PLOT TO RESTORE WILHELM.

Dunstan Times, Issue 3137, 2 October 1922, Page 2

PLOT TO RESTORE WILHELM.

(By a former Member of the ex-Kai-ser's Doom Household.)

Schlieffcn once remarked to a high officer of the German army in my presence : "1 have often doubted the propriety of permitting the Kaiser to command in person, but no one ever disputes the fact that he. must win when he does command. We must always allow him to play soldier and win victories during the annual manoeuvres, otherwise he would lose interest in the army, and, like a child, would smash it to pieces." Notwithstanding the fact that every responsible officer in the army, and statesman, and official, serving the Fatherland! as a. civilian knew during the last 45 years that the Kaiser was insurably insane, there were not a dozen men in the whole empire with spunk enough to publish the truth to the public. He was insane before the war and he is thoroughly mad to-day. Yet, if our monarchists could only be allowed to have their own way they would again hoist this madman on the German throne. Since the very day of his escape to Holland not one day passes when the plotters are not visiting our former ex-all-highest for the purpose of re-installing him at Berlin. Before long our monarchist plotters will make another attempt to realise their forlorn hope. Especially during the last five or six months the monarchist conspirators have been frequenting the house at Doom, and at the time when I left the place' the number of these daily visitors were increasing day by day. However, let me state before proceeding on the subject, that every visitor to Doom who registers at Hotel Pahst and motors to the gates of the Kaiser's house, even if he is admitted through the gate, is not permitted' to sec the Kaiser. I have been told that there are over 100 foreign press representatives permanently stationed at Doom to watch the Kaiser's every act and there is ample justification for this precaution on the part of non-German newspapers, for at any moment an aeroplane may depart from the Kaiser's house and! the ■former ex-highest may be proclaimed the German Emperor. I knew the Kaiser many years before bis exile and I have served him a little over 18 months. I state emphatically that the man is thoroughly mad. The monarchist conspirators know it well, yet there has not been a. day since he arrived at Holland when a group of these plotters have not held an audience with him. Why? Why do these monarchists wish to put this mad man back on the German throne? Our monarchists do not give a. paper mark for the Kaiser personally, but quite a few of them would risk their lives for the return of the monarch. Now they know that the Crown Prince or anyone of the Kaiser's sons is not available. Not ooie of these princes is loved or respected enough by enough Germans to make the dreamed-of monarchistic revolution a success. But they feel that if by any means they could proclaim the ex-Kaiser as the Emperor of Germany, and 1 if they maintain the coming monarchistic revolution for about three months, the average German will again fight for his Kaiser. This sounds foolish to non-Germans. It sounds foolish to me. Nevertheless, during the months I was attached to the ex-Kaiser's household at Doom I have listened to this mode of reasoning so often expounded by all the principal visiting conspirators from all over Germany that to my mind there' is net any question as to the popularity of this scheme among our German army officials. But the grand plot of our conspirators does not end here. I have heard Baron Ketteller, of Potsdam, Baron Landsberg. and even Ernst Dryander, the former court chaplain, discuss knavishly that once the monarchy is established' under the symbolism: of the Kaiser, it would be an easy matter for the Federal Diet to- declare him mad, therefore, incompetent. He could thus be kept in a special asylum and another royal prince proclaimed as the new Emperor. However, the venture was abandoned in the last hour because of a very serious disagreement among the conspirators themselves. If the proposed monarchistic revolution is postponed — and perhaps abandoned for all timeit will be because there is a strong division of opinion in the ranks of the conspirators on the fundamental aspects of the venture. .-For instance, about three months ago a special courier came to Doom house with the intelligence from the high-placed-plot-ters in Berlin that while Ludendorff was favorable to the return of the Kaiser as the emperor, Hindenburg had stated that he was thoroughly opposed to the principle of a monarchist revolution at that time and that he would defend the present regime with all his might. I do not say that Hindenburg eve* expressed himself in this manner, neither can I say that he did not. Nevertheless, this news was sufficient to send the Kaiser into a furious rage. For nearly an hour he raved against the popular German commander and praised till den dor ft to the skies, declaring tli.it. the latter was really the genius of the German army, "under my guidance."

After the departure of the special courier the Kaiser sent for me and for two hours extolled his own high military talent, claiming that Ludendorff was his disciple in military matters. During our annual army manoeuvres I had on many occasions observed the Kaiser's knowledge pertaining to military matters, and I have also had many opportunities to study him under fire en the war away outskirts of the battle ground. I had my opinion formed regarding his military skill and valor, therefore his self-praise appeared to me pitiful to listen to. The organisation which is now being used to further monarchist aspirations was set in motion within three weeks after the signing of the armistice. I know this to be a fact because I myself was carried away with the zeal of the younger officers and was among the first. 100 to enlist in the movement. It was as the consequence of this that I was put on the list to be attached to the Kaiser's household staff when the opportunity arose. The opportunity finally came as the result of the Kaiser's frequent changes in the personnel serving him during his exile.