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Lyttelton Times, Volume CXVII, Issue 17948, 15 November 1918, Page 4

The story that tho,ex-Crown Prince of Germany was killed in a fight on tho frontier had such a "strong family resemblance to the score of stories that during the war period reported him dead, that no surprise need be occasioned by the news that ho has arrived in Holland. There seems to have been no particular reason why he should have been stopped, at the frontier' or anywherejelse, or why he should have 9 come into conflict with German troops. The Gorman army remains under discipline, and the men have sense enough to know that unless discipline is maintained and demobilisation is carried out in an orderly fashion the condition of the Fatherland will soon be terrible. Even if it is conceded that the resentment of nation and army must be hot against the Hoheuzollerns, it still required a big effort of the imagination to believe that the Prince was killed by German soldiers.

The accounts given by both German' and neutral witnesses have always agreed concerning the great popularity of the Crown Prince, especially with the army- There is a most interesting passage concerning him in Mr J. W. Gerard's book, " Pace to Face with Kaiserism " : "The Crown Prince is about sft 9in, blonde and slim. In fact, one of his weaknesses is his pride in an undeniably small waist, which he pinches,- and his characteristic pose is with one foot thrown forward and one hand at the waist, elbow out and waist pressed in. He is well built, his face much hotter-looking than his photographs show, nose rather long and eyes very keen--and observing. Possessed a great y6uthf illness of manner and a, boyish liveliness and interest in life, his traits are somewhat American rather than German. His maimers are open and engaging, and because of this he is very popular iu Germany."

.Mr Gerard was prepared to think that with his popularity and his love of sports the Crown Prince might make an ideal monarch, but for the fact that all his fine qualities were overshadowed by a r&»\ love of war. " From- his scat in

the royal box in the Reichstag ho has applauded violently and ostentatiously utterances looking towards war; he had made himself the head of the War Party, and tho militarists look to him ■as their chief. The chief danger is that if this war ends in tho defeat of Germany without the demoeratisation of Germany, then the Grown Prince will lead the party of revenge, of preparation for war, and if tho war ends in what tho German can call a. success or ends in a draw (which means a German success), then the Crown Paince and the militarists, erying that tho military system has been justified, will seek new excuses to enter once more on a war of conquest. All paths or speculations turn to one jjate; if the German pcoplo continue slavishly to leave tho power to drive them into war in tho hands of tho Crown Prince or tho General Staff, there will bo no prospect of such a world peace as can justify a universal disarmament. Ab-. solute monarehs and Emperors and Crown Princes and their attendant nobles, all spell war. They\nre the products of war, and they can only continue to rule if the desire for war animates their people."

Again and again Mr Gerard returns to this same theme. It is the "King business" that is responsible for Avar, and Mr Gerard sees no real peace for Germany until the people " sicken of tho Emperor and Crown Prince* of tho almost countless Kings and Grand Dukes and Princes, Generals and Admirals, Court Marshals and Chamberlains and Majors and Adjutants, Captains and Lieutenants, who now, liko fat, green, distended flies, feed on the blood of Germany. What is there in war for anyone but those men of froth at tho top? It is this infernal King business that is responsible." "Nobody knows," says Mr Gerard again, "whether the present Crown Prince will succeed Emperor William—nobody knows the fortunes of war or the fate that this war bag in store for the Hohenzollerns; but while I personally "like tho Crown Prince, admire his skill in sports, his amiable ways, his smiles to the crowd, I also know of his crazy belief in wan\, And so lon£ as a ruler persists in this he is as dangerous to tho peace of the world as a man with a plague to the health of a small community."