ROMANCE OF A GARMAN CHANCELLOR.

Oamaru Mail, Volume XXXVI, Issue 10965, 4 January 1912, Page 1

ROMANCE OF A GARMAN CHANCELLOR.

Pnncp Chlodwig Hohenloho's memorj is revived bj a literal > indiscietion even mo'ie-starthng than the publication of. his "Memoirs" five years ago In political" and society cnclea it .has long, been known that the third. German Chancellor, was for the last 38 years of his life xthited by the most intimate intellectual and emotional bonds to a certain-Baioness von Hedemann This la"dj, in a boolc, now takes* the public into-her confidence, arid relates the stoi\ of their fiiendslnp and their l4t"Ms a lemnrkable »and romantic tale which she ha» to tell, and once„more, shows the world'how littlest knows of, its great men and of hidden. in-"| fluences that contribute to the facts of j historj 1 Tlie authoress of 1 these intimate reveI lations is the daughter of a Baion von ' Hedemann, whd held w high-position n, the Service The cir-' cu mstances ot her birth weie somewhat sinister. Shortly befoie that event >t ■ha'd become necessarj to Temove the |mothei to an asjluni, and in this grim ,mihu the child'first saw the'light Six'teen a eaus elapsed before' she. again set [eyes on hei mother's face Hei father ,had mganwhife obtained a divorce", apparently on the grounds of his wife's insanity, and had marned again. These untoward domestic circumstances deprived the girl of the- advantages of i real home, and she passed her earlier ■\ears as. a nomad, pitching her tent at the house of first one and then of anothei of her numeious relatives Among those who for some time stood to her m loco paientis was hei gianduncle and godfather,, the famous savant, Alexandei von. Humboldt While \et,a schoolgnl she betrothed herself to a ypiing man named Scheffei, but, as he w~as without means and her father soon afteiwaids lost a considerable portion of his fortune, the idea of mairiage was eventually Th« emspde, however, was destined to have a decisive influence on her futuie " Befoie long she subipitted to"" the counsels of her eldeis,- ahd,-makmg choice of the alternative suifois submitted to hei, was led to'the altar bj a banker named Erzbeiger, 24 jears hei sen Tor Tlnee children were born, but the union was nevei a hajJpj one; and chance brought Herr Scheffei into the ciicle Pf then acquaintance 1 at Augsherg In the authoress' owr> words, ''What had long 'been tri edestmed happened," and, as she admits, with'an extraoidm-arj candor that the whole book, she "was "pronounced the guilty party" n the subsequent divorce suit Fiom the "lecollections of this cusis] she took refuge at Munich For some, time she kept up 'her connection with ":fo^^ rand- th'e{p'racß6a'bility -pf: a^leg^l; i^as"4isctissed.; 'to" "tlie'/plari, 1 -a'h&.-a* promise'- extorted] dealt ;t; a -.final■ blow.:'; ~: \\ . ' ''''.'-"'.'.'-'"'. ;..'■■'---•'■ j

|i'.;Dark : days';.fpllpSv^, : ;-;iri which she). "tiells us-sHe'/.bra nientbtffi'bfes^ijfl')l''.6ofte6'/!;jmt^c^va'4 ; ever fated£Ke^arjrj»fesT';lib''^ {thiiV 1 lief visit«l/-hef".'fof ; : sake/ r of iian't/convers;atibri. ; At this-period'she '/also:'sat/as .a''mbdel-*tp tlie'fairiouS'painf '/;-'' '\ ■'"'•'-.-...'.: : .VY~/".".-. i

