THE EX-KAISER.

Taihape Daily Times, 12 April 1919, Page 6

THE EX-KAISER.

LAUGHS AT HIS CRITICS

DISCLAIMS RESPONLBILITY 'FOR

WAR.

STILL LOVES ENGLAND.

Mr Harold Begbie, the "Daily Chronicle's" correspondent bt Amenougen, discloses intimate details of the Kaiser's exile and personal views •of the war. Mr Begbie -say: Tfhe Kaiser is entirely impo enitant. He declares that he strove harder than any man in the world to avert war, and laughs at the. idea of being tried. There is no power on earth that can try him. He would destroy himself if he thought he would bo arraigned by an international tribunal because such an ordeal would bo insufferable. "Only God knows I strove, at my own peril, and the peril of the Throne, to avert the calamity."

Eeplying to the question of German plots, the Kaiser points out German manufacturers in 1914, with the War Minister's consent, supplied Russia with three thousand machine guns, ihalf a million rifles, arid four hundred i million rounds of ammunition. He imperilled his throne in the early days of the crisis. Germany was the last Power on the mainland of Europe to mobilise. He adds: I did not want war. Nicholas 'did not want war. George did not want war. The rulers were all dead against it. The war was made by diplomats. The whole guilt rests with the Russian Government. Rivalry in the Balkans between Austria arid Russia precipitated the conflict. Germany was drawn in because she' was 'pledged to defen'd Austria. The Entente were seized of his (the Kaiser's) tremendous power, and aimed at the German Empire. Queen Victoria constantly warned him against Edward Vll.'s influence. She said: 'Do not have anything to do with him. He will f do you no good.' The Kaiser protests his love for England. The Kruger telegram was sent against his wishes, owing to Prince Hohenlohe's insistence. The Kaiser laughs at those who refer to him as an autocratic power. He was never allowed to know his generals' strategy, or the true cause of hostilities. The Kaiser hotly resents the charge of organised atrocities, and says the Lusitania was a greaf blunder, but England's attempt to starve the women and children of Germany maddened the German people. The Kaiser deplores Nurse Cavill's execution, which was oi'dered by a general the worse for drink. The Kaiser ordered no more women to be shot without his personal sanction. 'He 'defends the • methods of occupation of Belgium. He regards Bolshevism as a criminal alias for 'Freemasonry. and Freem'asenry for him is Satanism. His love for England remains. He continually exclaims, "Can my English friends believe these outrageous things about one?" and then he moans: "Those wonderfully happy days in England are gone, gone, gone!"

across the frontier, tho copies being wrapped round various commpdities. In one issue the editor apologised for the smell of some of the as they had contained lumps of cheese, butter, and other groceries.

The most daring achievement of the paper happened quite recently. It was a trick played on the German Governor Von Falkenhausen, which eclipsed the many clever tricks played on his predecessor, the notorious Von Bissing, who had a copy regularly delivered at his house. In one issue there appeared a cartoon of the Governor, with the inscription, "Always kind to dumb animals. V(on FalkhausxMi,.'' There was a facsimihe of his signature. Falkhausen filled with rage, called together a special gathering of the elite of his spies. He gave a banquet at which 20 of these spies were present to ; discuss the best means of utterly suppressing the paper. DEFIANT "OPEN LETTER." Whatever was the scheme decided upon, it utterly .failed to achieve its object. It is. not recorded what Von Falkhausen vsaid a few days later when the next issue appeared with a photograph of the banquet! Right up to the day of the armistice "La Libre B'elgique" continued to' appear. It is now published as a daily paper. The only information the Huns could get about the secret publication was contained in the front page of the paper itself. It contained the following announcement: ■"Price jrer copy—-\caryjing from zero to the infinite (distributors not to exceed this limit).

"Bulletin of Patriotic Propaganda," Regularly Irregular,'' "Submitting to no Censorship."

"Telegraphic address: Kommandantur, Brussels General offices are installed in an automobile cellar, owing the impossibility of having them in a stationary place. "Advertisements: Business being at a standstill, we have suppressed our advertisement pagc i and advise our supporters to save their money for better times."

Each issue opened with a letter addressed to the Governor-General, and breathing defiance arid scorn. Two agents responsible for distributing the paper were caught, but the printing press was never found. A reward of £4OOO was offered for any information leading to the detection of the staff, but although large numbers of people were arrested, most of them had to be released owing to no evidence.