EX-CROWN PRINCE OF GERMANY.

Colonist, Volume LXI, Issue 151035, 29 July 1919, Page 2

EX-CROWN PRINCE OF GERMANY.

LIFE IN WIERINGEN.

M. yon Wiegand, who was a special' correspondent" yf the 'INew lorki \\orid" at tne front during i/he war, sent ; to the "Chicago Herald" tne following account of the daily me of the ex-Crown I'i'ihce of Germany, it is dated Costeriand, Island of Wieringen, iviarch 30: — '/William yon Honenzollern, jun., was busily engaged upon his " "My Memories • oithß War" when i-called to-day. The ex-Crown Prince in his island vicarage has grown very grey. His hair is in striking contrast witn his still remarkably youthful face, tAat being the ciiief indication of the influence recent events had upon him. With that exception he looks exceedingly well* better than 1 ever saw him. He has taken on some flesh. His face is fuller, lending more maturity and tstrength to it, and he now looks unlike any pictures of him extant. ' For close oh two hours he talked of; his past, present, and future, though he > -insisted, however, that it was not an in- ' terview, and that he was not to be quoted, for recent experience has made him almost inaccessible to newspaper :inen. ; He complained bitterly of broken 'pledges and the abuse of his confidence. I Journalists, photographers, and filmers are becoming his bane. These have been camping on the island for days trying to get at him. The ex-Crown Prince related how an American correspondent, whom he named, came out in a sleigh, accompanied by his wife, and in a bitter storm. The ex-Crown Prince refused to see them, but in view of the cold, invited: both in to have tea and get warm. He j joined them when the writer pledged his word of honour not to quote him, but upon returning the journalist immediately broke his word. He wrote an iv- ; terview which the former Crown Prince declares was not only incorrect, but garbled. Since then the Prince has received no journalists. On returning from his daily walks he draws or paints. j The chief ambition of many of the! island fishermen and their wives is to possess a sketch or portrait of them- j solves done by the imperial artist. His sketches, which are by no means bad, take up several hours of his time. He varies this work by dictating or personally penning matter which is going into his memoirs, and he reads or studies for several hours as well. To keep himself in physical trim hej occupies himself, besides walking, with jumping fences, and often works in the village blacksmith shop, swinging a hammer with uprolled sleeves and with! lusty blows, and doing whatever he is • permitted to do by the master of the smithy. Into this he enters with thorough enthusiasm. The smith declares he is a quick-learning pupil, wno would make a very good apprentice. His household is composed of valet, maid, and.the Baron yon Hapenfeld, former vice-consul in Limbourg, and Major yon Kummer,former commandant at Charlesville, who is with him temporarily The ex-Crosvn Prince discussed past and present calmly, and tried to look at any future philosophically. If he nas any illusions about his situation, or about conditions in Germany, such as affect him now or may personally affect him in the future, he did not betray them. He declared that he had both feet upon the ground, and was not fooling himself. He is working hard upon his memoirs, but it is doubtful when they will be published. It all depends upon events. There is little doubt thnt this book will prove to be one of the most interesting German contributions to the inner per-: sonal history of the war, • and of the ' events which led up to.the collapse, since the memoirs deal,,probably, with numerous matters not touched by General Ludendorff. Admiral yon Tirpitz,. General yon Falkcnhayn, and others. It seems likely that tho ex-Crown Prince may strike back at those who! have not been averse to have him made' one of .the "chief goats." . j It is not unlikely that he will turn! especially against the attempt to let the! public believe that he was really respon-' sible for the plan of the Verdun attack' nnd its failures, since letters written by the Crown Prince at that time are extant. In those he strongly protested the plan, opposed'it, and finally refused to continue _it,which led to a break with his chief of staff, General Knobelsdorff, and to the latter's retirement from that post. * Perhaps the most interesting of all tho chapters of the memoirs may be that' which will deal with the events, not vet! publicly known, of the famous Novem-1 her 9, when the Kaiser suddenly found i himself alone and deserted not only by i the nation, but by those who fawned upon him, and was told that the Reds were nearing headquarters. When speaking of his country and his tamily he could not conceal the longing m his eye and note of melancholy in his voice. As to expressed hopes, desires, and plans for the future, so far as any one of those may be left to him, they were modest and simple, to say the least; he endeavours to give the impression that ne-could be happy without a crown or throne. ' With his inclination to interest himself in everything around him, his assumed democratic manners and his ability to mix, the ex-Crown Prince won some popularity with the simple folk of this island where houses and people look as if they had been taken from children's picture books. "An obliging, good natured 'boy " is the way Burgomaster Peerbohm of Wienngen characterised his enforced guest, j It was through the burgomaster's cour-i tesy^that I finally succeeded in reaching the Crown Prince. ■ ■■