IS THE KAISER MAD?

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 247, 6 July 1918, Page 9

IS THE KAISER MAD?

THE JUDGMENT OF THOSE WHO KNEW HIM OF OLD. Is the' Kaiser mad—scientific;illy mad? Bismarck himself was convinced that Wilhelni was crazy. The Iron Chancellor knew the Kaiser from his childhood, and knew the secret family history and family maladies of the Ilohenzoilerns. Some time before his death, Bismarck confided to his friend, Felix Dahn, distinguished German historian and lawyer, (hat the Kaiser was a lunatic. He intimated that lie might have to he locked up. "If the worst comes to tho worst," ?aid Bismarck, "and it should become necessary to" put him under restraint, my successor will have a more difficult task than would have fallen to my lot. For I feel sure the German people would linvo trusted me." Tho Kaiser _is endowed with tho superhuman cunning that has characterised many of the famous paranoides and epileptics who have been world leaders. If •• saiaiek pierced the veil aiul discovered *iis lunacy, many linvo failed to do so. Another Gorman Chancellor, Prince Ifohenlohe, did not believo (hat Hie Kaiser was even a religious monomaniac. He staled to an international journalist shortly before leaving the Chancel- , iorship his belief that lie was an arch hypocrite—an atheist like Frederic!: the Great. ' Hohenlnho said: "Far from being the sincerely religious man which human stupidity lias credited him with being, he is lite coolest rationalist, me greatest egotist, and the most ungrateful uerson I over came across." But the "licnisis say tho exaggerated charactersi ics mentioned by Hohenloho are further symptoms of paranoia. ■ Another 'icrman Chancellor, von Bulow, who -had : o much trouble with the Kaiser beeauso if his habit of "butting in" on diplo.initio Htuations with personal telegrams liko tho famous Kniger dispatch—a dis'Kitch which almost brought Britain and Germany to blows in (ho OO's—gave ,t hint in the Reichstag that ho was irresponsible. When, Bulow was being attacked for allowing I he Kaiser to permit so many dangerous indiscretions, ho said: "If you only 'knew what i prevent." And tho lovolalion of the "Willv-Nicky" correspondence gives an idea of what von Billow was talking about. Tin; late Pone Leo XIII was one oi tho great world figures who came into contact with tho Kaiser when lie was ti .young mini. The Holy Father's csti mate of him is perhaps the most interesting of all. Hero it is: "This youn; man is obstinate and vain, and it is tc bo feared that his reign will terminnti in disaster." This remark of tho pontiff's was revealed long after his deatt , by one of his close counsellors.