THE KAISER'S FEAR OF DEATH.

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 4, Issue 18, 5 March 1915, Page 7 (Supplement)

THE KAISER'S FEAR OF DEATH.

Whilst travelling in the rear of liifi tiroops the Kaiser has in constant attendance a number of Court physicians. He fears the attack of disease almost as much as he dreads the assassin's knife, if Wilhelm catches a s much as a cold he immediately retires to bed and cancels all his engagements. Unhappy Court offio;nls who suffer from chills have to carefully hide their .symptom* from the Kaiser, otherwise they will be at once banished. They have to use their handkerchiefs behind the shelter of a friendly palm or slip through a window on to a tei«raot\, where they can sneeze out of the range of [lis Majesty's observance In Berlin the Kaiser used to exercise in a covered tennis-court, which was frightfully overheated, according to Wilhelm's orders. In this oppressive atmosphere ho played tennis with perspiring officers. Rather than 'run the risk of developing a chill, the Kaiser would dispor t himself in this building with its hot-house interior. It was the .same with his r.iding-school. The Master of the Horse was always finding his charges developing coughs owing to the heated atmosphere in which they wero exercised bv the Kaiser.

Miss Anne Tophara. at one time governess to the Kaiser's daughter, tells in her "Memories of th-e Kaiser's Co'irt" how the Emperor was always making panic-stricken exits from one palace to another to avoid disease. \)n one occasion the Emperor and his Court were comfortably installed at the Belle Vue Palace, when Prince Oscar developed chicken-pox. So all the luggage wa.s re-packod and a few hours later the Kaifier was scurrying oir to another place. This occurrence happened just prior to the, German Emperor's visit, to England, so that he spent an apprehensive week in England, always on tho alert for symptoms of the. disease which he feared had infected him.