THE EX-KAISER

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XIX, Issue 31, 23 January 1929, Page 8

THE EX-KAISER

GERMAN WRITER’S CRITICISM.

“MOST BRILLIANT FRAUD.’’ : Australian and N.z. Press Association.! London, Jan. 21. Almost on the eve of the ex-Kais-cr’s seventieth birthday, which ho proposes to celebrate, a German writer, Herbert Eulenberg, in a series of biographic sketches entitled “Hohenzollcrns” publicly brands Wilhelm as “the most brilliant fraud ever wrapped in Royal ermine.” Many a hard thing has been said of the cx-Kaiser by his adversaries, but it has bcetf left to a German to describe his character in words of ridicule, satire and contempt. He says: “Wilhelm alienated everyone in. England by his upstart ways, arrogantly and rudely competing with

England in a futile endeavour to outdo them in a sphere which had been Britannia’s pride for centuries, namely the fleet,” Ho describes his desertion in 1018 as an unworthy and dishonourable act, involving degradation of rank in peace and summary execution in war time. “That eternally ignominious November night Wilhelm shattered, not only his dynasty, but the cen-turies-old tradition of the Prussian Army, which he tricked for a quarter of a century.” Eulonberg quotes the words of the Emperor when war broke out. “Now we will'thrash them,” and describes them as barbarous.