THE KAISER’S ANCESTORS.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LXII, Issue 144506, 15 October 1914, Page 5

THE KAISER’S ANCESTORS.

SOME QUEER CHARACTERS* Tho Kaiser has bad many comprehensive and illuminating comments parsed upon him of late. And there is much more to come. Many readers are no doubt wondering what is to become of the man when tno pennons of the Leugal Lancers go 11 uttering tlirough tho streets of Berlin (to use the words of Ford Curzou), and the Ghurkas enjoy themselves in tho gardens of Potsdam. Wilhelm will thou bo an angry man, we may be sure. Possibly ho wdl be a wiser man; that is if it no possib.o for Him to alter very much in ms personal convictions. But again, ono wonders if tho Kaiser really takes himself seriously, and believes—absolutely, literally believes—all that ho says about himself and his mission. The American newspapers call him “a pious humbug.” What if Wilheim himself is luJly alive to the fact that ho is? If he bo, lie is not so much a pious humbug as lie is a colossal would-be deceiver. THE PART ANCESTORS PLAY. However, it is not particularly about tho Kaiser himself that we are concerned to-day. U'o have been looking over the history of,the Holicnzoilcrns—of which clan Wilhelm is now chief representative—and have learned much about its various burgraves and margraves who made themselves notorious irom about the twelfth century onwards. We cannot help it, of course, if our forefathers were very far from being paragons. But tho grim truth remains that character possesses tho wonderful quality of descending from father to son, be tho character good or bo it bad. No doubt all of us have forefathers about whom tho least said the better. Tho well-known editor of a big London weekly journal when a young man in Scotland—and that was not to day or yesterday—aspired to having a genealogical tree, something to show at a glance the pedigree of his family. Mo began hL. pious researches on the first day of his yearly holidays, and before evening that day had discovered tho encouraging fact that an ancestor of hi?—and one not so very far back—had been Imaged in tho ancient city of Perth for shrcp-stealing. After that the genealogical investigations were abandoned. In some families where ilm ?■’•! L favourable lo their awtli, human instincts, characteristics. and menial quautiea no doubt remain and mav go on expanding and developing. If or- narrowly in-pems the chief characteristics displayed by tho Kaiser, the truth seems beyond dispute that those have bom not only inherited, but have also, with him, increased and flourished immensely. Wo have only to go back to the Fredericks to find tho source of the Kaiser’s cclo-sal egotism, his tremendous vanity, and his barbaric contempt for pledges. “AN AMBITIOUS UPSTART.” The Hobonzollcrns had a book published tho other day about them, the writer of which seems to nave dredged the dictionary—as Kipling says—for adjectives sufficient m number ami .strength to do them justice. Wilhelm’s ancestors arc dcfcribed at length ,* hat tho clloct of tho volume is that they were liars, bandits, and murderers. It is a* blessing that, according to law, ono cannot slander the dead. Tho three Frododicks—Frederick 1., Frederick Wilhelm 1., and Frederick ll.—tho best known of Prussia’s kings, need bo but briefly glanced at to show whence comes the character of the Kaiser. They aero Brandenburgs, and the Brandenburgs, when first they came into notice, were pretty low down even among tho little Gorman states and principalities. From Poland they obtained, early in tho seventeenth century, iho investiture of tho duchy of Prussia. In time arrived Frederick upon tho scene, and Frederick sot his heart upon being a king. In tho year 1700 he assumed tho new dignity. Hoar what Macaulay has to say about ibis, tho fired. King of Prussia:—“Ho had on that occasion to undergo all the mortifications winch fall to the lot of ambitious upjuaris. Compared with tho other crowned heads of Europe, ho made a figure resembling that which a nabob or a commissary who had bought a title, would make in tho company of peers whoso ancestors bad been attainted for treason against tho Plantagencts.”

FREDERICK WILHELM.

