THE NEXT KAISER

Evening Star, Issue 15537, 6 July 1914, Page 5

THE NEXT KAISER

Will the German Crown Prince bo a itrcmg ruler? What manner oi : man is he who will one day guide the destinies or the great German Empire? These are questions often asked, mid not only in Germany; and an attempt is made to answer them, from one point of view, in a volume just published, ' Dor Kronprinz: Gedanken iiber Deutschlands Znkunft.' The author of it is the well-known German author ami journalist. Or Paul Liman, whose recent book on the Kaiser attracted great attention. Dr Liman draws his picture- of the S'lince from his Royal Highness's already well-known doings, his love for sport, his military enthusiasm, his "indiscretions." his writings —everything from A to—Zabern—and everything is justified. And it is remarkable, in the first place, that to justify the Prince before Germany the author should draw attention most pointedly to the difference between the Kaiser and his heir—much to the :nlvantag© of the son. For instance:— And, indeed, the straightforward and clear character of the son appears to be free from all leaning towards that unfortunate mysticism which, in the* November days of" I DOS, nearly led to a Jena for the monarchical idea. . . . The picture of reality appears to stand out in holder, firmer, and more natural outlines to the eye of the sou than it does in many a speech of the kaiserly father. . . . In few points are the father and the son like one another. —The Prince's Love of Games.— Dr Liman praises highly the Prince's love of games and sport. Ho quotes freely from the writings of His .Royal Highness in this connection to show that the Prince is setting an example to the youth of the nation with regard to physical fitness, and that he loves sport because he loves Nature. The writer, too, dwells on the Prince's opposition to luxury. Dr Liman praises the golden mean which lies between :: that longing for everlasting peace and that Chauvinism which, for personal advantage, threatens the rights of all others." That, he says, is the golden mean in which Bismarck believed, and lie will have us believe that the Crown Prince supports it too. Here is one of the quotations from the Prince's writings, which. Dr Liman recalls and underlines:— _We live to-day in an age which, with peculiar satisfaction, points to the proud height of its culture and only too readily boasts of its international citizenship; that delights in dreams of an everlasting world-peace. This conception of life is un-German, ! and does not suit us. The German who loves his people, who believes in | the greatness and future of his i Homeland, and will not have its authority lowered, must not shut his eyes in such dreams, must not let himself be lulled to sleep by the Peace Song of the Utopians. Such expressions of opinion lead Dr Liman to believe that Germany's coming Kaiser will be the strong 'man for which the Junker has prayed since the passing of Bismarck. —There will, he thinks, be in future no lack of warfare regarding the King's right and the people's right, and the King must set himself against any extension of socalled popular government. The Emperor's rights must remain i intact, for with any further increase I of the people's rights the army will be endangered for one tiling, and. of i course, the Cnrragh incident is pointed .; to as the evil result of a democratic j army, though in reality it was caused I by the army not being democratic j enough. The final pages of the book | lead us through an advocacy of the j whole range of militarism, aristocratic ! rule, and the right divine, and their ■ advocate firmly believes " that the j Princo is on his side. He says: \ If the future leads the successor j of William 11. to such conflicts (for! representative government, etc.) no ! weaklings will be found on the do- . lending trenches. . . . Only a j deadly battle would lead to tin l;:st goals of the prophets of parlhirucntarianism, and the race ct the Hohenzollerns has not become so weak that it will yield without a struggle its most real and deepest character, or unresisting allow itself to be robbed of its best ornament and its highest right. The great grandson of the first Kaiser will know, if he is forced to fight, how to guard his rights, ard most assuredly he will not be "William the Last."

Whether Dr Liman's hopes of the German Crown Prince will be realised history will have to tell. But one thing is certain, and that is that history will also tell that progress in Germany will not stand stiil at the Junker's bidding.