GEEMANY'S NEXT EMPEROR. THE KAISER'S ELDEST SON AND HEIR AS HE ACTUALLY IS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2651, 4 January 1905, Page 37

GEEMANY'S NEXT EMPEROR. THE KAISER'S ELDEST SON AND HEIR AS HE ACTUALLY IS.

(By F. CtTNLiFFE-OwEN, in Munsey's Magazine.) It -is as William 111 that Germany's Crown I*rince will be known when the moment — far distant, be it hoped — arrives for him. to assume his father's plaoe on the throne. Until last year he figured in the army lists o? both. Germany and Austria as ** Frederick "William," but this year, by his own will and by the Kaiser's direction, the style has been chaniged to "William," without the prefix of "Frederick." TL call attention to this, in connection with fcis rmminent marriage to Duchess Cecilia of Meoklenburg-Sohwerin, because of the clue whioK it affords to the young Prince's character and aspirations. In personal appearance and in manner he takes after his grandfather, " Unser_ Fritz," who was also christened . Frederick William, ' but who dropped the latter name: ; But his mind is moulded upon that of his father, whose ▼iows, prejudices, and aspirations he shares, and Whose poHoy;, rather than that of Frederick HI, he. may be relied upon to continue when he becomes Emperor. In spite of all the reports- that have been published -to the • contrary; -the Kaiser and thp Crown -Prince are devoted to each other. To the Heir Apparent, his "father is in every sense of the wqrd_ "William Second' to None," while the monarch himself is wrapped up in his first-born. .For 10 years past the Emperor has given" every spare moment that he could snatch away from his multifarious occupations to the' task of instilling his own ideas into the young Prince. In talking- and reasoning with him, -even when he was a lad in his teens, the -Kaiser treated him as far older than his years, discussing matters with him as if he were » full-fledged man ; and it is "owing to this that Germany's future Sovereign is in certain respects remarkably mature for his age, and possesses an^aanount of knowledge and EXPERIENCE VEET BABE HT^A YOUTH OF TWENTT-TWO. The Prince is not a prig, nor yet a milkK>pt but in every sense of tine word a manly j young fellow. He has managed to escape contact with the darker sides of life, to keep' hh name clear of scandal of any kind, and to retain much of a boy's innocence and freshness of mind -mingled with* the- worldly knowledge- of a grown man. True," he has » keen sense of bis own dignity; but it. takes the form" of an -extreme simplicity, and cf'an absolute lack of affectation. He is intelligent enough to realise' that his , rank and position are so fully assured that he does not need to call attention to tihem. by his manner or in ,hi& speech. TJILSX STORIES OF THE YOUNG PBINCEr j On several occasions durjjng'.the last two or three yews; it has "become known that' the Crown Prince was ordered under arrest by the. Emperor. This .meant confinement to his -quarters for a few days, which is" the' usual "method adopted* by T European' monarchs for punishing princes and - princesses of their' bouse who have broken .the rules, and -regulations- established for their guidance. On the. strength of this .news oil eorte; of" extravagant stories have been. built up, 'representing that the son was rebel--lioiis to his father's will,,.. that bad blqc<L -existed between, thpm, that th© Prince had become exceedingly wild, and that the., Emperor had been -obliged to int&rvenewith a strong hand in order to check tbe_ young man's excesses'. . This gossip was manufactured out of whole cloth. As' a mattjer of fact, tlie offences which l&d. the Kaiser to discipline the Crown • Prince were of a nature to increase the young fellowts popularity among the people, and, William ll's pride in his- son. For they wecre feats of daring horsemanship, such as taking his horse tip the great flight of marble steps in the gardens of the palace., of Sans Souci •at Potsdam,.and riding the winner at a steeple- • ch*s& over a course which is celebrated as j the most- dangerous m all Europe. No one is more enthusiastic than- the Emperor about his son's prowess as a sportsman; but he holds that the dynastic and political interests which depend' upon his first-born's life •re too important to admit of the latter be:ng risked in break-neck steeplechases and in risky feats of equestrianism. Not only is the Prince one of the best and most daring riders in the German army; but he_ excels as a- four-in-hand and tandem whip, is an expert swordsman, a crack shot, an adept -swimmer and oarsman, and oneof the best tennis players in Germany. His influence over animals ~ is extraordinary. £& v schoolboy he succeeded in training his ponies. hi 3 dogs,- and other pets "to perform such clever tricks that on several^ occasions lie managed, with the assistance of bis brothers, "to organise very creditable circus performances' at "Potsdam, usually in honour of his father's or his mother's birthday. v " The-Crown Prince has inherited-- the taste for music which is developed to a greater degree in the' house of Hohenzollern than m any other of the reigning^ families of Europe. His talents as" a violinist have been developed by his study of this instrument ever %jnce his eighth year, under toe direction of the Berlin Court violinist, Yon Jixner. He Las to his credit several compositions for the violin, and the' StradiTarius which once belonged to Queen Louise « perhaps the most highly prized of all Jus possessions. THE CBOWN PBTNCE'S EDUCATiSn l^ite his father before him, Crown Prince William received a sensible public school education, first- of all at the military cadet institution at Ploen," then at the public college, or gymnasium, at Cassel, and after that at the University of Bonn. Both at Cassel and at Bonn he was brought into intimate contact with his fellow students,, young men recruited from every class in Germany. Many of his holidays were spent in pedestrian trips through, his father^ dominions, the Prince, with one or more of his younger brothers, trudging along the road as if" they were the sons of 'artisans. In Germany no industrial apprenticeship is considered complet.p without a tour of this kind; and it is difficult to imagine '■ thing that could appeal more to the people than when the Kaiser adopted a similar mei3iod of training his boys. The Emperor William was but 22 years iof age when he led.to the altar the gracious- 'lady who has since been ' his wisest councillor- and truest friend, and who has rendered his home life a model to every family in the Fatherland. The Crown Prince is marrying at the same age, and his bride, the Duchess Cecilia of Mecklen-burg-Sohwerin, is, like himself, a greatgrandchild of that Queen Louise of Prussia whose memory is held in such generation by every patriotic German. The

young Duchess has inherited much of the fascination of her mother, the Grand Duohess Anastasia of Russia, daughter of the Czar's great-uncle, the veteran Grand Duke Michael Nicholaievitch. Fair-haired, brown-eyed, tall, with many of those graces of manner and speech that are characteristic of the highly-bred Frenchwoman, it is easy to understand that Princess Cecilia should have won the heart of the German Crown Prince. While, from a dynastic and political point of view, the union offers great advantages, there is no doubt that it is as much of a love match as was that of his father and mother. Moreover, the Princess belongs to a race claiming kinship with the stalwart Teutonio tribe that established the Vandal kingdoife of Carthage, and won for it the mastery of the Mediterranean. In this fact there may perhaps be seen a happy omen for Germany's cherished aspiration to become one of the greatest maritime Powers of the world.