EX-KAISER SPEAKS

Taranaki Daily News, 4 August 1934, Page 11 (Supplement)

EX-KAISER SPEAKS

‘THE INTERNATIONAL CIRCUS’ JOURNALIST’S SUCCESS. VIEWS OF WORLD AFFAIRS. The ex-Kaiser Wilhelm df Germany recently received at luncheon at Doom Mr. Randolph Churchill, special efiVoy of the Daily Mail, and discussed international affairs with him With the greatest frankness and energy. ThuS (says the Mail),| by a fine stroke Of journalistic enterprise Mr. Churchill wa§ able to draw the former Emperor from the shadows of exile and to obtain from him highly interesting views on the subjects as diverse as the attitude of the.Hdhenzollern family to modern Germany, Adolf Hitler, world economic depression, the Far East,' India, disarmament, and democracy. ' “I look at the world to-day entirely from the standpoint of a private gentleman,” the Kaiser told me When he received me at Doorn (Wrote Mr. Churchill). Both yesterday and the day before I had the privilege of meeting him at luncheon, and he has talked, to me freely on a variety of topics, ranging, from the drought in America to the political situation in the Far East. . It is fioW some months since he celebrated his seventy-fifth birthday, but from the vigour and alertness of his mind and conversation one would judge him to be at least fifteen years younger. “IF THEY WANT ME BACK.”Exiled monarch though he is, he does not live in the past nor does he consume himself with idle fretting for the return of his dynasty. Though he must look back on the past with regret, it would be hard to guess it from his manner. He is still to-day as gay and engaging a being as yoU could wish to meet. “The German people,” he continued, “turned me out, and if they want me back they will have to come and fetch “Hitler has done a marvellous work in putting new life and soUl into the German nation. If ever they felt it right that his endeavours should be' crowned by a return to a constitutional monarchy, I am sure that my family would' Hot fail in their duty.” ' The Kaiser leads a life of Considerable retirement, but as a detached observer he is in a position to form many acute judgments about the modern world. He spoke with horror and amazement of the folly of the world in attempting to restore prices by destroying goods. “First of all a large acreage of Wlteat is deliberately destroyed ih such places as the Argentine and elsewhere. Coffee is taken Out to sea and sunk in. Brazil, and now the world-wide drought threatens us all with famine!” The Kaiser is greatly impressed With the increasing power of Japan. My Dutch host received from the Kaiser Only the day before yesterday a copy Of Viscount Rothennere’s article, “I want friendship with Japan,” which appeared in the Daily Mail some time ago. BULWARK AGAINST BOLSHEVISM. I asked the Kaiser whether he agreed with this attitude. “Emphatically,” he replied. Japan is as capable of giving to China peace.and order as the British were of giving it to India. It is useless to think that the growth of Japanese power in China Can be prevented. . . . .. “Japan, moreover, constitutes in the East a bulwark against Bolshevism as strong as Germany provides in the West.” , . x , The Kaiser also showed much interest and, indeed, perplexity, as to the British policy in India. “If the British leave India, you will be bound to get a cleavage between the Mohammedans and the Hindus, he observed. “The Mohammedans are hot only a stronger race, but they are mdre highly organised. “The Hindus will be bound to go tinder. India is incapable of governing herself; all the great Moguls are foreignThe Kaiser is sceptical of the of Nations. “I always remember,” he said, “how one of your generals. Sir lan Hamilton, described it—‘a smoking club which meets in a powder magazine. He laughed at the folly of merely talking about disarmament when all the nations of the world are busily engaged in re-arming. “THE TALKING CIRCUS.” “The talking circus of Geneva,” he added, “does nothing but bring interna-. tional" co-operation into ridicule. Th® trouble with Europe to-day is that there are plenty of politicians but few men. A statesman may also nave the gifts of a politician, but a politician never has the gift of statesmanship. Those who know the facts laugh at the exaggerated stories which . have been spread as to the Kaiser s fabulous wealth. More than 80 per cent, or the income which he derives from Prussia is consumed by taxes, and on the remaining 20 per cent, he has to support ho fewerthan fourteen families. - . ..... Nothing cOuld exceed the simplicity of his existence and surroundings, yet despite this simplicity he still stains all that dignity and courtliness one associates with a monarch. He has many friends among his Dutch neighbours. and has built for himself in his retirement a new life largely devoted to study. He is still prdud of his rule. Many things in my feign,” he told me, “were

distorted through the inevitable bitterness of the War years. "Many people must reflect, however, on looking back, that those days before the war were the golden age of Germany. Under e constitutional monarchy the German people Onjdyed a full democracy and a freedom of speech and of the Press, and an academic liberty Which has rarely been rivalled in any other country. "Those who accuse me of having been a hard-fisted autocrat might remember the significant fact that the half century of the German Empire did hot produce one political martyr. To-day, however, democracy seems on the Wane. Sterner measures appear necessary everywhere to combat the perils of anarchism and Bolshevism?’