KAISER'S SLAVE-STYLE RULE

Evening Star, Issue 16627, 9 January 1918, Page 2

KAISER'S SLAVE-STYLE RULE

L. P. Abbot (of tho Executive Committee of too National Security League) wrote 'from New York on October 27: I was a guest at the luncheon wlrich the Kaiser g»vo in Mr Roosevelt's honor at his i palace in Potsdam in 1910. A largo party of guests,and' military and civic- notables were ( out by special train from Berlin. From the station at Potsdam to the palace, which was built bv Frederick the Great, and lies in the mkkt of a beautiful park, to went in appropriate vehicles in strict order of precedence. The luncheon was , given at small tables in one of the state , dining rooms of tta palace. After hmcheon - the entire party gathered in a great reception room known as the Muschel Salon, so called because the architect, when it was built, thought it was a good idea to stick mussel shells into the soft plaster of tho walls as a form of decoration. I£ is a spacious apartment. The JSaisar and Mr Roosevelt went over into one comer and stood by a small table engaged tin talk and laughter. Tho rest of the party gathered 100 ft away on\tha opposite side of the room. In the party wore the Empress, Cbanoellor Ton Botkmann Hollweg, the Minister of tie Interior, and many other distinguished and powerful Imperial officers, naval, military, and civil. Before long I notioed somo slight signs of agitation on the part of some of these officials. Tho Chancellor, Vou Bethmann Hollwv£, went up and whispered to the general officer of tie army in charge. They then quietly consulted with the Minister of tho Interior, taking out their watches for comparison. Next they went and spoke to the Empress who began to look a little anxious. Indeed; the signs of agitation grew so marked that I turned to a young aide-de-camp, who spoke English perfectly and whose acquaintance I had made coming out in the speoial train, and asked what tho trouble wan. "Why," he said, "tho-special train leaves I Potsdam to return to Berlin at half-past 31 o'clock, and it is now 10 minutes past 3; and unless the Emperor crives the signal for departure pretty soon the train will he delayed." Now, the Gorman Empire runs so like clockwork that iho delay of a sjpecial train is a serious matter. It is likely to throw the wholo machinery out of proper working order. And yet not one individual in that spacious hall dared walk across to tho Kaiser and remind him of Uptime—not even a distinguished general oflicer of his army not even tho Chancellor of tho Empire, not even tho Empress. Luckily, however, the Kaiser finally " came to." Ho brokn away from the enchantment of tho conversation with the Colonel of the Rough Riders—for it was quite apparent that he found it enchanting—and gave tho proper signal which permitted the party to break up. We were then rushed to tho station, and I noticed with some amusement that the rigor of precedence was not as carefully observed in going to the station as it wns in coming from it. This may seem to be simplv an nmusinand trifling incident, but I think it is something more. It is indicative of the extraordinary subserviency which prevails throu<»h'out Germany to the Kaiser's absolute power. In no other civilised country in Europe, with the possible exception of Austria, could such an incident have happened. At almost any other European Court the Prime Minister or the general officer acting at Court Marshal would hnvo stepped up to the Sovereign and at least have said "Tour Majesty, " l beg to remind you," etc., etc. Those who havp met Kaiser Wilhelm agree that he has personal charm and that he can make himself extraordinarily interesting and agreeable in social intercourse. But "he is as much a believer in absolutism and the superhuman authority and power of a kin" or emperor as if ho lived in the Middle Ages! He has succeeded in impressing this belief ou his subjects, and riot until they break away from it, not until they dare- walk acros* the room and say "Your Majesty, you are behind tho times." will there be established in Germany that freedom of government and that respect for the rights of the small nation and of the plain everyday man which we and our Allies are fighting 'for.