VANITY OF EX-KAISER

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 558, 10 January 1929, Page 11

VANITY OF EX-KAISER

WANTED to be a general ADMIRAL’S UNIFORM FRIGHTFUL t typical example of the vanity of The ex-Kaiser is given in a letter published in the ‘•Berliner Tageblatt,” re.ently. It was written in May. 1908, io Prince von Bulow, and says: When you are with the King [of Sweden] this evening before dinner he will, as he has told me in confidence, present you with the Order of Saint .Seraphim in gratitude for your work in the North Sea question. Perhaps you will be so good as to -uggest to him that he might perhaps make me a Swedish general. 1 have been a Swedish admiral since 1888. The admiral’s uniform is, however, so frightful that 1 look like a Landrat ia country official). That is why I could not put it on for the reception at the railway station, as it would have been de rigeur. Bo not, of course, give this reason, but the relations of our armies involves my receiving Swedish officers next month, I really cannot receive Them in evening dress and yet want to be Swedish. In another letter to Prince von Bulow, written during the Algeciras conference, the ex-Kaiser says: According to your account the King of Spain persists in refusing to tell us anything about the Franco-Spanish Moroccan agreement because he has promised secrecy to France . . . The King of Spain expects a visit from me, hut he refuses to be the least bit obliging to me in politics. I propose to your serene Highness to have them told quite curtly in Madrid that if his Majesty does not communicate to me the agreement with France regarding Spain, and if Spain helps, with the support of France, to checkmate the conference, then X will not visit Spain this year. I am so much older than the lad that it ia up to him to do what I want. On a postcard written from Kiel the ex-Kaiser complains of an official and writes: I have given him a proper one on the top-piece by telegram. You might have him round and punch his stomach.