BEHIND THE SCENES AT POTSDAM

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2703, 24 February 1916, Page 3

BEHIND THE SCENES AT POTSDAM

| ROYAL FAVOURS SOLD FOE HUGE SUMS. By Telegraph—Press Association-Copyright ('"Times" and Sydney. "Sun" Services.) (Rec. February 23, 5.35 p.m.) ' London, February 2'2. Tho "London Magazine" publishes the personal expe) lence of Miss Edith Kerr, English dresser to the Princess Victoria of Prussia for seven years at Potsdam, who was recently released from internment. She describes the Kaiser's voluptuary extravagance, and states that bad investments are Ins principal worry. Ho owed immenso sums to the tradesmen of Berlin, London, and Paris, and always had a heavy personal overdraft, and was indebted to two wealthy members of his' household. The Reichstag in 1907 increased his allowance, whicli enabled him to overtake his difficulties. The Itoyal Family sold favours, lha Empress secured largo sums .in return foi - the appointments of maids-of-hon-our and ladies-in-waiting. four who were appointed during the season of 1910 brought £35,000. A wealthy German paid tho Empress £10,000 for permission to accompany her to London ; court tradesmen paid £1000 each for Royal warrants. Trie sum of £1000 was the usual feo for an invitation to a court function, while scats in the galleries were sold from £1 to £5, tho Kaiser making £1000 out of each of lie banquets, which were scenes of elaborate and most costly and degrading gluttJny. General von Hindenburg, the most notorious glutton in the army, once ate six stuffed partridges ; while the Kaiser -devoured seven, Prince Leopold exclaiming: "Wilhelm has won the gobbling match, because von Hindenburg does not like the part-ridges.J The Kaiser sold part of his Potsdam estate to escape financial disclosures. Ho was only a "tremendously glorified figure," hut ho enforced the most rigor, ous disciplined the Court,