EX-KAISER’S MONEY

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLIII, Issue 2270, 30 April 1921, Page 4

EX-KAISER’S MONEY

A BUSINESS AGREEMENT

Jnlcresiing details of the money.-, which the ex-Kaiser ha-• received from Prussia since bis flight into Holland were given at a .-itling of the Law Committee of the Diet. A representative lo the Berliner Tagcblatt said that in January, J 919, he was paid two million Dutch gulden, and in tlie following Align-4 10,138,000 from the sale of the property in the Wilhelms!va>se, Berlin. He had received a further 10,000,000 marks, which bad been partly expended on the purchase of Doom Chateau. The furnishings for his new residence bad also been sent to him. In one of hi.- application- for money the ex-Kaiser had staled that the “magnanimous hospitality of Count Beni hick wn- costing a thousand guilden daily. The appanages of I lie IlolicnzoJlent princes had been paid down, to l>t July, 102 J, out of the Crown fund, and later out of the so-called “bouse treasure." At present the princes were receiving only twothird- of their former allowances.

According to Yorwacrls, a complete list of furnishing.-, -cut to Doom is not yet available. The inventory submitted to llie committee began with the item ‘‘carpenters’ tools, one whetstone." Yorwacrls says that the list did not show some valuable pictures, and a good deal of silver plate which has also been despatched to Doom. ' The Prussian Government takes the attitude that all movable objects acquired by "Wilhelm during his reign should be surrendered to him, as they have no value whatever from the points of view of “art or the history of culture.” As. an historical expert, Professor .Fleisehman. of Koenigsberg, was called. He said that it was a mistake to suppose that the Hohenzollerns had come to Brandenburg as a poor family. On the contrary, they had been first-rate business men in the twelfth and thirteenth centuries. From the eighteenth century they had, said the professor, “worked systematically to increase their private fortune, acting on the conviction that only wealthy rulers really counted for anything.” The discussion, which lasted eight hours, and will lie continued, concerns a business agreement made between the Prussian Government and the ex-King with regard to the disposal of the Crown and family possessions of the Hohenzollerns. This compact is now before the Prussian Parliament for confirmation, which it appear- hardly likely lo receive.