KAISER AND HIS HEIR

Levin Daily Chronicle, 7 September 1918, Page 4

KAISER AND HIS HEIR

STBTJGGIiE FOR THE MASTERY, j Paris has been speculating as to what j is the underlying reason for the Ger man Emperor's recent outburst m which he threw off the mask of a lover of peace and boldly proclaimed himself an apostle of Pan-Germanism.' One reason given for the speech is that the Emperor found it impossible any longer to refrain from replying to the Allies' repeated demands for a statement of German war aims and cut the Gordian knot by plainly stating that the enemy's object is a cold-blooded effort to dominate the 'rest of the world. But why, it is asked, was the Emperor induced, especially at this juncture ,to make a statement which condemns Germany beyond the posibility of escape in the eyes of thc. entire civilised world? Senator Henry Bercnger, in the Matin, finds thc real reason for the speech in the long smouldering antagonism between*" thc Emperor, and the Crown Prince. SPIKING HIS SON'S GUNS. I That this antagonism exists he holds was proved shortly before thc war by thc Zabcni incident and thc sceno in the Reichstag when the Crown Prince openly showed hostility to his father's alleged Pacifist inclinations. Only a few week's ago the Pan-Germans pushed their policy to thc forefront to such an extent that a league was actually formed to oppose them, the declared object of which was "to protect the person and will of the Emperor against steps being taken for peace which would not be a German peace." This league, in other words was formed to curb ProGcrmanism in thc interests of the Emperor as against the Crown Prince. Thc Pan-Germans, however, proved too strong for thc Emperor, and, this being so, M. Berenger suggests that the Emperor, seeing with anxiety the growing strength of the Crown Prince and his policy suddenly resolved _to spike his son's guns by proclaiming himself as thc leader of Pan-German ambitions. Nobody, not even the Crown Prince, he determined, _ should out-distance him in Pan-Germanism. M. Berenger tells a striking anecdote in this connection, which, he says, was repeated to him by an eminent French statesman. At a official reception in Berlin some years before the war the .Crown Prince spolce to the French Ambassador of the immense admiration he felt for the French cavalry, and expressed a desire to visit incognito the French cavalry school at Samur. The Ambassador pointed out that the Frcnch Government's consent would have to be obtained. "Oh," replied the Prince, "you can manage that." "Then there would be the Emperor's consent to bo gained," remarked the Ambassador. "Ah," murmured_ the Prince gloomily, "that man is always getting in my path." Apparently that man has once again got in the way of his son and rival by throwing himself into the arms of Pan-Germanism in a desperate effort to assert himself.