diKbrpe-'./procped-fngl baridl a. jjafliphlet/ which, ljad : bepri pute iished about.h'eir:a:t;;t : h:eYinstance of her ; !husband-,b"ad.ijrriade.. her. :,a, genbriii 'topic, of;conversafion"iri"Baya;riaji'.society, arifl ; it--iwas/thfbiigh thisivthat. she .formed the. ;acqh'aintaricp; : Prince-.Hohenlbhe.-The. immediate occasion pf their.firstfmeetiiig by her in the fftllpwiiig i-> : ,v 'Tell riie,^ my -deaf." who & ihisi Erau: ;Erzb>rger-, .of .rivhose. beauty the whole town is talking, 'arid is/ so/shamefully/ pufsued-/.\yithh?itred>;apd • calumny?'/ It-was/Pfiripe GhlbdwigHd:herilohel- who spoke /.thus-to'. von Bbderistedt- .during/;a./visit she was 'payingtothe poet.- .'Will .'.Your Seren.it) step."briV to/ ntj-Z/balcbrij-.?;'/ said;.Seir Bodenstedt. 'There in the window 1 of -that" house, •; vis-'a-yjs',/ starids. the; .most,, 'hair-that.iriust' rea<jh;tp her^ankh)s;\'-and" •AVpnderf ill eyes of the .color pf "the •b'eantifulvwbman in/Miinich/ With.brbwi ;me-n:bti' ?-'-'.'■■■■■"":. /" .;-..*• :.-r .';'■' -■.'/;.:/./'.". r."

<i Till J tells how,'.'.th'&. j Prince; • ■'madef «'agei;';:iiiqijiries' about her, .and; ■; coiitjmJesi:^;\>.''-.;. ..> ''.■•.'•' ; -".' ;'"; r " ,: ' :■:•"': i : - " \ r was—9. : imes^hgejt^itn'ußKl','--itffe! -a giflaM; M[ : greetings andlscTon,' I%e" ; '- •p'^titi^:of'; aft" ;admrier' t£:' j rfialfccuriduK know 'what' to .dq, : aridkept sitefice:.; But : <as, I', wM'Jr/a'ciriirg-niy ; : biajns.;:oyefc- tliis.s; Wystery'and ' >up- toTrirds T ..iti.:tlje-, bell: J-ang, 1 aMj; j r ■.,,. .'Pardon' my.MnK 1 jtrusiorir and; : £ s earcl -so'rn'iTcti" abbufyolV' tbatlaii'.'oVefe .powering, desire ;to make,your;acqxiain^. '■; i aneeTsilefrpefl''lnH..ctinsMerafrpns/of', reak • .able' \to' you I' jtfn ■ ready. to - " .tyiilidffrfr;, ; l : agjainV" '; ,j i i For long .tjme^ths;;real'Jdehtity 'yf;. \ her ' nevr'-friehd -remained 'bidden" from'. : lier. . It' ,wa*s reye'ale'd . .with, dramatic • sudderiHess'rv: '• ?: "■•'■.-'•■> :-"-•'; ■} , • ; -. * ''ln tbev'sunimjer, of 1.563 1 was mviteji' ■ ceptioiiV daj'i ; and ,we .wcf e, assembled; i;i ; \the ;:salon; _: Guests: cairie- ' Prince Ghlodwig .von? ;UngsfuKt;'Aann6un6e|i ■■ at; myv. friend •lady' who 'is,; introduced, as -hi>'..wife\ ;I stare at; Hni-..spe'e'chless f and:confused. When he approaches:me_lram s able; to, <whisper; 'lsifciypu, my; friend,>my;fathfer ' confessor? But' -why this - masfc.yythis incognito? Are yourreally. the famous I Hohenlohe ?'. M>tder,? ..',he said quickly; ;'l,wilbtellialE ; later!!^;. ; ;J■>.-. W-,\\ .j- . •: .\ At a subsequent interview sat.-Munich,-theipairijswore/a compact forrlife,- and: from .this time' forward 7 :; .'.; f' : . . ."The' Prince as Bavarian •Minister, Premier, .member i: of the- Reichstag,. SvlceroyJof Alsace-Lorraine,'..and'. ~rial Chancellor,. too"k- no "political £tep and. made no "speech-without consulting, me/the once despised.','; r.; - •■'•"' '; ■'.... ■■'■_ When ;tue" Prirfce and the ■ JBaroii6ss;. .'wereVnot' together they:'kept; up-"avre'giW lar ; :;COJT.espon;dence, \in whicK,^all-.'tj[ie political occurrences in which b'e.was. concerned were discussed'.* . Her -house, at Munich was frequented by-ipeTSon.s playing important parts in : public -life,,. Bismarck," shVtells was on nidre. tlian .one occasion lier-. guest, r and 'She states' that It '.was' : at ;tbV i; instaiice']of.; the.. Iron Chancellor,/ ''wlio;<-aftepiv ; iii-dS; "e'xpressed." : to me' personally'-bis 'WaTinest thanks," .that she was despatched : ip : Vieiina'with"-the secret mission; of: obtaining a ; new'Minister of the Interior fpr-Bavaria." , -.:!": : ■-." '.]'-■ T .'.■..; : Her 'happiest/seasons, as'she describes th'erh,r'vtere : iri -the "late suinmers,-.wlien the' Pf iiice; was 'at Ins'huffting -lodge; of: Aussej "arid' she resided at-a housev'n :the.'neighborh6od.- 'They were \vont;to spend long days-xidiiig.through "the; woods. side by side. She; even' visited the.-Priifce' at Schillingsfiirst;<dur.ing the absence of the Jady; ot .the' "hduse.'. Of one of r "tKese'_ occasions she" ■ narrates "the following ..episode: - , v .. ■'\ .

