be holding their own against the tide of 'isms, but their number seems likely in the not too distant future to be increased by several additions. Dictatorship is built on Hie quicksand of one man's mortal span of life. It is in its very essence a one-generation regime that cannot perpetuate itself. It, provides for no continuity after the dictator's death, and even its basic ideology may evaporate quickly once the voice of the master is stilled. Many of us may live to see the day when another king reigns over Germany. There are strongly entrenched monarchist sentiments in the bosom of the German nation capable of sweeping the country hack into the fold of Royalty once the Xazi cycle has run its course. It requires no stretch of the imagination to visualise patriotic Germans goose-stepping as contentedly to the majestic strains of a royal march as they now do to the galloping Xazi military rhythms composed by Marshal Hermann Goering in his spare time. The German Army is honeycombed with staunch monarchists. So are the ranks of the conservative German middle class. No Crown for Hitler Hitler is not likely to crown himself Emperor, although there was a mild flurry of speculation after the conquest of Austria when he had the regalia of the dethroned Hapsburgs moved from a'Vienna museum to a place conveniently close to the regalia left behind by tiie Hohcnzollcras. There would be little Dc-r Fuehrer could gain by adding royal trappings to the power already concentrated iii his hands. He has no heirs to whom he could bequeath the Crown if he took it. The 'German monarchists consider the Kaiser's favourite grandson, Prince Louis Ferdinand, as the legitimate pretender to the throne. Louis Ferdinand is the second son of former Crown Prince Friedrich Williclm, who renounced all his rights of succession after the World War, and now lives the life of a private citizen in Berlin. The • former Crown Prince's eldest son, Prince Wilhelm, lost his rights by marrying a commoner. This is a rule of the Hohenzollern family rigidly enforced by the ex-Kaiser, whose word is still law so far as the dynasty is concerned. Prince- Louis Ferdinand himself narrowly missed tlie penalty of his grandfather's wrath during the prince's first visit to the United States in 1929. Louis Ferdinand was twenty-one then, and eager for adventure. Ho got a job in the Los Angeles branch of the Ford Motor Company. His grandfather heartily approved. But he fell in love with Hollywood and one of its glamour girls, Lili Damita,. of whom his grandfather just as heartily disapproved. During thoso days. the prince called himself plain Dr. Louis Ferdinand (he had a university degree as doctor of

philosophy). Ho worked at the Ford plant in greasy overalls, ate his lunch out of a paper bag like the other workingmen, and became so proficient in American slang 'that when someone asked him how he liked his job he replied: ''I'm just goofy about it." When his day's work was done, Louis Ferdinand found diversion in the Hollywood movie colony, where he became a popular ligurc. He met Lili Damita. It was a case of love at first sight, and the young prince told all of his friends: "I'm simply crazy about her. I'm going to marry her." One day, while the romance was at its height, Louis Ferdinand went to the Hollywood studio where Lili was working and presented his card. The gatekeeper, not realising who ''Dr. Louis Ferdinand" was, refused to admit him until he got a pass from the company ollice. In far-away Doom the reports of his grandson's Hollywood romance reached the former Emperor. Wilhelm was furious. He quickly put a stop to the rumours Dy reminding Louis Ferdinand that the Hohenzollern family statute, to which all members of the royal family subscribe, requires approval beforehand by the Head of the Dynasty for any contemplated engagement or marriage. Louis Ferdinand was soon called back to Europe, and his romance with Lili Damita faded out according to the best Hollywood tradition. The young prince was called on the carpet at Doom and given a sound lecture by his grandfather. The. ex-Kaiser would not entrust this task of discipline to Louis Ferdinand's own father, because former Crown Prince Friedrich Wilhelm was hardly one to set liis son any shining example when it came to romance.