Frederick’s son was Frederick Wilhelm, and of him wo possess many pictures which’ promise to ho- permanent. “His eccentricities were such,” remarks the historian just quoted, “as had never hcloro iieeii seen out ol a madhouse.” He was tho first who formed the design of obtaining for Prussia a place among tho European powers, altogether out ot proportion to her extent and population, by means of a strong military organisation. He got together an army of 60,000 highly disciplined troops, and, as the master of Mien a force, was regarded by iris neighbour as a dangerous enemy or as a valuable ally. “But tho mind of Frederick Wilhelm,” says Macaulay, “was so ili-rcgulaied that all his inclinations became passions, and ail his passions partook ot the character of moral and intellectual disease. His parsimony degenerated into sordid avarice. His ta-sto for military pomp and order became a mania.” This mania led to the formation of what Carlylo terms “the amazing regiment of giants.” Every country was ransacked for recruits, and a man seven foot high, if ho refused to bo bought, was in danger of being captured. Tho Prussian Ambassador in London picked op ono Irishman of quite imposing stature, “more than seven feet high,” states the chronicle. But to induce this long gent to join tho brigade of' guards at Potsdam, Frederick Wilhelm had to present him with a sum of about £I3OO sterling. This remarkable monarch looked upon his tall soldiers, and upon his entire army, very much as a miser looks upon his gold. Ho talked of performing wonders with his regiments; but the hardest tasks set by Frederick Wilhelm were sham fights around Berlin. This king's loro of military display was but ono sido of his character. Hero is an authoritative picture of him in a different sphere:—“The nature of Frederick Wilhelm was hard and bad, and tho habit of exercising arbitrary power had mado him frightfully savage. When his Majesty took a walk, every human being fled before him, as if a tiger had broken loose from a menagerie. If ho mot a lady in tho street, ho gave her a kick, and told her to go home and mind her brats. If he saw a clergyman staring at the soldiers, lie admonished tho reverend gentleman to botako himself to study and prayer, and enforced this pious advice by a sound caning administered on the spot. But it was in his own house that ho was most unreasonable and ferocious. His,

palace iras hell, and ho the most execrable of fields.” FREDERICK THE GREAT. The son of this beauty was Frederick 11., known to history as Frederick the Great. The old, half-insane,. demoniac father led tho Prince a terrible life. He kicked him, cudgelled him, pulled him about the palace by the hair. Once tho old King knocked him down, dragged him along the floor to a window. and was with difficulty prevented from strangling him with tho cord of tho curtain. Tho youth, rendered desperate, attempted to run away, and tho old tyrant was furious. The Prince was an officer in tho army, and bis flight was therefore desertion. According to Frederick Wilhelm's code, desertion was an “astounding crime. *‘Desertion is from hell,” wrote tho King. /‘lt is a work of tho children of the Devil. No child of God could possibly bo guilty of it.” Hero will be observed those impious references to the Deity which are so flagrantly frequent in the utterances of the Kaiser. Even this unfeeling, tyrannical madman. who was born in 1688 and died in 1740, is found expressing sentiments precisely such ns nobody would be surprised to hear from his descendant, ilie Kaiser, in tho year 1914. Tho writer of the recent book, to which reference has been made, seems to have no lack of evidence for establishing his contention that the Mnhcnzollerns arc to-day iueeisoly what they wove hundreds of years ago. An accomplice of the Prince, though a court martial recommended that Ids life he spared, was put to death. Only tho intercessions of the Kings of Poland and Sweden, and the Emperor of Germany —tho German Emperorship Ims changed hands fitter then—saved tho life of Frederick. Ifo was. however, kept a prisoner and in suspense, the unnatural father for months refusing aim pardon. In 17-10 the old rascal died. *and Frederick became King of Pi ussia.

FREDERICK’S CHARACTER

Frederick’s character had a full share of the llohenzoilcrn attributes. Mqcaniry admits that lie had good qualiiirs. But ho possessed in full measure the Hohcnzoih:m powers of deception. ••'Mis habit of ranting about moderation. pence, liberty, and the happiness which a good mind derives from the happiness of others, 'had imposed on f-f.nu who should have- known better.” Macaulay wrmo these words before- the prcocnc Kni-er was horn ; but who will deny that to 4X411101111 they are fully and strangely applicable? Macaulay goes on: “Nobody had tho least suspicion that a lyranr of extraordinary military ami political talents, of industry more extraordinary still, without fenr. without, faith, and without mercy. ),n:l ascended the throne.” Such was the Kai- r's ancestor whom he so frequently exioK. Frederick ignored his treaties, broke his momiscs. and turned against ins frier.ns. 'I he fact that the Kaiser had such men among his ancestors explains much.—YVccklv Press.