KAISER AND "CHEF."

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1894, 31 October 1913, Page 4

KAISER AND "CHEF."

A TALK ON FRANCO-GERMAN RELATIONS. Among the friends of the Kaiser is ono who, though a great- man and a benefactor of mankind) is not generally in the public eyo. This is M. Escoffier, the famous chef. Tile Kaiser has known him for many years, and met hiin recently on board the Imperator. M. Escoffier had been sent by the Carlton Hotol, which had taken over the management of tho ship's restaurant, to organise the Imperator's cuisine. When tho Kaiser arrived oil board the vessel on July 8 to see it off on its firstvoyage; 51.' Escoffier treated him and his suite to a luncheon of seventeen courses and to a dinner of fifteen courses. After that tho Kaiser ' expressed his wish to see M. Escoffier next morning. Breakfast over, tho Kaiser went down into the palm- saloon and there met the great chef. This is what took placo, in tho words of M. Escoffier himself, who describes his meeting in the latest, number of that most instructive and appetising periodical, "Ijo Carnet d'Epiciire":— "The Emperor, shaking mo by the hand,- told mo how delighted ho was with the comfort ho had found on board; it was indeed, marvellous to have passed the night as quietly on tho boat as in his own palace. He. then thanked ma for having come down specially from London to tako charge of tho cuisine for the time of his sojourn on the Imperator, I expressed to nim my gratitude for his appreciation, and then asked after Her Majesty , the Empress and all tho family. Ho told me they wore all in good health and that he was touched by my attention. "I then replied: 'I hope, your Majesty, that your health may permit you to r-oign for many years to come, and that wo may yet. see accomplished before tho _cnd of your reign tlio greatest humanitarian act of the century— a rapprochement between Germany and France.' "Tho Kaiser assured mo that this was the greatest 1 desire of his life, and that he. was working hard on tho problem, but that unfortunately it was a difficult matter, and it was a very rare thing to see his best intentions correctly interpreted. "I permitted myself to remark that a certain, press seemed sometimes to be animated by regrettable sentiments. "''lndeed,' he replied, 'the' press, or rather a portion of the press, ib not always favourably disposed towards right ideas. In spite of this I have great hopes of seeing mv dcsiro realised, a.hd I wish it with all my heart for tho salto of tho happiness of our civilisation.' . " 'I hope, your Majesty, that on both sides a little goodwill will bo put into tlio business, and that you may have the joy of seeing tho 'rapprochement between the two countries—an achievement which willset the crown upon your glorious roign and complete tho happiness of the peoples of Europe, who will at last find peace for their labours.' "Tho Kaiser then left after giving mo a hearty shake of the- hand."