Face to Face with Kaiserism

s fiery energy, because of the charm of his conversation and personality, hi

han a match for men of their age, and by reason of these qualities, so rare in kings and princes, it has been easy to arouse a great feeling of devotion for the royal house of Prussia among all classes in Germany, with the possible exception of the Social Democrats. The other kings and princes of Germany have been oversh

nction to another. For the richest person in Germany before the war was Frau Krupp-Bohlen, daughter of the late manufacturer of cannon. She inherited control of the factories and the greater part of the fortune of her father and was rated at about $75,000,000. It was a contest between Prince Henckel-Donnersmarck and the Emperor for second place, each being reputed to possess about sixty to sixty-fi

e then has more than doubled. The subscriptions to war loans and war charities, thrown by Frau Krupp-Bohlen and the Kru

spapers or take over The Associated Press in order to control public opinion! Yet the German nation stands by, apathetic, propagandised to a sta

itant of the world to-day is, where do

twenty-five ruling princes of Germany, voting in the Bundesrat through their representatives,

kind, respected, the Chancellor, to a surprising degree, was minus that quality which we call "punch." He never led, but followed. He sought always to find out first which s

that might lead to a break with this country. What, then, was the mysterious power which changed, for instance, the policy of the German Empire towards

wer of America, did not advise this step-with the exception, however, of Zimmermann, who, carried away by his sudden elevation, and by

cides every great question, except the fate

tions which they have no power to decide. Across the square and covering the entire block in a building that resembles in external appearance a jail, built of dark red brick without ornament or display, is the home of the Great General Staff. This institution has its own spies, its own secret service, its own

t a time when the chief of the Great General Staff is successful, the latter, even on questions of foreign policy, claims the right then to make a decision which the Emperor may find it difficult to disregard. This is because in an autocratic gove

ERE DISTRIBUTED IN THE FIRST MONTHS OF THE WAR AND THE PRECEDENT THUS ESTABLIS

ing, and relentless, a power that watches over the German army with unseen eyes. It seeks always additions to its own ranks fr

s familiar to us because we sing it to the words of "America." The British sing the air to the words of "God Save the King." This music was originally written for Louis XIV.) The health of the Emperor is proposed and drunk with "Hurrahs" and again "Hurrahs," and then comes a tele

or entertainments must interfere in the slightest with his earnest work in that plain building of mystery whic

rmany who decided to brave the consequences of a rupture with the United States on the submarine question. It was not the Emperor; but a personality of great

ce within three months after it was adopted; unquestionably public opinion made by the Krupps and the League of Six (the great iron and steel companies), desiring annexation of the coal

ny, would dare to withstand the Great General Staff which he himself creates. They are

ll at a great ball early in the winter of 1914. The Emperor was stopping at the Prince's palace in southern Germany at Donnaueschingen when the affair at Zabern and the cutting down of the lame shoemaker there shook the political and military foundations of the German Empire. Prince Max together with Prince Hohenlohe, Duke of Ugest, embarked, however, on a career of vast speculation in an association known as the Princes' Trust. They built, for instance, the great Hotel Esplanade in Berlin, and a hotel of the same name in Hamburg, and an enorm

of Verdun, ordered by him or for which he was the responsible commander. Von Treutler probably told the truth; he was against the breaking of the submarine pledges to America; and Prince Pless, who remains still in favour, never took a decided stand on any of these questions. Prince Pless, as Prince Max was, is rich. His fortune before the war, represented mostly by great landed estates in Silesia, mines, etc., amounted appr

of a few persons. He always has been accessible, seeking even to meet strangers, not merely his own people but foreigners, thus escaping the penalty of tho

e Kaiser, but he is consulted on army commands and promo

for a long time Admiral von Mueller was against taking the chance of war with America and perhaps, even to the end, persisted in this course. After the fall of von Tirpitz, von Mueller acquired more real power. But in a sense it is incorrect to speak of the forced retirement of von Tirpitz as a "fall," because from his retirement he was a