KING EDWARD VII AND THE KAISER.

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 4, Issue 8, 29 January 1915, Page 2 (Supplement)

KING EDWARD VII AND THE KAISER.

THE BULLY OF BERLIN'S BRUTALITY TO HIS MOTHER.

"BEGINNING OF THE WAR

EDWARD THE PEACEMAKER FORESAW THE PRESENT WORLD-STORM.

" I call the picture 'The Beginning of the War.' " This is how Sir Herbert Tree describes the remarkable photograph which we publish to-day illustrating a quarrel between the late King Edward and the Kaiser several years ago. The origin of the quarrel is not divulged, but M. Basset, the London correspondent of the "Petit Parisien." relates how he first saw the photograph at His Majesty's Theatre:—■ After a recent performance the famous English actor showed me in his private room this curious snapshot, taken five or six years ago, when K'ng Edward VII.. irritated by certain underhand tricks on the part of his nephew, found it necessary to tell William 11. what he thought of him fairly sharply. The indiscreet photograph shows the end of the scene. The two Sovereigns had been talking in a corner of the garden, and after a discussion, which seems to have been very heated. King Edward turned brusquely away, called Irs dogs to heel, and, obviously displeased, has refused to hear another word. The Kaiser, looking thoroughly ashamed of himself. i s trying to detain him. his hands outstretched in supplication. . . I have never seen such a striking and prophetic picture.

To a "Da'ly Sketch" representative Sir Herbert Tree stated that he got possession of the photograph at Hamburg in 190!), and it wars given to him by a certain distinguished person who witnessed the Royal quarrel. With hi s great instinct for drama. Sir Herbert has entitled tlr's unique souvenir " The Beginning of the War." and it may w?ll be thht that quarrel sowed tho seeds of the Kaiser's anger that haw. attained such monstrous growth since the war began. No man ever strove mop? strenuously to maintain the peace of Europe than King Edward VII.. and none imperilled that peace more persistently than tho German Emperor has done during tho last five-and-twenty years. THE DOMINEERING KAISER. There never wns any r:al affection between King Edward and his nephew. They quarrelled frequently. But their quarrels were private and personal affairs, though they were often provoked by the hot-headed, impulsive and domineering attitude of the Kaiser, whose whola behaviour was a standing challenge to King Edward's influence and popularity, and a menace to the good relations of the two countries which were maintained under the greatest by the consummate tact of our late Sovereign. From the moment the Kaiser cam? on tho throne he set himself to eradicate any vestige of English influence in the German Court. His reprehensible treatment of his mother (King Eelward's eldest and favourite sister), his contempt of things English, and his impudent expression of shame that he had any English blood in him wounded and distressed King Edward. No wonder they quarrelled. Sir Sidney Lee. its bin Life of Edward VII. in the "Dictionary of National Biography," freely refers to these quar-

rels, which ho describes as " passing ebullitions of irritation." That they so passed was duo to the tact of the uncle, not the arrogance of the nephew. Had King Edward been a man with less experience of the world and a less exalted penso of responsibility, it i s difficult to say what might have come of these quarrels. As it was, the Bully of Potsdam failed to embroil Great Britain in those excursions and alarums with which ho agitated the rest of Europe, and lie had generally to subside after a and dignified rebuke from the " Uncle Bertie'' he effected to treat with impertinence. BRUTALITY TO HIS MOTHER. There are many instances of these Royal estrangements, but four outstanding examples may be quoted : (1) There was the ang?r of King Edward (then Prince of Wales) at the brutal behaviour of the Kaiser towards his mother, the w : dowed Empress, on the death of the Emperor Frederick in 1889. That act of bully13m created a profound and lasting impression in the English Royal Family. ('2) In 1897 came a renewal of differences between the Kaiser and his mother. King Edward, then spending his usual hol ; day at Hamburg, went on a visit to his sister (the unhappy Empress Frederick) at Cronbcrg. and neglected Berlin altogether. (3) The notorious Kruger telegram was an affront to England which created another breach in their relations and exasperated King Edward beyond measure. (-1) King Edward's neglect, during his sea trip in 1900. to meet the Kaiser produced a further estrangement, because his tour was construed in Berlin into a desire to humiliate Germany by attempting to detach Italy from the Triple Alliance and to form a great coalition against Germany. Other unpleasantnesses arose out of King Edward's partiality to France, a country which he loved with undiminished ardour from his first delightful visit as a boy of fourteen in company with that samo sister who afterwards hcrame Empress Frederick. Nothing in the fortunes 0 f France ever changed that fust sentiment of affection. All his sympathies wont with France in the Franco-Prussian war. and were with that country in all her European vicissitudes.

KING EDWARD'S LOVE OP FRANCE. This love of France nn°" France's growing friendl : ness for England due to King Edward's persistent cordiality, was a constant bono of contention between the two monarchs, because AngloFrench friendship was just tfte thing hast compatible with German ambition and aggrandisement. But Tvng Edward had no sympathy with Germany's political ambitions. Ho foresaw something of the menace we know was in preparation in his time, and lias now come upon us in its full fury. Ho hated the devious paths of Gorman diplomacy, and no doubt the photograph we reproduce illustrates his indignation at the cunning and craftiness with which the Kaiser attempted to niako political capital out of ordinary social intercourse.

Most of all King Edward hated th? melodramatic posturings. lime-light effect, and unrestrained invocations to the Almighty that always distinguished the. Kaiser." How could quarrels have he?n avoided with this mountebank, who went about Europe clanking his sword—the Man with the Mailed Fist and th 0 Masked Face?