"Wo -were- sitting; -in"the Prince's study, and were in. the middle of a liveJK conversation when we heaid the ratfje of wheels, and, to our gieat astonishment, saw tlriough the window that tfie Princess was stepping, out of the carriage come back" unfrom hei journey 'I should like to leave the Schloss__as quickh as possible,' I sai'd, somewhat perturbed 'No, \ou must staj , you can't go now was the firm answer, wliereupon he lert the room and"ie"tnxned a few minute ~ later with -the Princess*-- "Allow me nn dearest Mary, to introduce; oui guest. Baroness von Hedemann ' Aftei the jTisual banal phras.es Prmcesg Hohei - Iohe", wiFv * tfncfiantfng"' amiability, in-

cited me'to dinner. I tried' to iirid ari excuse to get awns, but the P-mce&s said, smiting, 'Non, non, lestez, baionne, vous coimaissez le vieux proverbe, qui \a a la chasse perd sa place,' an JI Eta's ed till the evening " After tjie death of Jiis wife,in. 1897, the l?rmce was oveicom? bj ther melancholy of solitude, and" as. the baroness ■rfates, pi Pposei, to 1 her that.she, should, become his wife The ieasori"of ,liei iefusal, and the lesnlfcs, she describes is follows "It; was in this mood,that Prjnee Hohenlohe, '.it the advanced age* of SO jears, wished to, me. Jus faithful friend, jbhe helpmate of his" last dajs, w in spjte of the>opposition I in spite df the obstacles which would I have confi onted him officially in a union with a woman wlfo was-not of„piineely blood. But mj father confessor te 1 - stramed me fiom-* tins; Another reason, a promise on m> word of honor"to the suivivmg family of the Prmce, huiig like a thieatenmg swoid ovei my head' I felt r compelled to lefuse this last heart was almost" bieakipg, when,. w ltliout be'mg ,'able to defend myself, I heaLd from hi> flips -the unjust 'lf jou will jnot shaie mj last da>s with me, let me the final severance at once These last despairing woids of the' Pi nice lang mercilessl-y in my ears is IJeft him sunk back m / a £tate of ool'lapse in a big armchan iii"his study fßlack tings circled eyes Moie than 30 years of m\ life I had given to this man, I had-devotefl my'self to him mj' whole stiul, only- to Miear supb hard words at i At this moment I forgot ever\ tiling aioufi'l me, all, love, friendship, children Halfconscious, Lduected m> steps fiom"the Wilhelmstiasse to the,watev_and, without thinking, /flung myself" from thd bridge I was rescued, and-ieg'ained consciousness ml h6spit.il '-For thiee 4ays- the Prince and my"son Heimann hunted for me before thej found me on mv sjfck bed "

ThP baroness sought the Riviera, and did not leturn to Berlin until the autumn of 1900. "I (.found l my poor friend/" much changed ) asthma- and deafness had been added to the infirmities of old'a'ge which toimented»him - ;His condition caused me anxious and lestless hours, and I sent him, my fuend, the well T knowil phjsiciari Dl Schadelbauei, from the Tjrol He advised the Pi nice to letne at once and seek "complete repose The Prince took this advise, Hid do'wft the bin den of his office, and left Beihn." , . / Fiom this it would appear that the baroness was mdiiectlv for the Chancellorship of Prince Bulow coin--1 mencing exactly when it did