THE KAISER'S HEIR.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XXXIX, Issue 12772, 25 May 1912, Page 2 (Supplement)

THE KAISER'S HEIR.

ACCUSED OF WASTING TIME. BERLIN, April 5. An article attacking the Crown Prince for neglect of his military duties is >attracting great attention and is reproduced m many leading newspapers. It appeared originally m Der Tuermer, a ' monthly review, and was written by Herr Guenther von Vielrogge, a. retired officer. , .'•.-■■■

The article observes that up to the time when the Kaiser appointed his heir to the colonelcy of the famous '"Death's. Head" Hussars at Danzig last September, the Crown Prince had never .done any military service worth meriti6riu^g; , It was hoped' that the Danzig command would at last fill the Prince, m whose veins the . blood of so many warriors flowed, with genuine enthusiasm fojr his profession. "Up to the present, however, the ' hopes aroused • by ■ the transfer to Danzig remafhed • unfulfilled, lhe Crown Prince is absent far ;tb6 much on leave. Indeed, one might .ask when he is at the head of his regiment at all. Immediately after - his"' appoint- • ment the august young gentleman went travelling for four weeks, principally to hunt. Soon after his return we saw hint, m vßerlin, sometimes m the Reichstag, where he attended the Morocco debates, and sometimes at 'the flying grounds. At the beginning of December he spent a week m Silesia hunting, and at the end of December and commencement of January he was m Berlin againi Between the last-named leaves . he was prostrated by illness, which not only confined him to his room" but to his bed over..; the- Christmas holidays. This 1 illness could ' riot' have beeri too grave; j otherwise the Berlin, newspapers would ' not so soon have been able to report that he was dedicating himself to winter sports m -the Tiergarten. At" the end of January the Crdwh Prince' again came to Berlin^ to participate m Court' festivities arid those connected with the Kaiser's birthday and the christening of his own son. .When these were over he betook 'himself to Switzerland, where,' m the coriipany of his gracious consort, he threw himself into the joys df sleigh and ski with his accustomed zeal. That he remained m Switzerland longer than was intended was due to an ' injury ■■■ received at. ice-hockey. On March 6th ' tne -Danzig. Hussars saw. their commander again, and were at' last ' able * 0 ,S^e the 'winter ball/ which ' they had had to postpone on acdount of the urown Prince's many prolonged absences. '--': ' P