THE KAISER MIND

Press, Volume LVI, Issue 16722, 3 January 1920, Page 8

THE KAISER MIND

REVELATIONS IN LETTERS, j 'Tlt CVr'.r- -?-»-« A«!"vi.i:ien —CopvTirht.l i '■A::s:raJ:«.s ar.d N.Z. C'r.V'f A.^ociation.) L-ONDON. Pe.-cTT.ber 31. , Tlie .\tr-tra'.::in Pros | ,■ secured the oxe'.usivo right of the , publication m A;;?traia. c t e i|toric letter? of the ox-lva:sor '•"» 111 j late Czar cf Rr.s.-ia. between nTl,i , l:»is. v ' The "Morning Post." wh=dt owns t.ie ; exehisn-o right.- in Great Britain, i- ( publishing many f.vrsi:nilt?s i t y" ] ters. which cover the period ot t"'' Bror and Ru?.«o-.lananr.-o wars. Au>- . trin-llunrrarv's annexation nt Losiu:and Herzegovina, and the iri;>s to Jerusalem and tho Metliteiranean. . . , , i The 'letters arc of great political ami ( diplomatic iest. as they lorm t.ie I'.ev to tho ex-Kaiser's tortucus ana tinmsy foreign policy, in hjs effort to j make Germnnv the master ol the world. T!;e>- reveal a {rreat German e-.in- ] spiracy, primarily <!>-s;gned against Great Britain, but involving the hunmintinn of Russia and France, and con- , stittiting a secret history of o:uiso.s leading to the world war. The correspondence throws many side- i lights on the ex-Kaisers personal char- , actor, revealing his extniordinary vanity and bad temper, his love of rhetoric, the religious vein in hist character, and , his intense belief in his diplomatic finesse, which really consisted of bullying and flattery. The letters confirm what the world , has suspected —that. tho ex-Kaiser hated and feared his English uncle, King Edward VII. j They include seventy-five of the otc- ; Kaiser's letters, written in English in > his own handwriting. These were ; found among the Cr.ar's private effects : after his murder at Ekaterinburg. Tho first batch, which is summarised j herewith, commences on the death <>t j Ale.xander TIL Tho ex-Kaiser had , seen Nicholas IL, when lie was Czaro- : vitcli, (hiring his visit to Berlin in j January, 1593, v and at Cobtirg in ISO-I. RELATIONS WITH RUSSIA. Tho cx-Kaiser had ovidently taken \ Ito heart his grandfather's death-bed I advico to keep on good terms with ! Russiai. His objcct, as revealed by j tho letters, was to embroil Russia with : Japan, and, later, to play off Russia j against England and I'ranee. When I litis policy matured, tho cx-Kaiser ex- ' pei-ted that, with tho assistance of his huge Army and Navy, ho would have England, and even tho world, at f»er- 1 nianv's mercy. ; Fortunately this scheme miscarried, j thanks to King Edward VII. and M. ! Delcasso, as Nicholas 11. finally found out tho Potsdam Machiavelli, and tho result was that tho Triple Entente was formed. j Tho letters were addressed "Dearest j Nicky." and signed "Vvilly." The first : was dated October, 189-1. and after [ commiserating with Nicholas Jl. on his father's death, says: "We both know 1 perfectly our political ideals. I have 1 nothintc to add to our last conversation ; in Berlin. I shall always cultivate the : old relations of mutual friendship with your Ilonso, in which I wns reared bv inv grandfather, and some examples of which I was glad to give your dear pana recently." Tho second letter, dated January, . IS?V>, sends New Year's greetings with | a Christmas gift of an allium of photo-' grnnhs niet-uring the dedication of flags in Berlin TITE ARROGANT HOHENZOLLERN. j Tho third letter covers a wedding present of porcelain, which, the cx-j 1 Kaiser characteristically says, lie has | instructed his Court Marshal to ar- ■ rango on a dinner table for fifty guests! beforo presentation, so that the.Czun will be ablo to see the whole affair at a I glance. I This letter goes on to detail the I Democratic movements in various eoun- j tries and says: "In England the Rose-! hery Ministry is toddling to its fall amidst universal derision. In France I tho Ribot Cabinet is granting an am-1 ncsty to all tho worst malefactors. My Reichstag is behaving as badly as it can, swinging backwards and forwards | between the Socialists (og£ed on by the i Jews), and the ultramontane Catholics. ! Both parties will soon be fit to be hung | —all of them, in short. Everywhere the principle Do I/i Monarchie is called upon to show itself strong. That, is why I was so glad at tho capital speech you mado tho othor day to a deputation in response to some address asking for reform." THE FAR EAST. The fourth letter commends tho German Ambassador, Count Radolin, to the Czar. The Kaiser took this opportunity to ontlino his world policy, especially in reference to tho Yellow Peril. He says:—"l thank vou sincerely for the excellent way in which you initiated the combined action of Europe against Japan. It is high time that energctie steps were taKon. I- shall certainly do all in my power to keep Europe quiet, and will also guard tho rear of Russia, so that nobody can hamper s'our action towards tho Far East. It is clearly Russia's great task to cultivate the Asian Continent, and to defend Europe from the inroads of the great yellow race. In this you will always find mo on yonr side. ready to help n.s best I can. You havo well understood that call of Providenco. I hope that, just as I will gladly help you to settle tho questions of tho eventual annexation of portions of territory for Russia, you will kindlv bcc that Germany may also bo ablo to acquire a port somewhere, where it does not embarrass you. I am afraid that as the Norwegians are in a state bordering on insanity, I shall not be able to make my snmmer cruise there.' The Inst letter in the series, dated Jnly 10th. 180:5, was written during a cruise, and tells that the ex-Kaiser had had a conversation with the Grand T)uko Alexis, the Czar's uncle. "I was glad to show him," says the exKaiser. "bow our interests are entwined In the Far East, and that my ships were •under orders to second yours when things looked doubtful." Tho letter goes on to complain that officers of the Russinn shins invited to tho opening of the Kiel Cnnal took photographs of the forts and batteries. '1 think it was not quite fair to abuse our hospitality and trv to spv on vour friends." Tho letter concludes ; — "Good-bve. Dearest Nicky, with wishes for a quiet summer and a*nice little boy to come. Eve- vour affectionate friend and cousin, Willy."