KAISER AND HIS HEIR

Taihape Daily Times, 27 August 1918, Page 2

KAISER AND HIS HEIR

STRUGGLE FOE THE MASTERY. FRENCH SPECULATIONS: Paris has been speculating as to what is the underlying reason for the German Emperor's recent outburst in which he threw oft" the mask of a lover of peace and boldly proclaimed Limeslf an apostle of Pan-Germanism. One reason given for the speech tuat 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 : : ia':i:ig that the enemy's object is a coldblooded 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 possibility of escape in the eyes of the entire civilised world? Senator Eonry Berenger, in the Matin, finds the real reason for the speech in the long smouldering antagonism between the Emperor and the Crown Prince. SPIKING HIS SON'S GUNS. That this antagonism exists he holds was proved shortly before the war by the Zabern incident and .the scene in the Reichstag when the Crown Prince openly showed hostility to his father's alleged Pacifist inclinations. Only a few weeks ago the Pan-Germans pushed their policy to the forefront to such an extent that a league was actually formed to oppose them, the declared object to 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 Pro-Germanism in the interests of the Emperor as against the Crown Prince. The Pan-Germans, however, proved too strong for the 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 *f.s the leader of Pan-

German ambitions. Nobody, not even the Grown Prince, he determined, should out-distance him in. Pan-Ger-manism. M. Berenger tells a striking anecodate in this connection, which, he says, was repeated to him by an eminent French statesman. At an official reception in Berlin some years before the war the Crown Prince spoke 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 Saumur. The Ambassador pointed out that the French Government's cor rfent !would hav/e to (be Ibtained. "Oh!" replied the Prince, 'you can manage that." "Then there would be the Emperor's consent to be gained," remarked the Amassador. '' Ah,'' murmured the Prince gloomily "that man is always getting in my path." Apparently that man has once again got in the w r ay of his son and rival by throwing himself into the arms of Pan-Germanis;m in a desperate effort to assert himself.