“POVERTY” AT DOORN.

Waikato Times, Volume 94, Issue 14770, 8 October 1921, Page 12 (Supplement)

“POVERTY” AT DOORN.

— * EX-KAISER AND BEGGING LETTERS The cx-Kaiser’s mail hag at Doom is so often freighted with begging letters and appeals for pecuniary assistance from his laic subjects, that the exiled monarch has had a special form of rejection printed, whicti is despatched to all those petitioners whose need the ex-Kaiser cannot or will not relieve (states the Morning Post’s Berlin correspondent). This document,, which lias found its way into the German press, bears the address of the “Office of the Marshal of the Court of His Majesty the Emperor and King Wilhelm II.,” and sets forth that in consequence of widespread poverty in “Our Fatherland” innumerable letters arrive daily at Doom asking for gifts or loans of money.

Owing to lack of adequate secretarial staff, it is impossible to answer these appeals separately in writing. The Marshal of the Court is therefore compelled to fall back on print in order to convey the Imperial answer. The answer is do the following effect: —

“His Majesty and Emperor the King has learned with sincere regret of the necessitous conditions in the ease under review. The means at his disposal for such objects (that is, charitable relief) have, however, long since been exhausted, and Die economic and exchange conditions arc simply annihilating for ids estate, as on the average only four Dutch gulden arc exchanged for 100 German marks. In consequence of the general dearness of living which prevails in Holland ,lhe barest necessities can hardly be provided with German money.

“His Majesty is therefore not m a position lo grant the requested financial assistance."

Since the revolution the ex-Kaiser has received upwards of 60,000,000 marks, or about £250,000, from (he Prussian Exchequer.