EX-KAISER’S BIRTHDAY

Greymouth Evening Star, 26 January 1929, Page 7

EX-KAISER’S BIRTHDAY

DOORN CELEBRATIONS ATTEMPT AT POMP (Australian Press Association.) (By Cable—Press Assn.—Copyright.) LONDON, January 25. The “Daily Mail’s” Berlin correspondent states that great preparations are being made at Doorn for the celebration of the ex-Kaisler’s 70th. birthday on January 27. The whole Hohenzollern family, with the possible exception of Princess Victoria, whose marriage to Zoubkoff has displeased her brother Wilhelm, will be present. Furniture has been hired to furnish the unused rooms at Doorn House. The overflow of Royalties will be accommodated at a local hotel. One hundred workmen are illuminating the grounds.

OLD BRIGADE’S LOYALTY.

PARIS, January 25.

At Doorn, by Sunday, there will be 48 princes and princesses, when the littlo Dutch village will honour the ex-Kaiser’s seventieth birthday. Prince Rupprecht, of Bavaria, will toast the ex-Kaiser.

Already numerous ex-Generals and ex-Admirals have arrived. It was a somewhat pathetic sight with the obese, elderly people being shown round the garden at Doorn, and also the logs of wood chopped uu by the ex-Kaiser. They bent their old backs and called him “highness/ ’although many of them refuse to call his wife by the title which she uses. ALLEGED INTERVIEW. PARIS, January 24. i What is believed to be the first authentic interview with the ex-Kaiser since he went to Doorn is featured in “Le Journal.” It was obtained by Mademoiselle Marise Querlin, who was refused permission to enter the gates at Doorn, but who waylaid the exKaiser next day while he was walking with Baron Housemarchal. “Sire,” she said, “I have come from Paris to see you.” “Then,” replied the ex-Kaiser, slowly, with a guttural accent, “you have succeeded.” Mlle, then had the following conversation:—“lt is my business to see celebrated people.”

The ex-Kaiser: “I am only an old man who wants to finish his days in peace.”

Millie. Querlin: “It is impossible you should not be interested in your own and other countries.”

The ex-Kaiser: “I want nothing more to do with politics—only Germany s interests, because my family ■s there. Sooner or latex’ she will repair her errors.”

Mdlle. Querlin: “And France, sire?” The ex-Kaiser: “France, Madamoiselle, has been a courageous country.” Mdlle. Querlin: “Do you believe there will be another war?” The ex-Kaiser slowly and gutturally: “War, Madamoiselle, is axi ethnographic question, against which nothing can intervene, but the Divine Power.”

The ex-Kaiser then waved Mdlle. Quarlin off.

REPARATIONS ENQUIRY

RUGBY, January 24

In the House of Commons to-day, Mi 1 . F. Wedgwood, (Labour), asked whethei’ the Government attached any importance to the establishment of the Commission of Verification and Conciliation in connection with the Allied occupation of German territory, and what attitude the Government intend ed to take on the matter at the Com-, mission’s next meeting at Geneva. Mi*. Godfrey Lockei’ Lampson, replying, said that the British Government and the othex* Governments con cerned, desired to achieve a liquidation of the questions still outstanding. The chief of those was the final settlement of the reparation problem and the determinatioix of the Allied occupation of German territory. The British Government would give whatever assistance they could in reaching, by these means, a complete agreement and in thus finally disposing of these troublesome matters. He thought that the discussions would go on simultaneously.

Mr. W. Churchill was asked whether, in view of the adverse effect on the British coal industry of the delivery of the Reparations coal, he -would instruct the British representatives on the Committee of Experts, which would meet at Paris at the end of the month to frame a proposal foi’ the settlement of the reparations problem, to press foi’ a change in the conditions now governing the reparations coal. Mr. Churchill replied that the British members of the committee must be trusted to keep all such matters relevant, to their task continually in view.