By - - - Seymour Berhon The former Crown Prince, once the foremost philanderer in Berlin, still fancies himself a jrreat ladies' man. During the 1930 Olympic Games in Berlin he became so fascinated by the photographs he saw in the papers of the American swimming star. Eleanor Holm Jarrctt, that he contrived to invite her to his apartment lor lunch, showered her with flowers, and proclaimed her "(he loveliest girl I have met." One time when he was visiting Budapest, a cofl'ee house waitress asked him for an autographed photo which ho gave her. She sold it to a collector for ten dollars. The next clay, she came up to the former Crown Prince as soon as he entered the coffee shop, told him a tnlo of having lost the photo, and asked him to autograph another. He complied' so readily that the girl broke down and confessed she had really sold the original. "Good." he said in his courtliest manner, "let's become partners if it's such a good business." Although Friedrich Wilhelm has never been to California he shares from the distance his son's fondness for it anil pictures the "wild west" just as it is painted in jack London's stories which he has read avidly. Worked for Ford Louis Ferdinand's brief taste of life in America served only to whet his appetite. After assuring his grandfather that ho had readied the age of

discretion, he was permitted to return in 1032—but not to Hollywood. This time lie went to the Ford factory near Detroit, where lie worked in an assembly plant for 35.50 dollars a week. Travelling back and forth from Europe to America during the next few years, tho tall, handsome, blond prince became a great favourite with the ship news reporters. Ho usually invited the reporters to join him in a glass of beer, shouted "prosit," and had a rollicking good time exchanging wisecracks with them. During 1033, Louis Ferdinand became a European sales representative for the Ford Company. He tried to induce the former Kaiser to give up his old fashioned German car and buy a Ford. Williclin IT. was so amused by his grandsoil's boyish enthusiasm for American ■ tilings he often referred to him as "the grand little American of our familv.' • On . both sides of the ocean, Louh | Ferdinand's intimate friends call bin: ; by his nickname, "Lulu." f After Hitler came inlo power, Louis Ferdinand returned to Germany. lir and his father both fell into line with ; the Nazis. If they had not,- their pro s perties probably would have been eon- ' liscaled. The young prince, who had learned a great deal about machinery J and motors at the Foril factories, went 1 in for aviation, become a flying oflicer. - and is now associated with the German 1 Lufthansa aviation interests as a techni--3 cal adviser. , Louis Ferdinand was married on May 2, 103S, to Grand Duchess Kyra, daugh- .' ter of Grand Duke Cyril, pretender tr j the throne of - Russia. The marriage . accomplished a union of the Hohent zollerns and the Romanoffs that was , regarded «s more of a dvnastic alliance " than a real romance. As earlv as 1031! it was reported that the British Royal r Family was encouraging such a match : in order to rcknit the llohcnzollcrn line \ into the Royal fabric of Europe in pre--1 puralion for the possibility of future 1 restorations. Had such a marital alliance been formed while the Hohcnzollerns and Romanoffs were still in the fullness of their power, some historians believe the Sarajevo incident of 1914 ; might not have caused a world war. f Diplomatic Marriage The stage for Louis Ferdinand's engagement to Grand Duchess Kyra was set in London. His younger brother. Prince Friedricb, met the Grand Duchess and her brother, Vladimir, and invited them down to the Cecilicnhof palace at Potsdam for the Christmas holidays. Tho announcement of the engagement came from Doom. And after a civil and Greek Orthodox ceremony at Cecilicnhof, the couple were married all over again with a special Protestant ceremony at which the Kaiser officiated in the reception hall of his Dutch castle at Doom. It was a great event for tho Kaiser.' He had a chance to wear his field marshal's uniform, and at the banquet were more than 50 members of European Royalty. On their honeymoon, Louis Ferdinand brought his bride to New York. Just | before his visit, the wife of one of the ! German Consuls in the United .States ! who is on friendly terms with the White j House, wrote President Roosevelt a | letter in which she advised him of the j prince's forthcoming visit and referred to Louis Ferdinand as "The Next Emperor of Germany.'' The German prince, an ardent,admirer of President Roosevelt, was his guest at a week-end party in the President's country home near Hyde Park, New York.