THE GERMAN EMPEROR.

Press, Volume XLVIII, Issue 7964, 11 September 1891, Page 6

THE GERMAN EMPEROR.

STORIES IN THE FRENCH PAPERS. 60ME EXTRAORDINARY REPORTS. [Per 8.8. Alameda at Auckland.] LONDON, August 17. The following story has been wired from Berlin and printed in some of the Pans papers of August Ist:—The Kaiser is physically and morally succumbing to the morphine habit. It is given out that he baa been put on strict regimen by Dr. Lenthald. His allowance of morphine has been stopped, and he has been put on a limited amount of mild "bier de Nuremberg" as his only stimulant. His mania, according to the report, broke out the nrst time at sea. He got wildly drunk and assumed command of the yacht. He took the vessel at her maximum speed out into the open ocean, and caused every flag on board to be displayed, ordered repeated salvoes "with the yacht's guns, while the band played vigorously. These scenes were kept up all night, the Kaiser in the meantime changing his uniform and wearing in succession those of German, English and Italian Admirals. In the course of a drunken row he struck Lieut. Schroder, who immediately went telow and blew out his brains, as he considered himself irretrievably dishonored. Some sailors, who revolted at the Imperial caprices, were unmercifully flogged and put in irons. Next morning, the Kaiser, renewing his mad "drunk, was thrown, as if accidentally, from the bridge of the vessel to the deck, his feet being badly injured by the fall. The Paris "Lβ Clair" of August 16th, which is not given to sensationalism, prints the following as confirmed by unquestioned authority:—On the night following the departure of the Imperial yacht from England the crew were beaten to quarters, and were surprised to find the quarter deck brilliantly illuminated. An altar was erected on the deck, bearing the Old and New Testaments, and the Kaiser stood by Wearing a white chasuble with a crozier in fcis hand and a black aod white mitre on his bead. He read the most warlike passages from the Testaments, and invited the crew to respond. He then preached a long eennon on the duties of sovereigns to the people, the whole service lasting from eleven o'clock at night, tfll two o'clock fn the morning. The crew were then piped (clow. At five o'clock in the morning the Kaiser appeared on the bridge in the uniform of a High Admiral, looking extremely haggard. Addressing the commander, he said—" Sir, retire to your cabin. I shall take charge." The commander replied— " Sir, permit mc to observe that we are in a dangerous passage, and it is advisable, for your Majesty's safety as well as that of the crew, that a sailor should remain in charge." The Emperor responded—" Never mmd, God will inspire mc." The commander bowed and retired. The second officer remaining, the Emperor angrily bade him retire. The officer respectfully protesting, the Emperor said—" You resist, wretched creature ! You trouble the Spirit ol God that is within mc. This is the vengeance of God upon you," dealingthe officer a heavy blow on the cheek. The officer turned crimeon, but remained passive until the Emperor seized him by the throat and tried to throw him overboard. In the struggle that followed the Emperor fell and broke his knee-cap. He howled with pain and swore terribly, displaying eymptoms of madness. The officers, after consultation, carried him into his cabin, nobody being admitted excepting the doctor, the Empress, 'and the men necessary to restrain him till bis leg was bandaged, and he was encased in a straight-jacket. The crisis lasted three days. These stories in the French papers give the . Emperor much annoyance, and Chancellor yon Caprivi proposes to remonstrate with • ine French Government on the subject. . They are denounced as mere " sensational inventions." Dr. Lsnthold has officially declared (according to a Berlin despatch of August 13th) -that he considers it incompatible with the oath of responsibility vested in him to conceal the true physical condition of the Emperor William. He says further he could not defer publishing bulletins to this effect, . nor could he omit making reports which r showed that the Emperor is not in the full possession of his normal faculties. The doctor further states that after this declaration bad been made, Professor Esmarch was appointed medical attendant on.the Emperor, upon his consenting to withhold from the public all information concerning the ~ Emperor's real condition. C It is now proposed to establish a Regency j for the Empire, consisting of Prince Henry of Prussia, the Grand Duke of Baden and Chancellor Yon Caprivi. The Council for the Kingdom of Prussia is to consist of the present Empress, Prince Henry, Duke Ernest Gunther of Schleswig - Holstein, Yon Caprivi and Count Wiedell Fiesdorf. In order that the necessary steps -shall be taken to ensure the appointment of this Regency the journey of Prince Henry to England is made with the view of holding a , family;council, in which the Queen and the ' Empress shall »be the first consulted, and - then the matter will be placed before the other members of the family. - Notwithstanding the report that the injuries sustained by the Emperor William when he fell upon the deck of the Imperial yacht are slight, it has been decided that he will remain two weeks at Kiel, where he arrived on August Bth from his trip to Norway, for rest and medical attention. ' The "Kruge Zeitung" of August 10th says that the greatest care is necessary for the treatment of the Kaiser's injured knee, and that the services of Professor Esmarch, a distinguished Berlin Burgeon, have been enlisted. The "Cologne Gazette" of the same day re-asserts that the Emperor is in robust health, and that ~' fee now oses his leg easily and will be able to dispense with his doctor after a few short sea trips. Another despatch says the j injury was badly treated on board the yacht Hohenzollern. Surgical blundering con- . tsminated the blood, and the whole eystem was affected, causing fever and renewed tappuration of the diseased ear. j